To date 54 million spectators have been registered for French films around the world in 2007. A final total of almost 57 million is expected.
In 2007, French films attracted a total of 53.7 million spectators to movie theaters abroad, racking up box office takings of €257 million. These provisional figures allow us to expect almost 57 million admissions and a box office of €270 million.
2007’s annual results remain at a higher level than the average achieved over the past ten years (51.1 million admissions).
Europe dominates, Russia takes the lead, South America on the rise
Europe is more than ever the main export territory for French films (61% in total). Germany, Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom represent 15.3 million admissions, and the Eastern Europe countries (Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic) are up.
With 7.3 million admissions, Russia is the prime territory for French films. For the first time, it is ahead of the United States (6.8 million). However English-language countries (the United States, United Kingdom, Australia) remain strong performers with 11 million admissions.
South America has shown an increase of 30% in 2007. French films had a marked effect in Mexico where they achieved their 4th best performance (3.7 million admissions).
Asia continues to pose problems: Japan remains a difficult territory and China proved less open to French cinema this year.
The year of Arthur and the Invisibles, My Vie en Rose, Taxi 4… and a few other surprises
Arthur and the Invisibles kept its promise with more than 9 million admissions around the world. Results achieved by My Vie en Rose (4.5 million) and Taxi 4 (4.2 million) at the foreign box office matched those registered at home. But 2007 was full of excellent surprises: in the United Kingdom, Tell No One (250,000 admissions); in Germany, Ensemble, c’est tout (800,000 admissions), and also Saint-Jacques… La Mecque (315,000), Je vous trouve très beau (236,000) and Quand j’étais chanteur (194,000); in Russia, Hellphone (310,000 admissions), Priceless (240,000); in Mexico, Saint-Ange (310,000); in the United States, Orchestra Seats (315,000), 2 Days in Paris (670,000), and Lady Chatterley (110,000).
292 French films released in 2007
En 2007, 292 French films were given at least one release in a territory. This figure is in line with that of last year (298 titles).
This high number of releases, when we take into account the number of films produced in France each year (203 in 2006, 240 in 2005), can be explained by the staggering across time of films’ international careers.
