UK cinema box office takings in the month since all Covid restrictions were lifted in England were half of their pre-pandemic level. Box office tracker Comscore reported that £65.7m was spent on films like Black Widow and Fast & Furious 9 in the four weeks after 'freedom day' on 19 July.
Cinemas expressed satisfaction with the figures and confidence in a full recovery. However, many major movies delayed by Covid have not attracted the expected audiences. In the US, takings for the last four weekends were 51% of 2019 figures, with the Delta variant causing further disruptions to release schedules.
Phil Clapp, chief executive of the UK Cinema Association, noted ongoing challenges, particularly among older audiences. 'There's still some reluctance among certain audience segments to return,' he said. 'The film slate is strengthening, but we need to offer reassurance.'
The industry lost £2bn during the pandemic, and recovery was never expected to be immediate. Amar Bilas, a former cinema worker from Greater Manchester, cited health concerns and the availability of films on streaming platforms as reasons for staying away. 'It doesn't replace the atmosphere,' he said.
Box office analyst Charles Gant described the current figures as a relief compared to summer 2020. 'It's easy to forget that numbers are still significantly down on 2019,' he said. Globally, only one film has grossed over $400m this summer, far below pre-pandemic blockbuster levels.
