European blockbusters are “an endangered species” according to novel research which shows that a dwindling number of European features are attra
European blockbusters are “an endangered species” according to novel research which shows that a dwindling number of European features are attracting huge audiences at the global box office.
The European Audiovisual Observatory report makes sobering reading about the state of the European film industry. It highlights an industry that is producing more and more films each year but failing to compete with the global box office success of US films.
The report found that only 41 European films managed to cross the threshold of one million worldwide admissions in 2023 – compared to an average of 72 in pre-pandemic years.
This is despite the number of European films available to cinemas worldwide growing over the past decade from 2,758 in 2014 to 3,349 in 2023.
The huge volume of European films being made each year means that European films now represent an impressive 52% of all films in circulation around the world in 2023. (Compared to 18% for US films).
But the share of global admissions to European films stood at just 6.3% in 2023. This compares to a 56% share of global admissions for American films and a 26% share for Chinese films.
Global admissions to European films were 239 million in 2023, a drop of 35% compared to the pre-pandemic average.
The report – titled ’Made in Europe: Theatrical distribution of European films across the globe 2014-2023’ – also found that admissions to European films are increasingly concentrated in national markets and within Europe.
More than half of European films do not have a theatrical distribution outside of their national market. Only 7% of European films are distributed in 10 markets or more.
The report also found that admissions to European films in China and the United States, once their most critical export markets, have plummeted.
Admissions to European films outside of Europe used to account for 50% of total admissions in 2014, but this figure fell to 26% in 2023. The decrease in exports was particularly significant in North America and Asia, according to the EAO.
In fact, a quarter of all admissions to European films in the past 10 years were sold in France, followed by Germany (10%), Turkey (9%) and Italy (8%). The UK accounted for 3% of admissions to European films, while the US was 5%.
Six of the top 10 European films in 2023 were French productions.
The list is headed by France’s Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom with 7.2 million admissions worldwide, followed by French animation Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir, The Movie. In third was Italian box office hit There’s Still Tomorrow.
The report found that animation films travel much better than fiction features and documentaries.
The European Audiovisual Observatory report includes admissions data from 53 markets worldwide and defines a European film as one produced and majority-financed by a member State of the Council of Europe, which includes the UK.
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