With December admissions likely to hit 17m, experts predict ‘unrepeatable’ year of success
The UK cinema industry is banking on the final instalment in the Star Wars saga to set new highs for ticket sales and revenues in 2019, despite the onward march of Netflix.
Last year proved to be the best for cinema-going since 1970, a year featuring classic hits including French Connection and Bond film Diamonds are Forever, with admissions hitting 177m despite the lack of a Star Wars Christmas blockbuster. If this number is passed this year then the UK is also on for a box office sales bonanza as well, beating the all-time record of just under £1.3bn set in 2017.
Film experts believe both marks could be bettered thanks to a strong December slate including Jumanji: The Next Level and Cats, starring James Corden and Taylor Swift. But it is Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the last film in a franchise that started more than four decades ago, which will ultimately decide the fate of the British box office this year.
Admissions this month will need to surpass 16m, and perhaps even reach 17m or more, to pass the 177m target – while setting a new revenue record at the same time. History indicates that in each year there has been a Star Wars film in the run-up to Christmas, admissions have beaten this mark. In 2015, The Force Awakens propelled attendances to 18.5m, and 2017’s The Last Jedi drove December admissions to 17.2m. This year’s instalment is out on 19 December.
“It looks like we have a shot at another incredible year,” says Tim Richards, chief executive and founder of cinema chain Vue. “I think we are going to be very close. While there is Jumanji and Cats this is a Star Wars year and right now it looks like it is going to be huge globally.”
Source: Star Wars forecast to make 2019 all-time record year for UK box office | Film | The Guardian