Movies Batman rolls, but the audience returns to the screens slowly

Audience events restrictions have been lifted, but viewers have not returned to the movies as desired. At least there are no signs of pent-up demand.

Cinema attendance at the end of February and March was 30-40% lower than in the pre-pandemic period.

There is no shortage of supply. There are more premieres than usual. Domestic films have had time to be completed in a queue, with theaters closed due to audience restrictions.

“Once the restrictions are lifted, it will inevitably take time for the audience to find it back,” he estimates Petri Kemppinen.

According to Kemppinen, who runs the distribution and production company Aurora Studios, the phenomenon has already been observed abroad. In Finland, the restrictions were stricter and lasted longer than anywhere else in Europe.

“In a meeting with other European film distributors yesterday, we talked about this trend. However, it was reassuring to hear that elsewhere the audience has been mobilized with a delay of a few weeks, ”Kemppinen says.

Right now The most watched films in Finland have premiered on Friday The Batmananimation Sing 2 mixed Spider-Man: No Way Home. Coming to the premiere in December Spider-Manila has over 245,000 viewers. To Batman more than 38,000 tickets were sold in three days.

Domestic people are tough. Bad women attracted 14,000 viewers in the first 10 days and Evil graves 3,100 spectators for its premiere weekend.

Due to restrictions in different areas in December and February 70 is just a number there were 39,200 spectators as of Sunday. With Finnish comedy filmed in the United States Supercool has 3,000 viewers.

The situation may affect the war in Ukraine. On the other hand, in its more than 100-year history, cinemas have provided an escape from everyday life.

“Even on average, there has been no drop in cinema attendance even during recessions,” says the CEO of Filmikamari, the umbrella organization for film companies. Tero Koistinen.

“Going to the movies is a relatively inexpensive way to enjoy yourself outside the home.”

As an exception, Koistinen mentions a statistical drop in the number of visitors during the recession of the early 1990s. At that time, the problem was especially related to the unfortunate viewership figures in Finland for years.

Now the domestic supply is plentiful. Koistinen estimates that, at least for the time being, there is no more long-term concern in the industry about the attractiveness of the big screen.

“Even more worrying right now is the human suffering in the world.”

According to Koistinen, the absorption of cinemas may accelerate, especially as more big-money Hollywood movies are included in the program.

“It was seen in October when it was The dune and Bondia. Yes, then the people set off. ”

Cinema movies the attraction is due to the fact that one of the most effective marketing channels was closed for a long time: cinemas. Showing Trailers for Upcoming Movies at the beginning of movies is one of the cornerstones of advertising in the industry.

And the removal of restrictions does not only apply to cinemas.

“Now there is a supply of leisure time again. Movies compete with restaurants, for example, and good weather has been blamed if cinemas have bad weeks, ”says Koistinen.

However, the industry is concerned about the financial viability of cinemas, for example. The best season of the year on both sides of the turn of the year and until February was lost for the second time.

“Spring is still left, but then the quietest time of the year traditionally begins,” recalls Petri Kemppinen.

From May, Finns will go to the movies less than in other seasons. The autumn season, which is favorable for premieres, will start in August when schools start.

Streaming services did not roll out the screen

Cinema has been in good shape in Finland, especially since the beginning of the 2010s. The success of domestic films has been excellent in international comparison.

The results of the fall of 2021 are seen as an indication that the appeal of streaming services has not rolled out the screen despite the long closing periods of the pandemic. During 2021, 3.5 million cinema visits were eventually recorded, even though the halls were closed in larger cities throughout the early part of the year. The Bond adventure, which premiered in October No Time to Die lagged behind its predecessors in the number of tickets sold in Finland About the spectrum (2015) and About Skyfall (2012), but in terms of ticket revenue it went a little ahead of them.

Last year’s most watched movies were No Time to Diescience fiction film Dune and domestic comedy Class meeting 3. About one in six tickets was sold to Bond.

Batman Interpretation The Batman will be the most successful premiere of 2022 so far in its first week of performance. As a three-hour film, it also takes up space from other movie theaters.

“When it comes to a three-hour blockbuster film, it is difficult for a theater program designer in one hall to figure out how to do it with the screening times of other films,” says Tero Koistinen of the Film Chamber.

The large number of premieres leads to a situation where movies with a smaller audience find it difficult to keep up with the program.

“At the same time, it must be said that it is good when it is The Batman. Cinemas need success. ”