Audiences have started to return to Australian cinemas.
The highly anticipated action-thriller, Tenet, helped to drive cinema goers back with around 236,000 movie-lovers attending various films on the big screen last weekend.
The admission numbers are the highest since cinemas reopened across most of Australia, with week-on-week attendance on track to rise by 26%.
“The cinema industry has been waiting for a blockbuster like Tenet to draw bigger audiences back into venues and it didn’t disappoint, delivering solid numbers over the weekend," says Guy Burbidge, managing director of Val Morgan.
"Admissions were largely driven by affluent 18-39 year olds, which is testament to the appetite these audiences have for a cutting-edge sound and visual experience that simply cannot be replicated at home.
“Even though cinemas have been closed in Melbourne, we have seen a steady increase across the rest of the country, with over 2,000,000 admissions since restrictions have lifted."
Val Morgan is forecasting to be at 70% of pre-COVID audience level by mid the December quarter.
“Cinema has momentum and we anticipate these numbers will continue to rise as more blockbusters are released over the course of the year," says Burbidge .
"September is packed with first-run content including The New Mutants, Bill & Ted Face the Music and Trolls World Tour. We also look forward to a slate of epic blockbusters including Wonder Woman 1984, Black Widow and No Time to Die in Q4."
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