BBC News | Entertainment | Sun shines on US box office

BBC News Online: Entertainment

Monday, September 6, 1999 Published at 12:33 GMT 13:33 UK

Sun shines on US box office

Sun shines on US box office
It's been the hottest summer on record at the US box office with cinemas raking in an estimated $3bn.

The figure is 6% higher than at the same period last year, which was itself a record at $2.6bn, according to the US Exhibitor Relations Company which tracks box-office performance.

The bumper ticket sales are down to 11 main movies, which have each taken more than $100m.

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They include the latest Star Wars blockbuster, The Phantom Menace; Austin Powers, the Spy Who Shagged Me starring Mike Myers; the new Disney animation Tarzan, and this summer's surprise success, the budget spinechiller The Blair Witch Project.

Factors such as extreme heat, or the need for escapism, might have driven some people to the cinema in the first place.

But it was the continued quality and range of the films on offer that kept them coming back for more.

"To have this kind of summer, you really need to have movies with across-the-board appeal, to all age groups and to all parts of the country. And that's what we've had," said Paul Dergarabedian of Exhibitor Relations.

But even given the pulling power of the movies' stars or subject matter, the figures are impressive - there are so many other ways of finding entertainment.

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US cable and satellite television offer more channels than most people could watch in a lifetime.

While for many others, video rental makes watching films from the comfort of their own sofa the more attractive option.

On top of that, there are, the diverse merits of the increasingly multi-media Internet to choose from.

Nonetheless, industry experts say that the Americans see a trip to the cinema as the best means of coping with the stress and strains of everyday life.

"We are a culture that likes to get out of the house. We like to get away from our problems. Movies give us the opportunity for two hours to get out and get away and just let go," said Tom Sherak from 20th Century Fox.

Another reason for impressive audience attendance at US cinemas this summer was the blistering heat.

The high temperatures in much of the US and Canada sent people into the air-conditioned comfort.

But it was the appeal of the films on offer that kept audiences high.

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According to Exhibitor Relations, The Phantom Menace has taken $420m since it opened in May, Austin Powers, The Spy Who Shagged Me has taken $204.2m and Tarzan has had takings of $166.5m.

In the summer of 1998, movies on average took in 27% of their total gross in the opening weekend, according to Wayne Lewllen of Paramount.

But in 1999, that average was down to 24%, indicating that films are staying in cinemas for longer.

This summer's highest grossing films:

1 Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace $419.4m

2 Austin Powers, The Spy Who Shagged Me: $204.2m

3 Tarzan: Ł166.5m

4 Big Daddy: $160.1m

5 The Mummy: $155m

6 The Sixth Sense: $138.9m

7 The Blair Witch Project: $128.1m

8 Runaway Bride: $124.4m

9 Notting Hill: $114.7m