After two more difficult years due to the pandemic and health rules that led to the temporary closure of many theaters, the Quebec film industry recovered in 2022, despite an imposed five-week closure. at the very beginning of the year.
According to the most recent data released by Cinéac, an agency that compiles the receipts of films shown on screens in the province, cinema admissions in Quebec totaled $122,247,436 last year, more than the results for 2021 and 2020. combined. For those years, hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, movie ticket sales totaled just over $72.2 million and $45.1 million, respectively.
These encouraging results, however, are a far cry from the peaks reached in previous years, when in 2019, before the pandemic, the cumulative box office exceeded $176.7 million in the province, an increase of $3.7 million. than in 2018. Over the past decade, it was in 2013 that receipts for Quebec cinemas were the highest, with a total of $191.4 million.
American films dominate Quebec productions
In 2022, 352 films were shown in Quebec cinemas, compared to 302 the previous year.
American productions continue to dominate the Quebec box office, to the detriment of films made here. Indeed, the market share of films produced in our southern neighbors has increased from 71.7% in 2021 to 83.2% in 2022; that of these Quebec films fell by 5%, from 12.4% to 7.3% during the same period.
Disney remains the most prolific distributor in Quebec cinemas in 2022, with 22.42% of the market share. The film Avatar: the way of water has accumulated, since its release on December 16, more than $8.3 million in revenue, making it the second most-watched film in theaters in the province in 2022, behind Top Gun: Maverick, which generated $11.4 million. Disney’s other offerings, including the newest installments of the series Thor,Doctor Strange, Black Pantheralso did well.
Quebec film December 23 nevertheless managed to carve out a place among the 20 most-watched feature films of 2022, despite a late November 25 release. This production, distributed by Immina Films, generated $1.75 million, finishing 18th ahead of Lightyear (Disney) and The Bad Guys (Universal).
Outraged December 23alone confessions broke the million mark at the box office among Quebec productions.
This dispatch was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta Exchange and The Canadian Press for the news.