It’s been a big season for cinema, with Val Morgan reporting that almost 9.8 million Australians have gone to the movies over the 2023-24 summer season.
48% of total admissions across the holidays fell within the P14-39 demographic, up from 46% last year. This lift was driven by titles like Anyone But You, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and Mean Girls.
The biggest performer of the season was Wonka, which drove the most admissions across the holidays.
Since its release on December 14, Wonka has seen over 2.05 million admissions across Australia, and surpassed the box office performance of both the original 1971 Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Tim Burton’s 2005 film adaptation Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Set in Sydney, Australia, Anyone But You starring Sydney Sweeney resonated with youth audiences and recorded 1.04 million admissions during its school holiday run, with 48% of admissions delivered from the P14-24 demographic.
Illumination Animation’s Migration also contributed to the school holiday period boost with 1.02 million admissions, and DC’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was not far behind with 974,000 admissions.
Tina Fey’s American musical comedy, Mean Girls, has recorded 460,000 admissions since releasing on 11 January.
Guy Burbidge, managing director of Val Morgan Cinema said “Amongst a very diverse slate, we’ve witnessed a predominantly female-led summer at the cinema, driven by compelling narratives that highlight and celebrate the strength of female characters. This builds upon the positive momentum initiated by powerhouse hit, Barbie, and this is only set to continue in 2024.”
As the 2023-24 summer season comes to an end, there are a number of big titles on the horizon such as Dune Part Two, Kung Fu Panda 4, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.
The Big 10 of 2024 – Release dates:
• Dune: Part Two: 29 February
• Kung Fu Panda 4: 28 March
• Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire: 28 March
• Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga: 23 May
• Inside Out 2: 13 June
• Despicable Me 4: 20 June
• Deadpool 3: 25 July
• Joker: Folie a Deux: 3 October
• Wicked Part 1: 28 November
• Mufasa: The Lion King: 19 December
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