Heavy rain boosted box office sales on Saturday. The rainy weather prompted many Danes to seek shelter in the darkness of cinemas, where animated films in particular attracted a lot of people. Across the country, it rained more or less constantly from morning to evening, resulting in a busy day for Nordisk Film Biografer, Denmark’s largest cinema chain.
“We had significantly more guests than on a normal day, so it was a really good day,” says Niels Andersen, responsible for the quality of experience at Nordisk Film Biografer. In total, about 20,000 cinema-goers settled in one of the chain’s 23 cinemas on Saturday, which according to Andersen is a good day when ticket sales range between 20,000 and 25,000 tickets.
The days leading up to the rainy Saturday also saw an increase in box office sales thanks to the weather. Although Niels Andersen does not give specific figures for sales, he confirms that the rainy days have had a positive effect.
Especially the two popular animated films “Inside Out 2” and “Despicable Me 4” have attracted many cinema-goers. “The two films account for almost half of our ticket sales at the moment. It is clear that many families are looking for entertainment when the sun is not shining,” says Niels Andersen.
However, the first six months of the year have been marked by fluctuating attendance figures. While March was a good month for Nordisk Film Biografer, April was significantly quieter. Overall, the cinema chain has not been busy in the first half of the year, partly due to the prolonged strike among actors and screenwriters in Hollywood in 2023. The strike delayed many productions, and many premieres have been postponed to next year.
“What really matters for ticket sales is whether there are any big titles on the screen or not,” points out Niels Andersen. He also highlights that it is not only American films that can fill cinema seats. Danish films like “The Shamer’s Daughter” and “Speed Walking” have also sold many tickets in recent years.