Dutch violinist André Rieu very nearly took centre stage on another slow weekend for the Australian box office, with the screening of his 2022 Maastricht Concert falling just short of overtaking 'Bullet Train' to claim the number one position.
Drive-in cinemas in Adelaide and Heddon Greta near Newcastle resumed trading last Friday, drawing big crowds, as a survey of more than 20,000 Australians showed 98 per cent look forward to cinemas re-opening.
Australia's independent exhibitors warn that more than 50 per cent face being forced to shut down permanently in the next six months unless they get urgent relief from the Federal Government.
Vista Group has launched Oneview, a mobile app and digital assistant designed to offer exhibitors real-time access to insights such as box office, admissions and market share, food and beverage performance, operational KPIs, member insights and release calendars.
A turf war is brewing at Australian cinemas, this time not between exhibitors or films.
With all cinemas in the country now allowed to trade, the national box office was up 67 per cent last weekend, and for the first time in almost three months, two titles earned more than $1 million.
Australian audiences have heeded the call of 'Sound of Freedom' and 'André Rieu's 2023 Maastricht Concert: Love is All Around', with the former breaking up Barbenheimer to be the second-highest-grossing film of the weekend.