From the hit Barbie to the disappointment M:I 7: the summer box office results in France and around the world

Barbie was the driving force behind exceptional summer attendance, increasing in France and around the world, close to pre-Covid scores.

The cinema saw life in pink this summer. Cinemas were full during the summer holidays, driven in particular by the hit barbie and by the biopic Oppenheimer of Christopher Nolan. It is time to take stock on this back-to-school day and it is overall very positive.

With $1.38 billion in global revenue, Margot Robbie and his barbie are now the biggest international cinema success of the year 2023 (ahead of Super Mario). The comedy directed by Greta Gerwig is even the 15th biggest hit of all time in theaters, and could end its career in the top 10. A locomotive for summer attendance all over the world.

The French box office for summer 2023

In France, the film attracted 5.5 million spectators during the summer, the 2nd biggest success of the year (behind the 7 million admissions of Mario). Oppenheimer has also sold more than 4 million tickets in recent weeks and is placed in 5th position in the 2023 ranking in France.

Driven by these two successes, attendance exploded in July and then in August. The CNC reports impressive results with 15.91 million entries in August 2023, up 52.1% (!) compared to August 2022 and even above (+1.6%) the pre-pandemic average (2017-2019).

In total, since mid-June, 8 films have passed the million admissions mark in France. Indiana Jones and the Clock of Destiny held up well by crossing the 3 million spectator mark, just like the last Pixar, Elementary. Two other animated films had a great summer: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse ends around 2 million entries while Miraculous, the movie ended with more than 1.6 million spectators. The adaptation of the series by Jérémy Zag is also the biggest success of French cinema during this summer of 2023, both in national theaters but also abroad where the film has accumulated more than 33 million dollars in revenue. receipts (and 6 million entries in total).

The US box office for summer 2023

An impressive score, knowing that Miraculous was not entitled to an American release (the film was released directly on Netflix across the Atlantic). It must be said that the box office did not need Ladybug and Cat Noir to shine under the sun. For the first time since the pandemic, it crossed the $4 billion revenue mark in North America (calculation established between May and August). A result much higher than last year (3.4 billion mainly thanks to Top Gun: Maverick) but not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels ($4.38 billion in 2019), according to Variety.

The global box office for summer 2023

In the end, who are the big winners and the big losers in the summer of 2023?

Of course, barbie – the only film to have passed the billion mark – is at the top. The doll lifted the industry and Christopher Nolan in particular. Her Oppenheimer benefited fully from the “Barbenheimer effect”. With $852 million in worldwide revenue, the biopic is now the 3rd biggest success of his career, behind the two Dark Knight and in front Interstellar.

We will also note the enormous box of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Versewhich grossed nearly $700 million, twice as much as the first part of 2018!

On the flop side, the biggest failure goes to Haunted Mansion from Disney. The ghostly family comedy has just surpassed $100 million in revenue. DC will barely do better with its Blue Beetlewhile the studio had already been able to regret the disappointing score of The Flash, stopped in its tracks at 260 million dollars. Two commercial failures which mark the end of the existing DC Universe, while waiting for the next one under construction under the aegis of James Gunn.

There remain the cases Indiana Jones And Impossible mission.

With $381 million in global revenue, The Dial of Destiny performed far below Disney’s expectations. Harrison Ford’s last film under the Indy hat was not the guard of honor hoped for. The unappealing reviews have discouraged fans and this 5th part is actually half as good as The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (780 million in 2008).

The flop was less resounding for Ethan Hunt, but just as problematic. Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning, Part 1despite a hell of a promotion and generally positive opinions, failed to be a hit in theaters in summer 2023. Tom Cruise, superstar of the 7th art, has not renewed his prowess of Top Gun 2 and his M:I 7 stopped at $560 million in worldwide revenue and 2.5 million admissions in France. The lowest score in the saga since Mission: Impossible III (in 2006), which narrowly avoided an industrial disaster for Paramount and barely managed to repay its pharaonic budget. Not necessarily a good omen for the part 2 of Dead Reckoningwhich will be released in summer 2024.