French and US films have long vied for dominance at the French box office. In 2008, there were 52 US films or co-productions in the top 100. France produced 43 films in the top 100 for the year, only two of which were co-productions: Babylon A.D. (with the US) and Survivre Avec Les Loups (with Belgium and Germany).

The UK is a distant third in terms of releases figuring in the top 100. There were two in the top 100 in 2008: The Bank Job and Ken Loach’s It’s A Free World, a UK-Italian-German-Spanish co-production.

The best performing international titles reflect the typical output of the territory. For example, the UK films which tend to work are period pieces, gangster thrillers and auteur works such as Mike Leigh’s Happy-Go-Lucky (at 20 places outside the top 100 with $2.2m in 2008).

Animation from countries outside France and the US tends to fare well, particularly Asian anime although none broke the top 100 for 2008. The Finnish-Danish-German-Irish co-production Niko & The Way To The Stars, was 75th for 2008 with a very solid $3.6m.

Oscar win

If films have enjoyed success on the festival circuit, particularly Cannes, they stand a fair chance of reaching French audiences. In 2008, Gomorrah sold just over half a million tickets and Waltz With Bashir sold just under half a million, enough to put them both in the top 100 films. The 2007 Romanian Palme d’Or winner 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Daysfell just short of the top 100 at 117 (taking $2m).

In 2007, another hugely popular festival title, the German-language The Lives Of Others, was released in January prior to its Oscar win and advanced to be the 24th biggest grosser of the year at $8.9m.

TOP 100, 2008

43% - Percentage of French films in the top 100, including co-productions

6% - Percentage of foreign films (not Hollywood) in the top 100

TOP 100, FRANCE, 2008
 Title (Origin) DistributorGross US$
1Welcome To The Sticks (Fr) Pathe$121.8m
2Asterix At The Olympic Games (Fr) Pathe$40.5m
3Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (US) PPI$31.2m
4Indiana Jones And The Kingdom … (US) PPI$24.9m
5Quantum Of Solace (US-UK) Spri$22.1m
6Wall-E (US) Wdsmpi$19.3m
7Kung Fu Panda (US) PPI$19.2m
8The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince … (US) Walt Disney Smpi$18.5m
9Hancock (US) Spri$18.3m
10The Dark Knight (US) Warner Bros$18m
11Disco (Fr) StudioCanal$14.5m
12Public Enemy Number One (Part 1) (Fr) Pathe$13.5m
13Enfin Veuve (Fr) Gaumont$13.1m
14Iron Man (Fr) SND$12.1m
15National Treasure: Book Of … (US) Walt Disney Smpi$11.8m
16Sex And The City: The Movie (US) Metropolitan$11.7m
17High School Musical 3: Senior Year (US) Walt Disney Smpi$11.5m
18Vicky Cristina Barcelona (US-Sp) Warner Bros$11.3m
19Largo Winch (Fr) Wild Bunch$10.3m
20Paris (Fr) Mars$10.2m
21Australia (Aus-US) Fox$10.1m
22Horton Hears A Who! (US) Fox$9.9m
23The Class (Fr) Haut Et Court$9.4m
24The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon … (US-Can-Ger) UPI$9.24m
25Mamma Mia! The Movie (US-UK) UPI$9.23m
26Public Enemy Number One (Part 2) (Fr) Pathe$9m
27Burn After Reading (US) StudioCanal$8.7m
28Into The Wild (US) Pathe$8.6m
29Transporter 3 (Fr) Europa$8.5m
30Changeling (US) Uni$8.4m
31Faubourg 36 (Fr) Pathe$7.8m
32The Happening (US) Fox$7.7m
33Agathe Clery (Fr) Pathe$7.39m
34Space Chimps (US) SND$7.37m
35The First Day Of The Rest Of Your Life (Fr) StudioCanal$7.2m
36Le Crime Est Notre Affaire (Fr) StudioCanal$6.98m
37Journey To The Center Of The Earth (US) Metropolitan$6.93m
38Jumper (US) Fox$6.9m
39The Day The Earth Stood Still (US) Fox$6.8m
40Cash (Fr) TFM$6.6m
41Wanted (US) PPI$6.465m
42Deux Jours A Tuer (Fr) StudioCanal$6.462m
43Jackpot (US) 20th Fox$6.23m
44Sweeney Todd (US) WB$6.22m
45Hulk (US) Snd$6.1m
46Taken (Fr) Europa$6m
47Vilaine (Fr) SND$5.96m
48Parlez-Moi De La Pluie (Fr) StudioCanal$5.95m
49I’ve Loved You So Long (Fr) UGC$5.88m
50No Country For Old Men (US) PPI$5.87m
51Seuls Two (Fr) Warner Bros$5.6m
52Mr 73 (Fr) Gaumont$5.5m
53Babylon A.D. (US-Fr) StudioCanal$5.4m
54Body Of Lies (US) Warner Bros$5.25m
55Juno (US) 20th Fox$5.18m
56Les Femmes De L’Ombre (Fr) TFM$5.14m
57Rambo (US) Metropolitan$5.5m
58Cloverfield (US) PPI$5m
5910,000 B.C. (US) Warner Bros$4.95m
60Two Lovers (US) Wild Bunch$4.9m
61The Water Horse (US) Sony$4.6m
62Go Fast (Fr) Europa$4.34m
63The Girl From Monaco (Fr) Warner Bros$4.31m
64Cliente (Fr) Gaumont$4.27m
65Les Enfants De Timpelbach (Fr) Pathe$4.23m
6621 (US) Spri$4.2m
67Righteous Kill (US) Metropolitan$4.01m
68London Mon Amour (Fr) Pathe$4.0m
69Anything For Her (Fr) Mars$3.98m
70Hellboy II: The Golden Army (US) UPI$3.93m
71The Spiderwick Chronicles (US) Par$3.93m
72There Will Be Blood (US) Dis$3.9m
73Survivre Avec Les Loups (Fr-Bel-Ger) Bac$3.8m
74Mark Of An Angel (Fr) Diaphana$3.7m
75Niko & The Way To The Stars (Fin-Den-Ger-Ire) Bac$3.6m
76Aliens Vs. Predator Requiem (US) 20th Fox$3.574m
77Mirrors (US) 20th Fox$3.573m
78Seraphine (Fr) Diaphana$3.57m
79Secrets Of State (Fr) Ugc$3.5m
80Coluche, L’Histoire D’Un Mec (Fr) Mars$3.4m
81Tropic Thunder (US) PPI$3.37m
82The Darjeeling Limited (US) 20th Fox$3.36m
83Dragon Hunters (Fr) Bac$3.35m
84Charlie Wilson’s War (US) PPI$3.34m
85The Bank Job (UK) Metropolitan$3.33m
86[Rec] (Sp) Wild Side/Le Pacte$3.3m
87Nim’s Island (US) Snd$3.25m
88A Christmas Tale (Fr) Bac$3.24m
89Comme Les Autres (Fr) Mars$3.2m
90Rivals (Fr) StudioCanal$3.14m
91Sagan (Fr) Europa$3.13m
92Saw V (US) Metropolitan$3.1m
93Gomorrah (It) Le Pacte$3.05m
94Be Kind, Rewind (US) Europa$3.002m
95Mia And The Migoo (Fr) Gebeka$3m
96Musee Haut, Musee Bas (Fr) Warner Bros$2.9m
97Waltz With Bashir (Is) Le Pacte$2.88m
98Step Up 2: The Streets (US) PPI$2.81m
99Vantage Point (US) Spri$2.8m
100It’s A Free World … (UK-It-Ger-Sp) Diaphana$2.7m