When it comes to English-language films, audiences in Australia and New Zealand have their preferences: they do not particularly like horror films but are seduced by all things British, particularly sumptuous period dramas, comedies and everything produced by Working Title. From 2008, this translated into big figures for Atonement, The Duchess, The Other Boleyn Girl and The Bank Job.
The core audience demographic for UK films in Australia and New Zealand is aged 40-plus and is conservative in its tastes. This year, Stephan Elliott’s Noel Coward adaptation Easy Virtue has performed well in both territories but the whimsical New Zealand-UK co-production Dean Spanley has not proved a success in either.
UK films comprised 26 of the 301 films released in Australia and New Zealand last year. A further 35 came from elsewhere in Europe, with more than half from France.
Of all non-English language films, French cinema performs best. Pierre Morel’s Taken, distributed by Twentieth Century Fox, has done particularly well in Australia but the English-language action thriller starring Liam Neeson is not a typical French film and has not been marketed to Australian or New Zealand audiences as a French title.
More Asian films than ever are being released - 40 in 2008 with the growth sector being Bollywood - but they do not translate into high box office. Few foreign-language films do: the highest grossing title of 2008 was Sergei Bodrov’s Mongol, distributed by Hopscotch, which took $1.8m (a$2.5m).
With critical support and good word of mouth, Australian audiences in particular will embrace edgy or risky films, especially if they come with a festival pedigree. The high profile of such films is not generally reflected in the box-office results, however: Mongol may have been a festival success but only just squeezed into the top 100.
TOP 100, 2008
2% - Aus - Percentage of local films (including co-prods) in the top 100
6% - Aus - Percentage of foreign films (non-Australian/NZ and non-US films) in the top 100
TOP 100, AUSTRALIA, 2008 | ||
Title (Origin) Distributor | Gross US$ | |
1 | The Dark Knight (US) Roadshow | $33.2m |
2 | Australia (Aus-US) 20th Fox | $26.9m |
3 | Mamma Mia! The Movie (US-UK) UPI | $22.8m |
4 | Quantum Of Solace (US-UK) Spri | $22m |
5 | Indiana Jones And The Kingdom … (US) PPI | $21.1m |
6 | Sex And The City: The Movie (US) Roadshow | $19.5m |
7 | Kung Fu Panda (US) PPI | $18.6m |
8 | I Am Legend (US) Roadshow | $16.7m |
9 | Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (US) PPI | $15.9m |
10 | Hancock (US) Spri | $14.8m |
11 | Iron Man (US) PPI | $14.4m |
12 | Wall-E (US) Walt Disney Smpi | $13m |
13 | Alvin And The Chipmunks (US) 20th Fox | $12.8m |
14 | Get Smart (US) Roadshow | $12.3m |
15 | The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (US) Roadshow | $11.9m |
16 | Bedtime Stories (US) Walt Disney Smpi | $11.5m |
17 | 27 Dresses (US) 20th Fox | $11.2m |
18 | Bee Movie (US) PPI | $10.9m |
19 | The Golden Compass (US) Roadshow | $10.7m |
20 | Twilight (US) Hoyts | $10.2m |
21 | The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince … (US) Walt Disney Smpi | $9.9m |
22 | National Treasure: Book Of Secrets (US) Walt Disney Smpi | $9.4m |
23 | Enchanted (US) Walt Disney Smpi | $9.2m |
24 | Dr Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who! (US) 20th Fox | $8.5m |
25 | American Gangster (US) UPI | $8.4m |
26 | Juno (US) 20th Fox | $8.4m |
27 | High School Musical 3: Senior Year (US) Walt Disney Smpi | $8.3m |
28 | You Don’t Mess With The Zohan (US) Spri | $8.1m |
29 | Atonement (UK-US-Fr) UPI | $7.7m |
30 | What Happens In Vegas (US) 20th Fox | $7.3m |
31 | Tropic Thunder (US) PPI | $7.3m |
32 | The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon … (US-Can-Ger) UPI | $6.9m |
33 | Burn After Reading (US) UPI | $6.9m |
34 | Step Brothers (US) Spri | $6.6m |
35 | Step Up 2 The Streets (US) UPI | $6.6m |
36 | Jumper (US) 20th Fox | $6.5m |
37 | Journey To The Center Of The Earth (US) Roadshow | $6m |
38 | Hellboy II: The Golden Army (US) UPI | $6m |
39 | The Bucket List (US) Roadshow | $5.7m |
40 | The Spiderwick Chronicles (US) PPI | $5.7m |
41 | Wanted (US) UPI | $5.6m |
42 | Body Of Lies (US) Roadshow | $5.3m |
43 | Taken (Fr) 20th Fox | $5.2m |
44 | Eagle Eye (US) Paramount | $5.2m |
45 | Four Holidays (US) Roadshow | $5m |
46 | Forgetting Sarah Marshall (US) UPI | $4.9m |
47 | Beverly Hills Chihuahua (US) Walt Disney Smpi | $4.9m |
48 | 10,000 BC (US) Roadshow | $4.9m |
49 | No Country For Old Men (US) PPI | $4.5m |
50 | Nim’s Island (US) UPI | $4.5m |
51 | PS I Love You (US) Hoyts | $4.4m |
52 | Cloverfield (US) PPI | $4.3m |
53 | The Water Horse (US) Spri | $4.2m |
54 | Aliens Vs Predator: Requiem (US) 20th Fox | $4.2m |
55 | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber … (US) Roadshow | $4m |
56 | Made Of Honour (US) Spri | $4m |
57 | Fool’s Gold (US) Roadshow | $3.9m |
58 | The Duchess (UK) PPI | $3.7m |
59 | 21 (US) Spri | $3.6m |
60 | The Bank Job (UK) PPI | $3.5m |
61 | The Incredible Hulk (US) PPI | $3.5m |
62 | The Day The Earth Stood Still (US) 20th Fox | $3.4m |
63 | Vantage Point (US) Spri | $3.3m |
64 | Definitely, Maybe (US-UK-Fr) UPI | $3.2m |
65 | Nights In Rodanthe (US) Roadshow | $3.2m |
66 | Wild Child (US-UK-Fr) UPI | $3m |
67 | The Other Boleyn Girl (US-UK) UPI | $3m |
68 | Drillbit Taylor (US) PPI | $3m |
69 | Semi-Pro (US) Roadshow | $3m |
70 | Street Kings (US) 20th Fox | $2.9m |
71 | Pineapple Express (US) Spri | $2.9m |
72 | RockNRolla (UK-US) Roadshow | $2.7m |
73 | The Painted Veil (Ch-US) PPI/Transmission | $2.7m |
74 | Saw V (US) Hoyts | $2.6m |
75 | Superhero Movie (US) Roadshow | $2.5m |
76 | Run Fatboy Run (US-UK-Fr) Roadshow | $2.5m |
77 | Charlie Wilson’s War (US) UPI | $2.5m |
78 | Never Back Down (US) Roadshow | $2.3m |
79 | Star Wars: The Clone Wars (US) Roadshow | $2.3m |
80 | The Happening (US) 20th Fox | $2.3m |
81 | The Women (US) Hopscotch | $2.2m |
82 | In Bruges (UK-US) Icon | $2.2m |
83 | The Kite Runner (US) PPI | $2.2m |
84 | Death Race (US) UPI | $2.2m |
85 | Meet The Spartans (US) 20th Fox | $2.2m |
86 | How To Lose Friends & Alienate People (UK) PPI | $2.2m |
87 | Max Payne (US) 20th Fox | $2.1m |
88 | Rambo (US-Ger) Spri | $2.1m |
89 | Prom Night (US) Spri | $2.1m |
90 | St Trinian’s (UK) Spri | $2m |
91 | Meet Dave (US) 20th Fox | $1.9m |
92 | There Will Be Blood (US) Walt Disney Smpi/Miramax | $1.9m |
93 | Baby Mama (US) UPI | $1.9m |
94 | 3:10 To Yuma (US) Hoyts | $1.9m |
95 | Forbidden Kingdom (US-Chi) Hoyts | $1.8m |
96 | Mongol (Ger-Rus) Hopscotch | $1.8m |
97 | The House Bunny (US) Spri | $1.7m |
98 | Sex Drive (US) Hoyts | $1.7m |
99 | Speed Racer (US) Roadshow | $1.7m |
100 | Black Balloon (Aus) Icon | $1.7m |
No comments yet