Animation, superheroes and fantasy films helped make 2007 a record year for the UK film box office, according to figures released this week – and several films are on course for a 2008 roll out may make this year another record-breaker.
Hollywood Reporter notes that data collated by Nielsen EDI revealed record box office revenue of more than £904 million pounds ($1.8 billion), 8 per cent higher than 2006. The Cinema Advertising Association, a trade association of cinema advertising contractors operating in the UK and Eire, estimates ticket sales of 175 million for the year, up 11.5% from 157 million in 2006.
Top of the league for 2007 was Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (earning £49 million pounds -$96.8 million) heading a top 10 that included Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Shrek the Third and Spider-Man 3.
That box office success is reflected in ongoing merchandising tie-ins such as Titan’s Transformers and Dreamworks Tales comics in the UK.
I Am Legend, 300 and Transformers also performed well in the UK, prompting Dave Thurston, UK managing director of Nielsen EDI to predict strong box office for films such as Indiana Jones IV, The Incredible Hulk and many other fantasy or superhero franchise sequels.
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
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