By Jess Jones
Everyman reported nearly £11m in revenues after Barbie and Oppenheimer – together known as ‘Barbenheimer’ – drew in record numbers of crowds.
The boujee cinema chain said the lucrative film pairing, released in the final week of July, helped the group rake in a revenue of £10.6m in the month of July, up from £7.1m in July 2022.
Everyman boss, Alex Scrimgeour, said the “record week” of tickets sold in July “demonstrates both the value of original content, and the fact that cinema remains as relevant as ever.”
“Alongside this, we continue to see increasing demand for our high-quality food and beverage offering. The all-encompassing Everyman experience leaves us very well placed to satisfy consumer demand for premium entertainment.”
Despite the help from Margot Robbie, aka Barbie, Everyman’s total revenue for the first half of the year dropped to £38.3m, from £40.7m in the same period last year.
The luxe movie theatre said the “majority of key 2023 releases” will be screened in the second half of this year, leading to a stronger annual financial performance.
Shares dipped over 1.6 per cent on Friday morning.
So far this year, Everyman has opened screens in three new “promising” venues across the UK, in Northallerton, Plymouth and Salisbury, taking their total to 41.
Doors will open to Marlow film fans in October, with a “well-developed” pipeline set for 2024.
Barbenheimer has given drowning cinemas a vital breath of air, as they try to stay afloat after the pandemic left them with low-footfall and high debt.
However, actor and writer strikes in Hollywood could scupper some film releases set for next year.
Production lines may suffer delays as picket lines are up in arms about low pay and the growing threat of artificial intelligence on their livelihoods, which could make use of their work and faces without a license.
