Box office: a great fall for Quebec cinema

After having had a successful summer at the box office thanks to the success of the films Our Sisters-in-Law et 1995Quebec cinema continues its good momentum this fall. No less than three films from La Belle Province earned a place in the top 10 most popular titles of the last weekend, in Quebec theaters.

Thus, after having reigned at the top of the box office last week, the family comedy The Christmas cyclone still attracts moviegoers and is about to cross the symbolic million dollar mark at the box office.

The movie The Little and the Old continues to do well seven weeks after its release and has to date accumulated revenues of $1.5 million. Finally, the Quebec novelty of the week, Shepherdsgot off to a good start, raising nearly $200,000 during its first three days on display.

“For a second consecutive year, and it is not over, we are pampered when it comes to Quebec films,” rejoices Éric Bouchard, co-president of the Association of Quebec Cinema Owners.

“If I take the example of my cinema in Saint-Eustache, the 2nd most popular film of the weekend was The Christmas cyclone followed by Shepherds in third place. As I often say, we like it when our theaters are full but it’s even more satisfying when they are full for Quebec films!”

For Éric Bouchard, the success of films like Our Sisters-in-Law (more than $3.5 million at the box office last summer) and 1995 ($3 million) generally have a knock-on effect on other Quebec feature films released in the following weeks. However, he believes that the popularity of certain Quebec films in 2023 such as The time of a summer, Testament et Ru have paved the way for 2024.

“We must not lose sight of the fact that we had seven millionaire Quebec films last year,” he recalls. 2023 set the table for 2024 where we had big guns like Our Sisters-in-Law et 1995. It’s a wheel that turns. When people come to see a Quebec film that they like, they are generally tempted to come back to see another.”

Place to Miss Bottine

PHOTO PROVIDED BY IMMINA FILMS

The beautiful autumn of Quebec cinema should continue for several more weeks thanks to the release, in ten days, of the highly anticipated family film Miss Bottine. Éric Bouchard has great hope in this new version of the famous Tale for All Bach and Bottine which stars Antoine Bertrand and the young actress Marguerite Laurence.

“It’s a film that has the potential to reach a very wide audience,” he says. People who grew up with Bach and Bottine will want to come see the new film with their family and the children can also go with their grandparents. It’s really a film for ages 7 to 77.”

One week before American Thanksgiving, cinema owners are preparing to enter one of their busiest periods of the year. Historically, the last weekend of November marks the start of the holiday season in movie theaters.

«No Thanksgiving American really kicks off the holiday season for us, emphasizes Éric Bouchard.

“I would even say that it starts this weekend with the releases of Gladiator II and of Wicked. Last year, the strike [à Hollywood] affected us because several big films had been postponed. But this year, we’re going to have a good variety of films to offer.”

Among the most anticipated titles, Éric Bouchard cites Mufasa: the lion king, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 et Moana 2, sequels to films that have enjoyed immense success.