MUMBAI: Russia‘s box office is predicted to reach a record $1.3 billion in 2012, based on the first six months‘ figures. If it happens, it will be a 13 per cent increase from that of last year.
From January through June, the country‘s box office has reached $682.5 million, according to the industry publication Kinobizness Segodnya (Film Business Today). No figure, although, was available for comparison, as prior to this year, Russia‘s box office was measured in December through November periods before they were switched over to a calendar year.
However, the publication predicts that the entire year‘s figure would likely reach $1.3 billion that would set an all-time record, a 13 per cent increase from $1.15 billion, which all the theatrical releases grossed in Russia in 2011.
The increase in box office revenues was largely due to increases in ticket prices. In the first six months, the average ticket price was 238 roubles ($7.35), compared with 200 roubles ($6.18) in the corresponding period last year, according to Movie Research, a research company.
During this period, local fare grossed $114.2 million, which corresponds to 16.7 per cent of the total, a slight increase from 14.5 per cent in the December 2010 through November 2011 period.
Madagascar 3: Europe‘s Most Wanted, distributed by Central Partnership, became Russia‘s highest grossing movie in the first half of this year after it grossed $46.5 million.