According to the Association of Cinema Owners (AVC), the decline in Russian cinema receipts is intensifying. Whereas in March it was 44%, in April it increased to 54%.
In April, cinemas saw half as many viewers as a year earlier. The drop in attendance and fees is expected to intensify in May. The AVC reported that half of Russian cinemas might close in the next two months due to insufficient repertoire. Market participants are hoping for state support, which is still only being discussed.
April was the second month with no premieres by Hollywood studios Warner Bros., Walt Disney and Sony, which announced they would stop distributing their films in Russia in late February. In monetary terms, revenue in April fell from 3.013 billion rubles to 1.39 billion. If you look at the dynamics over the weeks, the situation is even worse: from April 25 to April 30, the fall in revenues to the weekly average of 2021 was 76%.
In April 2021, 10.65 million viewers came to movie theaters, down from just 5.06 million in April of this year. It is reported that the drop in fees is also due to a decrease in ticket prices. Before the start of the military operation in Ukraine it was 318 rubles, and at the end of April – 269 rubles.
The press service of Central Partnership said that as early as June, restored versions of the Soviet cartoons The Adventures of Buratino, Cipollino and The Mystery of the Third Planet will be broadcast in Russian cinemas.