Iranian cinema breaks 24-year audience record
The Iranian cinema industry achieved a remarkable feat, surpassing its highest audience figures in over two decades. Up to December 31, the number of cinema-goers in Iran exceeded 28.6 million, breaking the record set in 2000.
This surge in attendance has also boosted box office revenues to an impressive $200 million. With several months left in the Iranian calendar year, there is potential for this figure to rise even further, possibly surpassing the 33-million audience record from 2000, IRNA reported.
Currently, three comedy films are drawing significant crowds: ‘Seventy Thirty’, ‘Pressure Cooker’, and ‘Breakfast with Giraffes’. ‘Seventy Thirty’, with its later release compared to the other two, has the potential to attract more viewers in the coming weeks and months.
This strong lineup, combined with the upcoming Nowruz (Iranian New Year) screenings, which are expected to begin in mid-March, suggests that both audience numbers and box office earnings could climb even higher, setting new milestones for Iranian cinema.
So far in 2024, six films have grossed over $12.5 million, and ten films have attracted millions of viewers. Leading this list is the comedy ‘Texas 3’, which drew 4,446,000 viewers and grossed $31.25 million, accounting for 16% of this year’s total audience.
Another comedy, ‘Pressure Cooker’, which was expected to perform even better, has sold 3,730,000 tickets and grossed $26.12 million, representing 13% of the total audience so far.
‘Seventy Thirty’ has sold 3,050,000 tickets and grossed $21.5 million, capturing 11% of the total audience.
These three popular and high-grossing films have collectively accounted for 40% of the total audience and $77.87 million in box office sales.
The Iranian cinema has attracted 28.6 million viewers so far this year, compared to 28.26 million last year.
If the industry surpasses the 33-million audience mark from 2000, which is within reach, the next milestone would be the 33.9-million audience from 1999. The real challenge, however, lies in matching the 39.9-million audience from 1997, which would require a strategic distribution of various film genres throughout the year.
A drawback in 2023 was the limited success to just two films, ‘Fossil’ and ‘Hotel’. This year, the number of impactful films has increased, with a focus on comedies. Maintaining a diverse range of influential films, including social and children’s films, could lead to an even more successful year in terms of box office sales and audience numbers.
The production trends over the past months suggest that social and children’s films will have a more significant presence in next year’s screenings, potentially giving comedies a run for their money in terms of popularity.