Boxoffice-January.2000

INTERNATIONAL NSWS BRIEFS
EUROVIEWS
European News Notes by Francesca Dinglasan
LEAD STORY: UGC ACQUIRES VIRGIN
September of last year. Figures indicate that 43 million tick-
LONDON—In a deal estimated to be worth about £215 million ets were sold during the nine-month period, dropping by 7.5
(USS359 million). Cine Cite, a subsidiary of French film company million from the 1998 total. Boxoffice receipts tumbled
UGC. has acquired UK.-based Virgin Group's cinema circuit. The nearly 13 percent to 473.5 billion lira (US$252 million)
newly purchased chain, which consists of 300 cinemas located through- compared to year-ago figures, despite the reasonable sueout
Ireland and Britain, brines Cine Cite's total number of theatres to cess of fi |ms in release during the period, including
700. UGC topper Alain Sussfeld remarked that the Virgin cinemas were "Shakespeare in Love," "The Mummy" and local product
a good fit with Cine Cite, considering that both chains featured state-ofthe-art
venues. UGC, which is constructing plexes in Spain and Belgium
with plans to enter Italy, will also develop new sites in the U.K. that had SLOWER THIRD QUARTER FOR FRENCH EXHIBS
been planned originally by Virgin. Virgin intends to focus its energies in PARIS—Similar to their Mediterranean neighbors, the
building new cinemas throughout Japan, where it currently owns and French showed a declining appetite for movies with cinema
operates two multiplexes. attendance in the country slipping by four percent during
third quarter 1999. The Federation Nationale des Cinemas
BAC IN BUSINESS
Francais reports that on a year-on-year basis, each of the
first three PARIS— French
quarters
indie distributor Bac Films
recorded
has unveiled
a 15 percent drop in movie ticket
plans
sales,
to construct a total of
with the
15 multiscreeners throughout France
month of September recording an especially disappointing
over
the next three years. The first site in development
24 percent tumble from last year.
is a 12-plex in
the northern town of Douai. Construction of the theatre, which is
slated for a September bow. began last November, with groundbreaking
for the second and third cinemas scheduled to start this
month. Bac president Jean Labadie noted that while the distributor
would be able to finance construction of the new venues, the
company will most likely seek a partner, as well as initiate a flotation
on the Paris stock exchange, to help quicken theatre development.
Labadie also stated that his company is looking to prevent
the overscreening of certain regions in France by targeting niche
markets that do not have existing multiplexes in place.
CAUSING QUITE A STER
PRAGUE—Ster Century, the European
trading brand of South African cinema
operator Ster Kinekor, has revealed its plans
to change the standard ratio of boxoffice
receipt sharing between exhibitors and distributors
with its new multiplexes in Central
Europe. Industry observers report that the
company, which recently opened a 14-
screen, 3,000-seater near the Czech town of
Brno, intends to seek a 60-40 split in the
boxoffice share, compared to the longestablished
50-50 apportionment. Ster
Century believes that the new plex. located
200 miles south of Prague, will increase the
number of theatre admissions in the region
by 50 percent to over one million in the next
12 months, justifying the uneven division of
boxoffice take. Reactions to the circuit's
plans have been varied among local distributors,
with some fearful that the practice
might spread to non-multiscreen theatres,
while others acknowledge that the
exhibitor's investment in the market warrants
its augmented share of boxoffice earnings.
In addition to the new 14-screener, Ster
Century has also opened multiplexes in
Budapest. Hungary and the Polish cities of
Warsaw and Wroclaw, with four more in
development throughout the Czech
Republic.
BOXOFFICE LAGS IN ITALY
ROME—According to Italy-based
Cinetel. cinema admissions throughout the
Boot fell by 15 percent between January and
DE LAURENTIIS NAMES COMPANY EXECS
ROME—De Laurentiis Cineplex, a joint venture between ,
Loews Cineplex International and Italy-based Filmauro. has
announced the appointment of two executives. Andrea Jachna
has been tapped as the company's new managing director in
charge of overseeing business including real estate, finance, operations
and marketing. Alessio Coppola, former development
manager for United Cinemas International, will serve as deputy
managing director, responsible for theatre site development. Dei
Laurentiis Cineplex was formed last May to build and operate
cinemas throughout the Italian market.
PACIFIC OVERTURES
Notes From the Pacific Rim
LEAD STORY: H0YTSY-T0ITY NEW THEATRES
SYDNEY—Down Under exhibitor
Hoyts Cinemas has opened two new upscale
venues in Fox Studio Australia's new retail section. The main theatre, which holds 12
screens, features a ticketing service dubbed "La Premiere." For a slightly higher admission
fee, patrons can enter the movie house via red carpet to a special VIP viewing area
replete with loveseat cinema seating attached with wine-bottle holders and tables
designed for cocktails and cheese. The second location, known as the Cinema Paris, is
a four-screen art house that will screen classic Australian features films, shorts and trailers
in addition to the latest indie fare. The four-plex will also feature a permanent exhibit
of Down Lmder film memorabilia.
SH0CHIKU SELLS STUDIO
TOKYO—Shochiku. Japan's oldest film company, has announced that it
has decided
to sell its 60-year-old studio. Despite protests from local film buffs wishing to preserve
the historic significance of the studio, the company has claimed that years of
financial difficulties have left it no other choice but to put it on the block. Shochiku has
accepted an offer from a woman's college for the studio, which is located south of
Tokyo.
E-CITING NEW PLEXES IN INDIA
NEW DELHI—Subhash Chandra, chairman of India-based Zee Telefilms, has
announced the formation of E-Citi, which will develop entertainment centers in major
cities throughout the country. The new company has targeted sites in 27 metropolitan
areas with multiplexes scheduled to open to the public by January 2001 . While the multiple-screeners
will be the main featureB of the new complexes, the builds are also
expected to include food courts, bowling alleys, pubs and discotheques.
60 Boxoffice