Box Office Earnings Rise 25% to $19 Million

EghtesadOnline: Iran's box office earnings during the first nine months of the current Iranian year (March 21-Dec. 21) stood at 2.51 trillion rials ($19.32 million) to register an increase of 517.27 billion rials ($3.97 million) or 25.93% compared with last year’s similar period.

News ID: ۷۸۵۱۶۵

25 December 2019

A total of 59 movie titles were released in Iranian theaters and 21.89 million people went to the movies during the period, according to data published in www.panel.cinemashahr.ir--the Iranian cinema’s official box office website providing detailed information on earnings. The outlet became operational on Feb. 25, 2019.

The number of moviegoers witnessed a year-on-year decline of 3.76% during the period.

The average cinema ticket prices stood at 114,709 rials ($0.88), noticeably up by 27,046 rials ($0.2) or 30.85% year-on-year, Financial Tribune reported.

The above figures indicate that the rise in box office earnings stems from the increase in ticket prices and not the number of moviegoers.

More than half of the box office earnings came from only six movie titles namely the comedy “Motreb” directed by Mostafa Kiaei with 272.03 billion rials ($2.09 million), "6.5 Per Meter" directed by Saeed Roustayi with 271.82 billion rials ($2.09 million), "Texas 2" directed by Masoud Atyabi with 250.74 billion rials ($1.92 million), "Rahman 1400" directed by Manouchehr Hadi with 218.91 billion rials ($1.68 million), “When the Moon Became Full” directed by Narges Abyar with 190.12 billion rials ($1.46 million) and “The Warden” directed by Nima Javidi with 149.79 billion rials ($1.15 million). The six titles earned a total of 1.35 trillion rials ($10.41 million).

Interestingly, “Motreb”, which premiered on Nov. 6, managed to top the nine-month box office earnings in a matter of only 45 days, beating the longstanding first-place holder this year "6.5 Per Meter".

Box office earnings during the first Iranian month (March 21-April 20) stood at 573.57 billion rials ($4.41 million), registering an increase of 34.7% compared with last year’s similar month.

The earnings amounted to 266.64 billion rials ($2.05 million) during the second Iranian month (April 21-May 21), indicating a decrease of 1.88% YOY and a fall of 53.51% month-on-month.

Sales during the third Iranian month (May 22-June 21) stood at 295.87 billion rials ($2.27 million), up by 134.46% YOY and 10.96% MOM.

As for the fourth Iranian month (June 22-July 22), earnings rose by 36.23% YOY and declined by 0.32% MOM to reach 294.91 billion rials ($1.84 million).

The earnings witnessed a noticeable decline in the fifth Iranian month (July 23-Aug. 22) both from YOY and MOM perspectives, as Iranian cinemas earned 239.44 billion rials ($1.84 million) during the month to register a 14.97% and 18.81% decline YOY and MOM respectively.

The downward trend also continued during the sixth Iranian month (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) as box office earnings amounted to 115.9 billion rials ($891,588) during the month, indicating a 9.3% and 51.59% fall YOY and MOM respectively.

Sales during the seventh Iranian month (June 22-Oct. 22) stood at 139.17 billion rials ($1.07 million), down by 32.97% YOY and up by 20.07% MOM.

During the eighth Iranian month (Oct. 22-Nov. 21), earnings rose by 57.11% YOY and by 75% MOM to reach 243.55 billion rials ($1.87 million).

Ticket sales in the ninth Iranian month (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) saw noticeable rises both YOY and MOM by 87.75% and 40.99% respectively, amounting to 343.38 billion rials ($2.64 million).

Iranian box offices earned close to 2.4 trillion rials ($18.46 million) during the last Iranian year (ended March 20), to register an increase of about 25% compared to earnings the year before. As a report by the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture shows, 79 films were released in theaters last year.

Iranian movie theaters sold more than 810 billion rials ($6.23 million) in spring, 610 billion rials ($4.69 million) in summer, 530 billion rials ($4.07 million) in fall and 360 billion rials ($2.76 million) in winter.

The movie "Centipede" directed by Abolhassan Davoodi was the highest grossing movie of the year, earning 370 billion rials ($2.84 million) and attracting 4.21 million viewers. In fact, the title is the all-time highest-grossing film of the Iranian cinema.

According to Panel.cinemashahr.ir, Iranian cinemas attracted 28 million people last year, which shows more than a 22% increase compared to the year before.

Each Iranian goes to the movies 0.3 times per year on average, according to a report by the Persian daily Donya-e-Eqtesad.