How to explain the cold box of the French box office?

In September, attendance in theaters experienced a rebound and a start is expected for the last quarter. But 2025 will not be a happy new year. The addition is salty and the question burning: is it a simple course accident or a deeper failure for the sector?

August will therefore have transformed the dark rooms into vague terrain. Less than 10 million tickets sold, in a fall of 29.4 % compared to 2024: the worst summer since the 90s. In the first eight months of 2025, the counter already accuses 18 million delay. And September did not help anything: Wednesday 10 capped at 1.1 million admissions, worse score since 2020 … Even if the report of this return to school is ultimately rather good. In January, the FNCF, the union regrouping of the film pros, was still betting on 180 million admissions. “”We will rather be around 160 million, not seen that for thirty years“, Explains Thierry Lacaze, the boss of the Studiocanal France distribution France. And clearly, it is not just a summer air hole. The question is on the table (and in all the conversations of the congress of operators which took place in mid-September): is the problem conjuncture or structural?

The offer, however, was there. The public no. 13 days, 13 nights A swallowed up 30 million euros to finish under the 500,000 spectators. Alpha did not ignite Cannes (Private Joke for our most attentive readers), nor the French spectators. Other films have dared 400 or 500 screens to ultimately cap at 200,000 tickets. Lacaze Slice: “500 copies for 200,000 admissions, it’s not okay. The offer was present, it was not the problem.“The problem? The inability to generate desire.

Diseled desire, dispersed attention: for Lacaze, what is played out beyond summer flops. “”Cinema is no longer part of a societal discussion as before. Everything is worth. Cinema becomes a product among others. “American blockbusters in halftone, event marketing of platforms, series which arose like films: nothing is distinguished. To the point that some spectators wonder if The orphans With Alban Lenoir is a Netflix production or an outing in theaters.

Admittedly, the end of the year promises its parade of “big machines”: Kaamelott 2,, Dog 51the burned dystopia of Cédric Jimenez, without forgetting Avatar 3 or the new Paul Thomas Anderson, One battle after another (Carton in France from its first day of operation France, editor’s note). Enough to make noise, maybe, but not enough to fill the abyss. To reach 160 million, it would take 13 million admissions per month by December. “”Distributors and operators must make choices. We cannot program everything at the same time “warns Lacaze, emerging the sea snake: too many outings kill outings. This is the paradox: never so many films, never so few spectators. If the breakdown was only cyclical, it would be enough for a surprise success to the untouchables to rekindle the machine. We were waiting for an incandescent vacation. We did not even have a “summer has” like in the United States, but rather in summer of all dangers.

Erratum: In the magazine currently on newsstands, we have qualified Thierry Lacaze too quickly as “studiocanal boss”. He is Director of Distribution France. It is Anna Marsh who is the general manager of the production and distribution company. That they both accept our apologies.