CIS Film Distribution: Results of 2004

18.01.2008 г.

Between November 27, 2003 and November 28, 2004, CIS (excluding Ukraine) box office returns totaled $252 million. This is 32,6% greater than in 2003, when returns reached $190 million. In the last distribution year, CIS citizens purchased 67,428,571 theater tickets.
In 2004, 286 films were released onto the country's screens; 104 were limited releases (no more than 10 copies), which included IMAX films. On average, every film brought home $937,063 (last year, the average was $701,000). The figure of $1 million was breached by 77 films (just 48 in 2003). More than $3 million was collected by each of 20 pictures (compared to 15 in 2003), and more than $5 million was raised by 11 features (7 in 2003). Three blockbusters earned more than $10 million, and the film The Day After Tomorrow was just $45,000 short of the huge ten-million-dollar mark.
The returns of the each of 14 leading distribution companies (more in detail below) exceeded $1 million. These select distributors collected 96,6% of the entire CIS box office in 2004 ($259 million). The remaining distributors (approximately 14) earned just $9 million (3,4%).

In first place at yearend (also at first place in 2003) was Caro Premier, which earned $54.9 million (20,5%). This is 8,5% higher than the company earned in 2003 ($50.6 million). Caro Premier boasts 9 «millionaire» films this year, including the most profitable film in the history of the company: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which earned a total of $14,085,000.
Second place (up from third place last year) goes to Gemini, for earning $51.4 million (19,2%). This is 152% (!) more than the company reaped in 2003 ($20.4 million). Gemini also boasts 9 «millionaire» films, including the most profitable film in the history of the company, as well as the most lucrative film of all time in CIS distribution, Night Watch, which earned a total of $16,025,000.

Of the three CIS distribution leaders (down from second place last year), the last is Cascade, which earned $49.1 million (17,2%). This is 2,1% greater than the company made in 2003 ($47.7 million). Cascade boasts 22 «millionaire» films, which is a company record. Spider-Man 2 was released with a record number of copies (321), to earn $9,325,000-this despite the fact that this distributor does not handle Buena Vista productions in Ukraine.
In fourth position of all distributors of the year (up from seventh position last year) is the leading independent CIS distributor, Central Partnership/CP Classics, some of the foreign films of which were released by Gelvars; $32.3 million (12,0%). This is 421% (!!) higher than the company earned in 2003 ($6.2 million). Central Partnership boasts 10 «millionaire» films this year, and the most lucrative in its entire history: the fantasy action movie Van Helsing, which earned a total of $8,175,000.
Fifth place (fourth place in 2003) is taken by UIP (formerly East-West), which earned $30.2 million (11,3%). This is 48,8% more than the company had in 2003 ($20.3 million). UIP/East-West boasts 11 «millionaire» films this year (a record for the distributor), among which is the most profitable animated film in the CIS, Shrek 2, which also became the company's biggest earner, at $5,750,000).
In sixth position (fifth position in 2003) is West, the second-largest independent distributor in the CIS, with returns of $17.1 million (6,4%). This is just 0,6% more than it earned in 2003 ($17.0 million). West boasts 6 «millionaire» films this year (a company record), the biggest of which was the comedy Scary Movie 3, which earned $3,710,000, The action movie Kill Bill Vol. 2 was released with 231 copies, a record number for the company ($3.08 million), but the film failed to make as much as the first installment, which earned $3.12 million.

In seventh place (sixth place in 2003) is Paradise, the third-largest independent distributor in the CIS, with earnings of $14.1 million (5,3%). This is 74% higher than the company earned in 2003 ($8.1 million). In 2004, Paradise released 4 «millionaire» films (one of these jointly with Pyramid), the most lucrative of which was the fantasy action movie The Chronicles of Riddick, which earned $3,310,000. The action movie Walking Tall needed just $55,000 more to cross the level of $1 million.
Pyramid found itself with the same returns of $4.5 million (1,7%), and the same rating-eighth place-as it had last year. The company boasts two «millionaire» films, one of which had a record number of copies (282), and was released jointly with Paradise; this was the fantasy horror movie Resident Evil: Apocalypse, which earned a total of $2,160,000.
In ninth place is a new distribution company Nashe Kino, which earned $3.5 million last year (1,3%), the lion's share of which was pulled in by the historical drama Driver for Vera, which earned $2,630,000.
The top ten leading CIS distributors ends with a new distribution company, Lizard, which earned $2.6 million (1%) in 2004. The youth comedy National Lampoon Presents Dorm Daze brought the distributor more than $700,000, while the first film from Switzerland to be released in the CIS, Achtung, Fertig, Charlie! earned more than $670,000. Against this background, the earnings of The Cookout ($80,000 with 15 copies) and Die Wilden Kerle ($30,000 with 10 copies) seem modest, but their distribution continues.

In eleventh position is Luxor, which earned $2.5 million (0,93%). The company's biggest hit last year was the French comedy Double Zero, released with 225 copies (a company record), and which earned a total of $1,225,000 (the most lucrative film for Luxor in all its history). The Spanish film Los Reyes Magos ($120,000 with 25 copies) brought modest returns, but the film is still in distribution.
Next is the company Cinema Without Frontiers; in 2003 the company earned $1.4 million (0,5%), working with distributors from Pan Terra. This distributor found a real blockbuster in the samurai action movie Zatoichi, the most lucrative Japanese film in CIS distribution, which collected $500,000 with just 25 copies. The Korean drama Oldboy, meanwhile, earned $170,000 with 30 copies.
In thirteenth place (compared to ninth place in 2003) is Cinema Vision, which earned $1.1 million (0,4%) — a fall of 74% from last year ($4.2 million). The company's biggest hit was the sports action movie Michel Vaillant, which earned $810,000.
Finally, in fourteenth place (down from tenth place in 2003) is Roskinoprokat, with $1 million (0,37%). This is a drop of 58% from 2003 ($2.4 million). The biggest earner was the crime drama Forest Guard, which earned $310,000.

The biggest box office hits of the remaining producers were the following:

Neznaika i Barrabass (Pan Terra) — $480,000 with 93 copies;
The Prince & Me (Film Accord/Gelvars) — $310,000 with 65 copies;
The Goddess (Kinoburo ¹1) — $170,000 with 38 copies;
Four Taxi Drivers And The Dog (Gelvars) — $115,000 with 50 copies;
Thieves Of Books (Pygmalion) — $113,000 with 23 copies;
Chest Imeyu (Panorama) — $92,000 with 17 copies;
Love Me If You Dare (Jeux d’Enfants) (Partner Video Film) — $90,000 with 35 copies;
Igry motylkov (Detskii Seans) — $88 500 with 16 copies;
Elephant (Kamer-Ton) — $75,000 with 8 copies;
Retsept kolduni (Rossfilm) — $65,000 with 36 copies.

The returns of 51 Russian films totaled $32.5 million (12,1% of the entire CIS distribution returns), which is 291,5% greater than in 2003, when 40 Russian films earned just $8.3 million. The best starter in CIS distribution in 2004 was The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Caro Premier): the first weekend brought the film, by Peter Jackson, $4,179,458 with 264 copies. The leader in limited release was the Jim Jarmusch' tragicomedy Coffee and Cigarettes (CP Classics), which collected a phenomenal $184,960 with just one (!) copy. 95 films were released with more than 100 copies (compared to 37 in 2003). The main event of the last film distribution year were the extraordinary returns, raised by the Russian picture Night Watch ($16,025,000), and distributor Gemini plans to re-release the film in 2005.