By Travis Johnson
Australian box offices takings rose 2.69% in 2016, beating the record set by the previous year, according to data just released by the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia.
That represents total takings of A$1,259,337,000.
Finding Dory took top honours, accounting for $48.56m. Deadpool took home $43.27m, while Rogue One: A Star Wars Story nabbed $36.39m after a mere two weeks in cinemas.
The rest of the top ten is comprised of Suicide Squad ($34.27m), Captain America: Civil War ($33.73m), Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them ($31.20m), Star Wars: the Force Awakens ($31.15m), The Jungle Book ($29.78m), Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice ($29.68m) and The Secret Life of Pets ($29.56m).
Australian screen content took home $24m at the box office, led by Mel Gibson’s Hacksaw Ridge ($8.60m). Red Dog: True Blue has taken $1.59m from Boxing Day to NYE, and The Dressmaker pulled $1.72m in 2016.
Australian documentaries also fared well, with Jen Peedom’s Sherpa taking $1.27m, Taryn Brumfitt’s Embrace pulling $1.1m, and Eva Orner’s Chasing Asylum accruing $576k.
Jo Bladen, Chair of the MPDAA and General Manager, Studios, (Australia & NZ), The Walt Disney Company, said, “The year’s diverse line up has proven to be much stronger than any previous year and demonstrates that cinema continues to provide a great value out of home experience for a broad audience, even in the face of an ever-increasing choice of leisure options.
However, there are still a number of challenges to be faced, including the continuing battle with copyright theft which eats at the heart of the creative community. We will continue to work with government, other industry sectors and legislative authorities in 2017 and beyond, to ensure the future of the cinema experience.”
