Italian cinema box office plummets 46% in 2017
According to Anica data, 2017 marked a challenging year for Italian cinema, witnessing a 46.35% decline in box office earnings and a 44.21% drop in ticket sales compared to 2016. The standout Italian films included 'L'ora legale' by Ficarra and Picone, along with Alessandro Siani's 'Mister felicità', both surpassing €10 million in revenue. Disney's 'Beauty and the Beast' led Hollywood's charge with €20.5 million. The article critiques the Italian film industry's tendency to shy away from risk, preferring comedies over more socially relevant narratives. While films like 'They Call Me Jeeg Robot' indicate potential, concerns about box office results persist. A Ciak survey reveals a strong audience desire for diverse and high-quality content, alongside noted distribution and marketing challenges. 'Life Is Beautiful' remains the all-time box office leader at €204.4 million.
Key facts
- Italian box office revenues fell 46.35% in 2017 vs 2016
- Ticket sales dropped 44.21% year-on-year
- Top Italian films: 'L'ora legale' and 'Mister felicità' each grossed just over €10 million
- Hollywood's 'Beauty and the Beast' was the overall top film with €20.5 million
- Anica provided the data
- Directors Francesco Rosi, Elio Petri, Mario Monicelli cited as neorealist benchmarks
- Gabriele Mainetti's 'They Call Me Jeeg Robot' and Fabio&Fabio's 'Mine' cited as recent successes
- Roberto Benigni's 'Life Is Beautiful' remains all-time Italian box office leader at €204.4 million
Entities
Artists
- Ficarra e Picone
- Alessandro Siani
- Claudio Caligari
- Paolo Virzì
- Valentina Pedicini
- Francesco Rosi
- Elio Petri
- Mario Monicelli
- Gennaro Nunziante
- Massimiliano Bruno
- Paolo Genovese
- Carlo Verdone
- Roberto Benigni
- Gabriele Mainetti
- Fabio Guaglione
- Fabio Resinaro
- Margherita Bordino
Institutions
- Associazione Nazionale Industrie Cinematografiche, Audiovisive e Multimediali (Anica)
- Walt Disney
- Ciak
Locations
- Italia
- Stati Uniti