Odeon has recorded its biggest summer cinema attendance since before the Covid pandemic, welcoming almost 10 million guests to its venues.
Britain's largest cinema operator said audience numbers rose by a third compared to last year, marking its highest summer intake since 2019.
The growth was driven by a lineup of major blockbuster titles that each drew more than 1.3 million visitors. Leading releases included The Odyssey, Christopher Nolan's adaptation of Homer's epic starring Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, featuring Tom Holland and Zendaya. Toy Story 5, starring Tom Hanks, also passed the 1.3 million attendance milestone.
Blockbusters and Large Screen Formats
Odeon also reported a record proportion of customer visits to its premium format screens. The Odyssey achieved a filmmaking milestone as the first feature film shot using film cameras specifically suited for Imax or 70mm screens, formats designed to deliver higher visual clarity and larger scale displays than standard digital cinema screens.
Suzie Welch, Odeon's managing director for the UK and Ireland, praised the performance following a busy season of competing events. "This summer has demonstrated once again cinema's enduring appeal," Welch said. "Despite a packed summer of sport and numerous heatwaves, almost 10 million film fans came through our doors to enjoy an incredible variety of amazing films."
Autumn Slate and Box Office Recovery
The cinema chain is aiming to maintain visitor figures through the upcoming autumn season with several major studio releases. "We are excited to carry this momentum into the autumn and look forward to welcoming film fans back for even more unforgettable big-screen moments, including Avengers: Doomsday, Dune: Part Three, Forgotten Island and Focker-in-Law," Welch added.
Despite the strong summer turnout for Odeon, the broader British film exhibition sector continues to navigate a long-term recovery following pandemic disruptions. A report published earlier this year by the British Film Institute (BFI), the UK's lead organisation for film and moving image, showed that overall UK box office takings in 2024 remained 21 per cent below 2019 levels.
Odeon, founded in the 1930s by Oscar Deutsch, operates multiplexes across the UK and Ireland as part of AMC Theatres, the world's largest movie exhibition company. Cinema operators across the country have invested heavily in large-format auditoriums and upgraded concessions to entice audiences back to theatres amid competition from home streaming platforms.
