French Cinema Records Biggest Summer Audience Since 2011

Overview

• Preliminary counts from JPBoxOffice and the CNC show about 50 million admissions were sold between June 1 and August 31, the strongest summer total since 2011.
• The CNC reported nearly 20 million entries in August alone, which the agency called the highest August total since monthly records began in 1980.
• Three summer hits led attendance: Spider-Man: Brand New Day at roughly 7.6 million admissions, Christopher Nolan’s L’Odyssée near 7.3 million, and the two-part La Bataille de Gaulle at about 5.4 million.
• Year-to-date admissions stand at about 128 million, a 28.5% rise over 2025, and industry analysts now project the sector could reach roughly 190 million admissions for all of 2026 if current trends continue.
• Exhibitors and analysts point to a dense release calendar (109 premieres), event formats such as IMAX 70mm, and repeated heat waves drawing people to cinemas as the main drivers, with major autumn and winter releases likely to shape the final annual outcome.