Spiderman and heatwaves help cinema chain Odeon enjoy best summer since 2019

Spiderman and heatwaves help cinema chain Odeon enjoy best summer since 2019 A trio of summer blockbusters - plus audiences desperate to find a cool place - enabled Odeon to fight back against the challenge of streaming giants such as Netflix Spiderman helped cinema chain Odeon notch up its best summer since before the Covid crisis. The company said it had almost 10 million customers between the start of June and the end of August, marking its biggest summer attendance since 2019. Audience numbers were up by a third on last year. Odeon said this August had been its best since 2018. The jump came despite the ongoing challenge from streaming giants such as Netflix and well as the FIFA World Cup and England's strong run. Odeon hailing the success of a string blockbusters, including Spider-Man: Brand New Day starring Tom Holland and wife Zendaya. Movie epic The Odyssey - in which the famous couple also starred - along Emily Blunt in Disclosure Day, starring Emily Blunt were also hits. The trio each attracted more than 1.3 million movie goers, while a further 12 films drew more than 100,000 each. However, there have also been reports of cinemas across Europe benefitting from this summer’s extreme heatwaves. Some screening in what are normally quiet, mid-afternoon slots have been packed as families - and others - have sought to escape the heat and find a cool spot. Odeon said it had more than 150,000 bookings for its kids screenings over the summer, with tickets available for just £1. More than 1.25 million customers also benefited from the government’s Great British Summer Savings scheme, which saw a VAT cut from 20% to 5% on kids’ meals in restaurants and tickets to attractions like theatres and soft play. The strong summer should help to boost Odeon’s finances after it posted a £29.5million loss before tax in 2024, according to the latest accounts available at Companies House, although that was down from a loss of £46.7million in 2023. Suzie Welch, Odeon’s managing director for UK and Ireland, said: “This summer has demonstrated once again cinema’s enduring appeal. 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. It has also been brilliant to see a record proportion of visits to our iSense, IMAX, XL and Dolby screens. “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.