Film Distributors' Association (FDA) announced today that the UK has just enjoyed the biggest cinemagoing weekend of the year so far - despite it also being the hottest and sunniest.

Over the three days Friday-Sunday, 25-27 July, 3.19 million people went to the cinema across the UK, overhauling the previous best weekend of 2008, 4-6 July (3.04 million people

The top 5 films of the weekend, 25-27 July, were: The Dark Knight (in its first weekend of release), Mamma Mia! (third weekend), WALL-E (second weekend), Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (also in its opening weekend) and Hancock (fourth weekend).

The cinemagoing surge in July follows a strong performance in June. UK admissions in June 2008 - 11.8 million tickets purchased - were 5% higher than in June 2007, thanks largely to the pulling power of Sex and the City and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

FDA Chief Executive, Mark Batey, said: "Even on the most sweltering weekend of the year to date, with temperatures topping 30°C in parts of the country, not to mention the widely felt economic downturn, it's really thrilling that well over three million people enjoyed the greatest escape - to their local cinema. The movies offer the most immersive - and comfortable - way to experience fantastic stories, and with the school holidays just starting, these new figures bode well for a wonderful season in UK cinemas."

The diverse line-up for August includes: The Fox and the Child, Get Smart, Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, The Love Guru, Man on Wire, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and X-Files: I Want to Believe.

Further Information

Carrie Thatcher,
Tel 020 7437 4383
Email cthatcher@fda.uk.net

Film Distributors' Association Ltd, 22 Golden Square, London W1F 9JW.

Notes to editors

Film Distributors' Association, the trade body representing the generic interests of UK theatrical film distributors, has 21 member companies whose releases account for 96% of UK cinemagoing. Website, including full release schedule: www.launchingfilms.com.

Total box-office gross receipts at UK cinemas for 25-27 July 2008 amounted to £16.8 million. 92 different releases contributed to this total. The weekend cinemagoing was split 34.6% Friday, 36.5% Saturday and 28.9% Sunday.