Movies draw record crowds

Shropshire’s largest cinema saw audiences increase by more than six per cent last year - with big-budget family blockbusters leading the way as the star attractions.Odeon Telford welcomed nearly 370,000 paying customers, a rise of 6.25 per cent on the previous year. And attendances over the Christmas and New Year period were up by a 88 per cent on the back of box-office hits such as I Am Legend and St Trinian’s.

The top 10 films of the year accounted for more than 40 per cent of the Telford cinema’s total admissions during 2007, led by Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which topped the Telford chart with nearly 26,000 ticket sales.

The third Pirates of the Caribbean film, At World’s End - starring Johnny Depp - was the second biggest attraction with more than 19,000 tickets sold, followed by Shrek The Third.

Completing the top five were The Simpsons Movie, and Spider-man 3.

It was a healthy year for cinema business across the nation, with UK box office takings up by almost eight per cent.

One in 10 people planned at least one trip to the cinema over the Christmas period, with Odeon cinemas welcoming 187,905 guests to its sites up and down the country on Boxing Day.

Rupert Gavin, chief executive of Odeon and UCI Cinema Group, said: “This is the perfect way to end what has been an extremely strong year for UK cinema.

“The last weekend in July saw box office records smashed with Transformers and The Simpsons Movie and now thanks to I Am Legend, Enchanted, Golden Compass, St Trinian’s and Alvin and the Chipmunks we have had our biggest Boxing Day and New Year’s Day box office.

“Likewise we’re ever optimistic about 2008, which helped by a number of hotly-anticipated films, is set to be another blockbuster year.”

A poll of film fans found that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and the fourth Indiana Jones movie are set to be the must-see films of 2008, followed by family favourite Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, the latest Batman instalment, The Dark Knight, and the 22nd James Bond film.Top 20 films at Odeon Telford

The film attractions include:

1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
2. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.
3. Shrek The Third.
4. The Simpsons Movie.
5. Spider-man 3.
6. Mr Bean’s Holiday.
7. Ratatouille.
8. The Golden Compass.
9. Transformers.
10. Hot Fuzz.
11. The Bourne Ultimatum.
12. Run, Fat Boy, Run.
13. Stardust.
14. I Am Legend.
15. Hairspray.
16. Night at the Museum.
17. 300.
18. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.
19. Charlotte’s Web.
20. Die Hard 4.0.