2023 AT THE MOVIES.
2023 AT THE MOVIES.
As we bid farewell to 2023, Val Morgan is celebrating the biggest blockbusters that delivered the most unmissable cultural moments in the last 12 months.
From the global cultural phenomenon of Barbenheimer that saw Barbie and Oppenheimer collectively break records, to the groundbreaking success of Avatar: The Way of Water, 2023 is undoubtedly a cinematic year to remember.
Source: CineTAM Admission Data 15th December 2022 - 13th December 20239.09M
Total admits
+2%
Increase YOY
17
Blockbusters
over $2M
Let’s start with a bang…
Barbenheimer
The showdown of Barbie and Oppenheimer releasing on the same day created a social trend that swept the internet worldwide.
Barbie delivered 651K admissions which led the movie to become the 5th highest grossing film and #1 comedy film of all time in New Zealand. While Oppenheimer delivered 354K admissions making it the 3rd highest grossing drama, ever.
Beyond the box office triumph, both films have scored themselves overwhelmingly positive reviews, and strong critics scores on Rotten Tomatoes, with Barbie pulling 88% and Oppenheimer 93%.
“Barbenheimer has been the biggest cultural moment of 2023. It proves yet again that Cinema has the power to create iconic moments that embed into our culture and resonate for generations.”
Guy Burbidge
Managing Director of Val Morgan Cinema
New Zealand’s biggest movies in 2023
#1 | 884K Admissions
#2 | 651K Admissions
#3 | 394K Admissions
#4 | 354K Admissions
#5 | 340K Admissions
#6 | 305K Admissions
#7| 298K Admissions
#8 | 224K Admissions
#9 | 217K Admissions
#10 | 200K Admissions
In 2023, records were shattered across various genres and multiple films within different franchises achieved peak performance.
A deeper dive into the movies
#1 film of all time
51%
P18-39
174ix
Young Singles
56%
Males
141ix
Big Spenders
#5 film of all time
45%
P18-39
58%
Females
55%
P18-39
68%
Males
128ix
Mid-Life Household
118ix
Socio 1&2s
172ix
Young Couples
122ix
Socio 1&2s
#3 drama of all time
Share of admits by genre
Spotlight on Two Fast Growing Genres
Comedy.
The comedy genre experienced
a major surge in 2023 raking
in 1.13M+ admissions
(+145% YOY).
2023 was the year for female-centric comedies like Barbie
and No Hard Feelings which
saw a 59% female skew in admissions.
Barbie became the #1 comedy film of
all time in New Zealand beating 2016’s
Hunt for the Wilderpeople.
Bollywood.
2023 was the biggest year
for Bollywood admissions ever with 402K admissions (+30% YOY).
76% of all admissions were
P25-54 with a 76% male skew.
Pathaan, Jawan and Animal, which all released in 2023, are the top 3 highest grossing Bollywood films of all time in New Zealand.
The key insights for 2023
Diversification of content.
It’s the first time since 2017 that a superhero film does not feature in the top 3 highest grossing films of the year, showing that audiences are craving more original, unique content.
Cinema remains the home of youth.
54% of all admissions in 2023 were P14-39. This demographic drove the majority of the top films to record breaking box office results and admissions.
Barbie, Oppenheimer, and The Super Mario Bros Movie all set new records across their genres. New franchise favourites were also established in John Wick 4, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One and The Equalizer 3.
Record breaking blockbusters.
2023 is not over yet though…
A huge Boxing Day is coming
Quick glance into 2024
Key Blockbuster Titles
Released 29th FebruaryReleased 4th April
Released 11th AprilReleased 23rd May
Released 13th June