12/08/2008

Bathory [+see also:
trailer
film profile], the historical thriller from veteran director Juraj Jakubisko, is heroically fighting a hard battle at the Czech box office.

Since its July 10 premiere, Bathory has seen over 200,000 admissions in the Czech Republic and more than 100,000 in Slovakia. The film is on top of box-office charts in both countries, outgrossing even Pixar's international hit Kung Fu Panda, despite having failed to impress critics.

The numbers make Bathory an exception at the Czech box office, where most local films are failing to draw significant audiences. Even producers who enjoyed success last year. Jan Hrebejk's Teddy Bear earned more than CZK 50m last year, but his new film I'm All Good has made just CZK 18.2m on 158,177 admissions during its 10 weeks.

The overall box office picture is modest. Although the number of screenings in the first quarter of 2008 was up 3.6% year-on-year, admissions are down 16%. Czech films are enjoying an unprecedented 41% market share, but the number of local releases – 14 features and five documentaries – appears to be splitting a limited audience.

“The focus of traditional Czech movie viewers is lost,” says David Horacek, general manager of operations for exhibitor Palace Cinemas. “The quantity of Czech movies isn’t unfortunately translated into the required commercial quality.”

Horacek for one remains hopeful that the picture will brighten by year's end: “The summer blockbusters are still coming and it is not easy predict what the new James Bond and Harry Potter [instalments] will do. They will be strong, it is clear, though.”