29/10/2008

The success enjoyed by Erik Van Looy’s new film Loft [+see also:
trailer
film profile] has not come as a surprise. However, nobody could have predicted the extent of the success.

Everything augured well for Woestijnvis’ debut film production, after a television career that included work on Reality TV show The Mole. Producer of Looy’s TV series De Slimste Mens ter Wereld, Woestijnvis hit the jackpot by asking the director to sign a seven-year exclusivity contract (for Belgium, which means Looy is unable to direct Dossier K, the sequel to The Alzheimer Case [+see also:
trailer
film profile], produced by MMG). Leaving nothing to chance, the company also dismissed producer Hilde de Baere and hired successful TV director Bart de Pauw and a solid cast.

The film’s avant-premiere a fortnight ago was attended by the crème de la crème of the Flemish jet set, including the political class. Looy’s return to the big screen was much awaited, after the staggering success of his debut The Alzheimer Case in Belgium – where it still holds the record as best-performing Belgian film (over 750,000 admissions) – and abroad. In demand in Hollywood, Looy chose instead to focus on Flemish television in the meantime, where he gained experience as a presenter, further enhancing his reputation.

In terms of results, Loft has just achieved the best box office start in Belgium in 2008, according to its Amsterdam-based distributor Independent Film. The film amassed 126,400 admissions in its first weekend on release – five times as many as Mamma Mia!, which ranks second at the box office. Moreover, Loft accounted for over half the admissions in Flanders last weekend and extra screenings had to be added to the programme.

This success is all the more phenomenal given that like most Flemish films Loft has only been released in Flanders and UGC theatres in Brussels. The respectable score achieved by The Alzheimer Case in 2003 (60,000 admissions over its opening weekend) has thus been completely outstripped.

After a record year for Flemish film in 2007 (1,197,487 admissions, an increase of over 25% over 2006), the success of Loft is good news for Flemish exhibitors and will boost 2008 results.

(Translated from French)