After experiencing a period of full rooms during the holidays, Robin Plamondon du Clap and Vincent Guzzo are confident for the year that has just begun.

• Read also: Two million dollars for “December 23” at the box office

• Read also: The madness of Avatar 2 does not run out of steam at the box office

"Since November, it's been very good. We find figures from before the pandemic, ”launched Vincenzo Guzzo, during a telephone interview.

The Avatars: The Way of the Water, Black Panther: Long Live Wakanda, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and other movies are huge hits right now.

"The one on Whitney Houston and Babylon had a little disappointing results," he said.

In Quebec, Robin Plamondon, from Clap, indicates that he had a month of December almost similar to December 2019.

He believes that the presence of weather that has not been favorable to outdoor activities, with the absence of snow, is one of the factors that explain this high attendance at his halls in Sainte-Foy and Loretteville.

"People are still on vacation and there's not much to do outside," he said.

In its theaters, the second installment of Avatar, he said, holds its own and continues to deliver the goods.

“Le Petit Nicolas turns out to be a nice surprise. Simone: Journey of the Century has been playing to packed houses since December 23. I'm a bit disappointed with the results for Babylon," he said.

The success of December 23, which has just crossed the two million mark at the box office, is explained, among other things, according to Robin Plamondon, by the unifying effect surrounding this film.

"It's a film that can be seen in a group and as a family," he said.

Confident for 2023

After difficult years in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, Robin Plamondon believes he is able to approach the figures for 2019 with the one that has just ended.

"The start of 2022 was tough, with theater closures and ensuing restrictions, but we felt with the arrival of Top Gun: Maverick that the tide was about to turn," he said. he mentioned.

Vincenzo Guzzo does not believe he can catch up with pre-pandemic attendance figures.

The two owners are optimistic for the year that has just begun. The quality of the feature films that end up on the screens will determine what happens next.

" I'm confident. If we hit 2018 numbers, I'm going to be the happiest man alive," he said.

The challenge for major film studios is, according to the owner of Guzzo cinemas, to bring back people who have deserted the halls.

“Cinema lovers are not to be convinced. They are already coming to the cinema. Major studios need to invest more money in promoting films. There were a lot of billboards for Top Gun: Maverick and it yielded results beyond all expectations,” he said.