Foreign fare evolves with audiences

With an anticipated haul of $16 billion this year, foreign box office has become crucial to Hollywood — but the studios are noticing the makeup of those audiences is changing. This shifts could mean changes for studios’ distribution strategies — as well as changes in their production priorities.

Falling birthrates are just one of the factors affecting who goes to the movies overseas, how often they go and what films they choose to see.

Five countries (Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan and South Korea) have seen a serious drop in birthrates. Eastern Europe and Russia are also seeing declines. Each year in these countries, fewer moviegoers enter the core teen/young adult audience — though increasing income levels prop up the box office in most of these areas. Teens and young adults are also increasingly downloading films instead of going to theaters.

Countering those trends is the fact that adults are getting out more and becoming frequent moviegoers. People aged 40 and up are going to movies more often as their children grow up. They are becoming increasingly important in territories ranging from Australia to France.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE By TIMOTHY M. GRAY, DAVE MCNARY -
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117997670.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

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