What a fantastic celebration for this CV19 Lockdown year, as the 50th anniv one-night-only release of 'Elvis: That’s The Way It Is' shot to the No.1 spot at the UK box office and in Australia was the highest per-cinema take of any film this week. With the UK cinemas finally reopened the distributor Trafalgar Releasing had plenty to celebrate.
Elvis' re-released classic 1970 documentary concert film debuted in 260 UK cinemas on Thursday (August 13), taking over £94,000 in box office takings, making it No.1 for the day. According to Trafalgar, that also makes it the UK’s biggest popular music concert release of 2020.
It was Trafalgar’s first release since UK cinemas were allowed to reopen on July 4, and shows the appetite for concert experiences despite live music’s lengthy hiatus.
“We are pleased to see one of the world’s most successful recording artists return to No.1 with Elvis: That's The Way It Is, 50 years after its initial release,” said Marc Allenby, CEO of Trafalgar Releasing. “The attendance numbers show the continued appetite from fans to come together and celebrate the musicians they love, demonstrating further opportunities for music to thrive in cinemas.” The movie also played in over 200 cinemas internationally, and pulled in the highest per-cinema average take of any film in Australia.