Elementary my dear: Sherlock Holmes helps boost Cineworld’s Christmas

A STRONG line-up of Christmas family films helped boost box office sales at the UK’s largest cinema operator Cineworld.

Box office revenues rose 2.7 per cent in the year to 29 December, up from 1.4 per cent in the first 42 weeks of the year, suggesting a good performance over Christmas. Families were attracted by films including the fourth Mission Impossible film, Sherlock Holmes 2, above, and Alvin and the Chipmunks 3. The group said the line-up of films in 2012 was promising, with The Hobbit in 3D, the next Bond film – Skyfall – and new Batman and Spiderman movies expected to prove blockbusters. Sales of 3D glasses were down as people reused old pairs.