Cinemas weather the economic storm

CINEMAS took a "recession resistant" £944 million last year, according to UK Film Council research.

The figures showed that, despite the economic slump, there were record receipts and the highest admissions since 2002. Avatar, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Ice Age III were the three most popular films in UK cinemas in 2009, with Avatar's 92m making it the highest grossing film of all time in the UK.

John Woodward, head of the UK Film Council, said: "British cinema has been weathering the recession well and firing on all cylinders".