Disney dominated Dutch box office in 2019 as film visits rise 6.5%

Disney was responsible for four of the five top box office draws at Dutch cinemas in 2019, with the Lion King alone attracting three million visitors, according to Dutch cinema association figures.

In total, more than 38 million cinema tickets were sold last year, a rise of 6.5% on 2018. Avengers: Endgame, Joker and Frozen 2 also attracted more than one million viewers.

The best viewed Dutch film of the year was Penoza: The Final Chapter, a film continuation of the popular television series which drew 404,000 ticket sales. Of the 492 different films shown at cinemas last year, 76 were Dutch productions.

Dutch film receipts, which have been declining over the past few years, rose marginally to 11.74% of total sales.

Foreign films which did well in the Netherlands last year include Spanish film Dolor y Gloria, the South Korean Oscar favourite Parasite and 18th Century French drama Portrait de la jeune fille en feu.