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Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool.Joe Lederer

The lingering popularity of the latest Star Wars film and the surprise success of the superhero spoof Deadpool attracted record attendance at Cineplex Inc.'s theatres in the first quarter.

The box-office results included four different movies that each recorded higher gross revenues than the top film from the same quarter of 2015. A total of 20.6 million people passed through the turnstiles in the first three months of this year, up 17.4 per cent after a comparatively slow start last year.

Questions persist about whether new digital options and advances in home theatre technology will eat into the dominance movie theatres have enjoyed over new releases. So far, the largest exhibitors have fended off online challengers and industry revenue has kept climbing, thanks in part to investments in premium theatres, which offer reserved seating and serve beer and wine.

The first-quarter results "reinforced the fact that people still love coming to a movie theatre to watch a good film," said Ellis Jacob, Cineplex's president and chief executive officer, in an interview.

The company also posted first-quarter records in box-office revenue per patron, at $9.36, and concession revenue per patron, at $5.44, both up about 5 per cent. It is increasing its dividend 3.8 per cent to $1.62 per share on an annual basis.

Amid continuing speculation that digital and on-demand options will force the film industry to compress the lag between a movie's theatrical release and its availability at home, Mr. Jacob reiterated that Cineplex is "committed to protecting the theatrical window."

Global box-office revenue totalled $38-billion (U.S.) in 2015, and $11-billion in North America. Mr. Jacob suggested exhibitors are united with studios, who have huge control over how a film rolls out to the public.

"I don't think the studios on their own want to trade dimes for nickels, and the movie theatre is still the engine that drives the train as far as launching a movie," he told analysts on a conference call. In an interview, he added: "They run the risk that if they collapse these windows and it doesn't work, they've lost a lot in the process."

Cineplex is still trying to diversify its business to be less reliant on Hollywood's "peaks and valleys." The company boosted revenue in its media businesses, which offers advertising space and digital signage, by 13.7 per cent to $33.1-million in the first quarter. The company has also ventured into eSports, hosting its first national tournaments for competitive video gamers in its theatres, and will open the first of several Rec Room locations this summer – a new entertainment and dining chain aimed at adults.

But Hollywood's film machine still drives the industry and Cineplex might be in for a more difficult second quarter. The latest franchise reboots soon to be released, such as Captain America: Civil War and Independence Day: Resurgence, will have a tough task keeping pace with the top box-office performers from the same quarter a year ago which included Furious 7 and Avengers: Age of Ultron.

"We note that [second-quarter] national box office was down an [estimated 15 per cent year-over-year] in the first four weeks of April," said Aravinda Galappatthige, an analyst at Canaccord Genuity Group Inc., in a research note.

Cineplex's first-quarter profit more than doubled to $21.5-million or 35 cents a share, up from $10.5-million or 17 cents in 2015.

Revenue was $378.9-million, up 30.8 per cent from the same quarter last year, which was slightly ahead of analysts' expectations.

It was also the second straight quarter in which premium tickets accounted for more than 40 per cent of box-office revenue, up from 25 per cent last year. It remains to be seen whether Cineplex can boost that premium further with the forthcoming addition of 23 more D-Box systems – a row of seats that move with the action on-screen – and the rollout of the company's first 4DX auditorium in Toronto, which spray viewers with "atmospherics" such as water, wind, and scent.

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+1.71%8.9
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0%7.37

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