German B.O. buoyed by 3D, local comedy

BERLIN -- The German box office achieved its second-highest half-year revenue ever as 3D titles and hit local fare generated stellar ticket sales in the first six months of 2011. Teutonic theater operators saw total revenue climb 2.5% to Euros452.8 million ($652.5 million) -- the highest box office result since 2002, according to the German Federal Film Board (FFA). Admissions surged 2.2% to 61.5 million from January to June, 1.3 million more than in the first half of 2010. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," which has grossed more than $63 million in Germany, and Til Schweiger's family comedy "Kokowaah," with a total $43.5 million, led the top earners in the period, followed by the likes of "Hangover 2" ($42.4 million), "Fast Five" ($26.9 million), "The King's Speech" ($23.6 million) and "Black Swan" ($22 million). While there were considerably more 3D releases in the first half of the year, their market share was down compared with the same period in 2010, which was still seeing plenty of holdover business from "Avatar." Theaters sold 12.1 million 3D movie tickets, down from 12.8 million in 2010. The share of admissions for 3D films fell from 21.7% in the first half of 2010 to 19.8% this year. At the same time, distribs rolled out 19 stereoscopic titles, accounting for a 7.3% share of total releases. That was up from only seven 3D releases (3%) in 2010. A total number of 262 films saw release in the first six months of the year compared with 237 in 2010. The market share of German films also climbed slightly to 20.4%. Local productions attracted a total of 12.4 million moviegoers compared with 12 million in the first half of 2010. The average cost of admission in Germany rose slightly to $10.60. FFA topper Peter Dinges said the first-have figures showed a "positive trend" after a spotty first half in 2010. Dinges added that he had high expectations for the second half of the year. In addition to the boffo performances of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II," "The Smurfs" and "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," major box office moolah is expected from such upcoming releases as "The Three Musketeers," "Wicki and the Treasure of the Gods," "The Adventures of Tintin," "Anonymous" and "Happy Feet 2." Contact Ed Meza at staff@variety.com