Studios promise summer movie revival

Hollywood studio bosses are looking forward to a blockbusting summer following 2005's box-office slump.

Several industry voices have spoken optimistically about the next few months' big releases.

Bruce Snyder, of 20th Century Fox, has reason for his confidence – his studio made this year's biggest earner so far - Ice Age: The Meltdown. He commented: "It looks like there's a blockbuster every single week from this point forward."

Snyder highlights his upcoming X-Men instalment, Tom Hanks' The Da Vinci Code and Over the Hedge - a new comedy animation from the Shrek makers.

Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal Pictures, blamed last year's poor performance – with American revenues down 9 per cent on 2004 – on a combination of average movies and competition from other mediums.

"There was a lot of discussion about the quality of the films, the malaise about whether people wanted to go to the movies. I think it was a combination of all those factors," she explained. "But now they're back in a moviegoing mode."

So far this year takings are up 7 per cent and attendance 3.5 per cent – many think Mission: Impossible III will push this even further. Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations, who produce the figures, called Tom Cruise "arguably the most bankable star in the world."

He added: "You've got to say, the guy is Teflon-coated when it comes to his ability to bring in an audience, regardless of his public persona."

Da Vinci Code distributors Sony are also hopeful for continued success. "It's a good year for the movies this time," assured spokesman Rory Bruer. "When you have Mission: Impossible and Da Vinci coming up, we should stay in this sweet spot for a while."