Record European Union cinema box office takings in 2009. According to the European Audiovisual Observatory estimates, gross cinema box office takings for the European Union increased by 12% year-on-year to a new record high of €6.27 billion in 2009 (€5.6 billion in 2008). Box office growth was fuelled by a 6% surge in cinema attendance to an estimated 981.1 million tickets sold in 2009, up from 925.3 million in 2008, and by increasing average ticket prices, largely thanks to premium...