A Banner Year at the Mexican Box Office

MEXICO CITY -- Mexico, one of the world's top moviegoing markets, saw yet another record year in box office receipts and admissions.

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Sales in 2012 rose 8.8% to nearly 10.7 billion pesos (about $845 million) as theaters here sold 229 million tickets, representing an admissions increase of 21 million compared with 2011.

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The exhibition sector got a huge boost from the Disney release The Avengers, which became Mexico's highest-grossing film ever. The Marvel superhero extravaganza raked in about $65 million, according to a year-end report from the Mexican Film Chamber. The Avengers also set a record as the first theatrical release to surpass the $200-million mark in Latin America.

Among domestic releases, Carlos Bolado's thriller Colosio: El Asasinato (Colosio: The Assassination) topped the charts with about $4.4 million. Following close behind was the 20th Century Fox release of the Andy Garcia-starrer Cristiada (For Greater Glory). 

Mexico added 188 screens last year, bringing the nationwide screen count to 5,360. Leading theater chain Cinepolis claims Mexico ranks fourth worldwide in terms of number of screens.