Dutch Book Best Box Office in 30 Years

COLOGNE, Germany - 2011 was one of the best years-ever for the Dutch movie industry, with box office revenue jumping 9.3 percent to $305 milllion (€240 million) and more than 30 million tickets sold, the highest number in the territory since 1978.

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As was the case in other Euro boom territories, it was local films that led the charge. In the Netherlands, Dutch comedies and period dramas packed them in. Will Koopman’s laffer Gooische Vrouwen earned (€15 million), selling nearly 2 million tickets - in a territory with just 16 million inhabitants - and beating out Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 to top spot on the national charts.

The 17th century drama Nova Zembla - the first Dutch 3D movie - earned $7.3 million (€5.76 million), beating out Hollywood blockbusters such as Transformers - Dark of the Moon and Cars 2. In total, Dutch films accounted for 22 percent of tickets sold in the Netherlands last year, up from around 15 percent in 2010.