007 CROWNED UK’S FAVOURITE BIG SCREEN MOVIE HERO
The suave and sophisticated James Bond has been named as Britain’s favourite big screen movie hero according to new research1 released today. The study, carried out by Showcase Cinemas in celebration of the return of the big screen last week, sees 007 take the top spot with almost a quarter (24%) of cinemagoers choosing him as their favourite hero.
The secret agent was also a huge hit with the ladies, as one in five females picked him as their number one choice. In second place was Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones with 16% of the votes. And folklore legend Robin Hood came in joint third place alongside DC superhero Superman (10%).
However, there is a generational gap when it comes to our favourite big screen heroes, as almost one in five 18-24-year-olds crowned Marvel’s Avengers head honcho Iron Man as their number one hero, compared to one in ten 33-44-year-olds who picked Jedi knight, Luke Skywalker.
But every big screen hero needs a villain to overcome. And while Bond has had his fair share of arch enemies to defeat over the years, surprisingly none of them make an appearance on Britain’s top ten list of ultimate villains.
Nearly one in five people chose Hannibal Lecter, who became a household name following Anthony Hopkins’ Academy Award winning performance in 1991’s The Silence of the Lambs, as the greatest movie villain of all time.
In second place, accompanied by The Imperial March, Star Wars villain Darth Vader took 16% of the vote. However, the pop-culture phenomenon clearly captured the imagination of a certain generation more than others, with a huge 25% of 45-54-year-olds turning to the dark side.
The late Heath Ledger’s iconic performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight won third place (13%), narrowly beating Harry Potter’s nemesis Voldemort into the top three.
The Showcase Cinemas study also investigated what cinemagoers missed most about the cinema during lockdown, with the extra-large screens (34%), the cinema atmosphere (28%), and the excitement of a new movie (27%) making the top three.
Mark Barlow, UK General Manager for Showcase Cinemas, said: “The big screen has provided us with so many heroes over the years, it is almost impossible to pick a favourite.
“However, James Bond has been a constant of British cinema for decades, and it seems rather fitting that with the hugely anticipated No Time to Die on the horizon, 007 is named as the ultimate big screen hero.
“And who can argue with Hannibal Lecter taking top spot as the nation’s favourite villain? No matter whose side you are on, these are the type of characters that are made for the big screen, and Lecter is certainly one that keeps you on the edge of your seat!
“We have thoroughly enjoyed welcoming guests back through our doors again and seeing how happy they were to settle down with their popcorn and engross themselves in the cinematic screen experience. With so many great films to be released through the rest of this year, the big screen is most definitely back.”
Showcase Cinemas reopened across the UK on May 17th, operating the Be Showcase Safe programme that was implemented successfully last year, meaning guests can enjoy the big screen experience as safely as possible.
UK’S TOP TEN HEROES
- James Bond – 24%
- Indiana Jones – 16%
- Robin Hood – 10%
- Superman – 10%
- Forrest Gump – 8.9%
- Harry Potter– 8.5%
- Jason Bourne – 8.2%
- Batman – 7.9%
- Iron Man – 7.7%
- Luke Skywalker – 7.5%
UK’S TOP TEN VILLAINS
- Hannibal Lecter – 23%
- Darth Vader – 16%
- Joker – 13%
- Voldemort – 12%
- Freddy Krueger – 10%
- Scar – 9%
- The Child Catcher – 8%
- Miss Trunchball – 7%
- Hans Gruber – 6.9%
- Pennywise – 6.8%
