DELOREAN TIME MACHINE NAMED BRITS’ FAVOURITE PIECE OF MOVIE TECH
Great Scott! The iconic DeLorean time machine from Back to the Future is Britain’s favourite piece of big screen technology, according to new national research1 published today.
The study, carried out by Showcase Cinemas to celebrate the release of The Matrix Resurrections, saw the time travelling device take top spot (22%), with lightsabers from Star Wars (19%) and Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak (19%) rounding off the top three.
Star Wars proved to be a popular choice, after being named the number one sci-fi movie franchise with almost a quarter of selections (22%), followed by Jurassic Park and Back to the Future, which were both chosen by nearly one in five people (19%).
Nearly three in ten people (28%) also chose the intergalactic series set in “a galaxy far, far away” as the franchise with the best tech, with Star Trek coming second with more than a fifth of the votes (22%), followed by The Matrix in third (19%).
When it comes to Brits’ favourite actors in sci-fi films, Harrison Ford bagged almost a quarter of the votes (24%) for his performance as Han Solo in Star Wars, followed by Sigourney Weaver in Alien and The Terminator’s Arnold Schwarzenegger, who came joint second with nearly one in five selections (18%).
Sci-fi films are beloved for their epic fight scenes, and in this category Star Wars once again reigned supreme. One in five people selected Obi-Wan and Darth Vader’s legendary lightsaber fight in Star Wars: A New Hope as their favourite fight/battle scene in a sci-fi film, defeating The Battle of Helms Deep from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (17%) and George McFly punching Biff in Back to the Future (16%).
When it comes to genres, sci-fi is the fourth favourite for Brits, with over a quarter of selections (28%). Thrillers and dramas shared top spot, with almost a third of people (31%) selecting each as their number one film genre, while three in ten people (30%) went for comedy.
The younger generation is the demographic most interested in sci-fi movies, with one in five (20%) people aged 18-24 watching more than one film a week. At the other end of the spectrum, a quarter of those aged 65 and over said they never watch sci-fi films at all.
Meanwhile, movie-lovers in the West Midlands watch more sci-fi than people anywhere else in the country, with nearly a quarter of people (23%) there watching the genre more than once a week. The region is closely followed by London, where one in five (20%) watch multiple sci-fi movies a week.
Mark Barlow, UK General Manager for Showcase Cinemas, said: “The big screen has provided us with so much brilliant technology over the years that it’s very hard to pick a favourite. However, the DeLorean time machine is truly iconic and a worthy winner.
“Elsewhere it was great to see Star Wars named the number one sci-fi movie franchise. The intergalactic soap opera has captivated audiences since the 1970s and it continues to do so today, which is a real testament to its enduring quality.
“With The Matrix Resurrections released next week, this was the perfect opportunity to find out who likes what when it comes to sci-fi.”
The Matrix Resurrections hits Showcase Cinemas on December 22, with tickets available now: https://www.showcasecinemas.co.uk/film-info/the-matrix-resurrections
