Cinema audiences are ageing and film companies are gradually acknowledging that they can no longer rely on 18- to 24-year-olds to guarantee healthy box office returns. The King's Speech amassed more than £45 million in the UK because the often-ignored over-50s headed to the multiplexes in their droves; the same crowds, who enthusiastically embraced The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel starring Dame Judi Dench and Dame Maggie Smith. It's little wonder that filmmakers are looking for stories that will appeal to older audiences, like Dustin Hoffman's forthcoming directorial debut Quartet starring Smith and Michael Gambon set in a retirement home for opera singers.
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