THE UK’s second biggest cinema group, Cineworld, has said prospects for the rest of 2009 are looking up thanks to blockbusters such Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

The difficult economic climate is also favourable for the firm as people look for cheaper forms of entertainment during recession.

The cinema industry as a whole has seen attendances at their highest level for seven years – with ticket sales up 14.5% to 83.5 million – according to the Cinema Advertising Association (CAA).

Cineworld’s first-half results on Thursday will have been helped by other smashes including multi-Oscar winning Slumdog Millionaire.

The film, as well as X-Men and Transformers, helped push box office sales for the half-year ahead by 17.9%.

This was ahead of forecasts.