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Movie Ticket Sales Hit A 22-Year Low in 2017 (msn.com)

An anonymous reader quotes the Los Angeles Times: Hollywood is celebrating the end of 2017 with astronomical sales from "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," which is on track to soon exceed $1 billion in global ticket sales and eventually become the biggest movie of the year. But that won't be enough to write a happy storyline for the industry. Although movie ticket sales in the U.S. and Canada are expected to dip just below last year's record of $11.38 billion, the number of tickets sold is projected to drop 4% to 1.26 billion -- the lowest level since 1995, according to preliminary estimates from studio executives.

The falloff in ticket sales can mostly be explained by a handful of movies that flopped, especially during the dreary summer season that posted the worst results in more than two decades. Even such massive hits as "Wonder Woman," "Thor: Ragnarok" and "It" couldn't make up for a lackluster summer lineup populated by rickety franchises ("Alien: Covenant") and poorly reviewed retreads ("The Mummy"). However, the long-term decline in attendance reflects systemic challenges facing the industry. Audiences are spending less time going to the movies and are consuming more entertainment on small screens and through streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon that are spending billions on original video content. At the same time, while higher ticket prices have helped to offset attendance declines, they have made consumers pickier about what movies they're willing to go see. And those increasingly discerning consumers turn to social media and Rotten Tomatoes to decide what's worth their time and money.

3 of 162 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Superhero Movies by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    I can't understand why musical songs are so popular? Who, over 12 years old, is going to hear them? They come out with a new song every 3 months, and they all sound identical to me. They also make a ton of money, so they will continue to make them. I only listen to traffic noise and lawnmowers myself.

  2. Re:Superhero Movies by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 4, Funny

    Wrong.

    The only Indie Films ever released are:
    - Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
    - Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
    - Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
    - Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
  3. Re:I have options by 110010001000 · · Score: 4, Funny

    You don't get the same experience seeing "Star Wars: The Last SJW" at home. It is something that needs to be experienced in a theater.