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.

Comments

I have options

[rsilvergun]

I've got a 42" TV and it's not even that big by American standards. I've got video games that border on photo realistic (uncanny valley not withstanding). I've got Netflix, YouTube and a video camera built into my $200 cell phone if I want to make my own movies. I don't need them anymore.

Theatres committed suicide

[Anonymous Coward]

Why would I spend twenty dollars to sit next to an asshole teenager who is texting the whole time. Or some jackass who brought a three year old to an r rated film. After watching twenty minutes of commercials and spoiler trailers, having my ears blasted out... And while being able to hear the movie playing next door even in quiet moments of my movie. Because louder is better? Why? I can't move seats to get away from jerks because seats are assigned now. I have to kick people out of my seat quite often because people sit in my assigned seat. The quality of food and drink continually declines, the kitchens are often filthy messes, theatres do not even provide unsweetened tea anymore, the workers seem suicidally depressed, and the remaining customers often seem like self entitled rich jackasses who are not there to see a film, but to be waited on and catered to. Why would I want to go anymore? My best experiences were in the second run theatre tbh. Don't know what had happened but it's.profoundly unpleasant nowdays to go to films.

FAKE PIRATES

[thygate]

I know, it's piracy right ? Not the fact that nowadays they make a long-play film out of a "story" that wouldn't even be considered as a side-plot for a Star Trek episode a few decade ago. Where actors are cast based on looks only, talent is irrelevant. When movie studios are basically banks, going for proven ROI's only, taking zero risk, killing and burying all remaining talent. Where now almost everything is a reboot or spinoff of a brand name made a few decades ago and marketed and hyped to death. Adding ZERO value, often simply demeaning to the original. And even when they try real hard, everything is pushed and shoved and even in their best efforts the end result simply lacks finesse. Where the whole SciFi genre is now reduced to Xmen bullshit and yet even more action packed garbage with simply no plot, no insights, nothing, just terrible cgi action scenes, and cheesy dialog. Where everything is tailored to one age category and the common denominator where all of the audience is considered to be brain dead morons and potheads.

Re:Superhero Movies

[elrous0]

Here are the cinematic options that Hollywood gives me today:

1) Superhero sequel #2986--this time with slightly improved explosions
2) Disney movies where men/boys are always either the buffoon or the villain
3) Indie darlings about black/gay/lesbian/transsexuals fighting evil white people over slavery/oppression
4) Remake of decent movie that you liked 20 years ago, but now with an all-woman cast and much shittier writing!

Now which should I spend $50-$80 to take my wife and son to, when I could just stream something at home on my 4K home theater?

Let's take a look at this year's "blockbusters"

[Opportunist]

Maybe the list can shed some light onto the problem. So we have:

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
Thor: Ragnarok
Beauty and the Beast
Justice League
Logan
Wonder Woman
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Spider-Man: Homecoming
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
The Fate of the Furious
Dunkirk
Kong: Skull Island
Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Transformers: The Last Knight
Power Rangers ...

And so on. Can you spot a theme here? Sequels, Prequels, new installations of a series, reboots... and to the cherry on top of the shitcake is that the movie about King Arthur is the one with the most original, non-derivative script.

What the NFL and Hollywood Have in Common

[Anonymous Coward]

Politically charged = decline in sales/ratings/etc.

It doesn't matter which side you're on, people generally want to watch sports or movies to escape the hellhole known as reality, and constantly reminding people of reality, along with preaching certain beliefs, will generally piss the consumer off and drive them to something else that helps escape reality.

Re: Superhero Movies

[elrous0]

does it really bother you that much?

No, not particularly. But I'm not paying $50-$80 to take my kid to a movie that teaches him to be ashamed of himself for being born a white male either.