2009 Biggest Box Office Year Ever!

[ChipG]

From another site:

"According to Hollywood.com's "Box-Office", with 22 days left in the calendar year, year-to-date box-office will hit $9,681,800,000 today and thus pass the record year of 2007 and its full-year total of $9.680 billion. Through this past Sunday, year-to-date revenue stood at $9,658,700,000, just $21.3 million short of surpassing year 2007’s record revenue. With Monday generating $7.5 million, Tuesday generating $8.1 million and a projected conservative estimate of $7.5 million for Wednesday, Hollywood.com "Box-Office" places the year-to-date revenue (through today) at $9,681,800,000. So why is most of Hollywood out of work?

With numerous huge films still on the way, we are poised for the first $10 billion year at the box-office, a milestone that has never been reached in the history of the box-office."

 

[leepback]

a milestone that has never been reached in the history of the box-office."

I find monetary measurements silly and misrepresentational.

What was the unit cost to sit your bum in a theatre to see "Gone with the Wind" for instance compared to today's cinema ticket price?

 

[ChipG]

Inflation happens my man, I sure wish I could buy real estate at "Gone with the Wind' prices.

 

[Luis Caffesse]

I was thinking the same thing - dont' get me wrong, I do think it's interesting to see that this could be the "biggest" (monetary) year for theaters.
But I'd also be curious to know the number of people of went to the theater.

(I'll bet Transylmania is what pushed the industry over the top)

 

[J.R. Hudson]

Something tells me GONE WITH THE WIND wasn't released in 3000 theaters.

 

[David Jimerson]

And yet, we hear every year that the box office is dying.

 

[leepback]

Inflation happens my man

Exactly. It aint oranges to oranges stuff.

 

[leepback]

Something tells me GONE WITH THE WIND wasn't released in 3000 theaters.

Maybe not but I think you understand my point.

 

[J.R. Hudson]

And yet, we hear every year that the box office is dying.

Ha ha

I read that while seeing your Avatar Pic.

 

[jkc123]

Transformers was the big winner this year with $400mil in BO; with Harry Potter, Up, the Hangover and Star Trek rounding out the top 5.

I with Luis on this though...I wonder if fewer folks went to the movies this year and BO is high due to tix prices.

A matinee is $9 nowadays.

 

[twocik23]

Something to check out about why movies tickets cost so much these days... well that's at least what they're telling us.

http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/movie-distribution.htm

 

[ChipG]

I'd expect attendance to be down 2-5% from last year (just a guess) as of now but with Avatar and a few other movies coming out before the end of the year it could swing it to +2-5%. This was a year studios cut back thier slates due to economic pressure so fewer movies but larger tent poles.

Dh'O! Twilight just bumped Star Trek out of the top 5. Jimerson will have to wait until 2012 to see another Star Trek (good or bad ) Abrams has put it on hold to do another project before.

The good news is the total box office revenue is what drives the industry not the # of people who go see movies, that will probably continue to decline with cheaper and better home theater systems (in 3 d) coming out every year.

Hudson, why did you puss out on seeing Transylmania? I was going to buy some really cheap booze for you and Blaine, were you scared?

 

[ChipG]

Here is the list of the all time movies adjusted for inflation: http://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/adjusted.htm

Not much competition in the old days, there would be one big movie every couple years. Make note of the unadjusted gross colum.

 

[patssle]

Clearly piracy is killing the movie industry!

 

[Batutta]

I guess this is why they say the movie industry is recession proof!

 

[ChipG]

Clearly piracy is killing the movie industry!

It is hurting it for home dvd sales.

 

[Richard J. Johnson]

I still love the experience. The unhealtly popcorn, the insane prices, what's not to love? I watch many more movies at the theater then I do at home and I have a very big plasma. It's people like me who keep the buildings open.

 

[Batutta]

It is hurting it for home dvd sales.

I think people are going to fewer movies, but when they do go, it's to the big event films and in greater numbers so it evens out. Receipts are down for the mid to low budget films.

 

[Richard J. Johnson]

Here is the list of the all time movies adjusted for inflation: http://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/adjusted.htm

Not much competition in the old days, there would be one big movie every couple years. Make note of the unadjusted gross colum.

Gone with the wind made almost 200 million in 1939. That is crazy. Everyone in america must have seen it.

Ticket prices in '39:
Movie ticket, .25-.55/matinee; .55-1.10/evening

 

[ChipG]

Gone with the wind made almost 200 million in 1939. That is crazy. Everyone in america must have seen it.

Ticket prices in '39:
Movie ticket, .25-.55/matinee; .55-1.10/evening

I was shocked to see that number. Movies were a BIG deal back then from what I'm told, heck, you'd go to a theater to see the news.

I'd bet the people who saw it went back to see it 4+ times like we did for Star Wars when we were kids. About 400 million people saw it domestic and 800 million people worldwide if you say the average ticket price was 50 cents.

50 cents in 1939 adjusted for inflation is $7.67 (2008).

To bad MGM didn't save some of that money, they could sure use it now.

EDIT: $1.10 in 1939 is $16.88 (in 2008).