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Dark Nights
Why the movies aren't as popular as they used to be
To the casual observer, it looks as though superheroes are saving the movie business. The Dark Knight just brought in more than $150 million at the box office this weekend, beating the record set by Spider-Man 3 and showing once again that late-night screenings attract geeks dressed in costumes. Just two months ago, Iron Man grossed more than $100 million in its opening weekend. Every week it seems another record is set – even if it's only one for the best four-day-weekend opening in August.
All of this talk about records obscures an undeniable fact: Fewer people are going to the movies than ever before. So far, this year's domestic box office total is down just one percent, according to The New York Times. But the number of people going to the theater is down 3.7 percent – which is bad news for theater owners. Since they give most of their ticket proceeds to the studios – especially in the first few weekends, when demand to see movies is at its highest – theaters rely on sales of refreshments and advertising to make a profit. To them, fewer people means less popcorn, and less popcorn means less money.
As several articles have pointed out, movies earn less in the U.S. than they did years ago relative to their cost – the Times points out that the 1989 Batman earned $40 million in its opening weekend – more than its $35 million budget – and went on to make $251 million total. By that measure, The Dark Knight looks as grim as its trailers – it is reported to have cost about $180 million, and modern blockbusters often do a third of their business on opening weekend.
All of this talk about records obscures an undeniable fact: Fewer people are going to the movies than ever before. So far, this year's domestic box office total is down just one percent, according to The New York Times. But the number of people going to the theater is down 3.7 percent – which is bad news for theater owners. Since they give most of their ticket proceeds to the studios – especially in the first few weekends, when demand to see movies is at its highest – theaters rely on sales of refreshments and advertising to make a profit. To them, fewer people means less popcorn, and less popcorn means less money.
As several articles have pointed out, movies earn less in the U.S. than they did years ago relative to their cost – the Times points out that the 1989 Batman earned $40 million in its opening weekend – more than its $35 million budget – and went on to make $251 million total. By that measure, The Dark Knight looks as grim as its trailers – it is reported to have cost about $180 million, and modern blockbusters often do a third of their business on opening weekend.
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