The BBC is reporting that cinema attendance in the U.S. is continuing to decline, which figures show to be their lowest in five years. While box office receipts may have risen by approximately $100 million this summer, Hollywood.com has shown that the number of tickets expected to be sold equalled a relatively pedestrian 552 million, the lowest since 2005.
Attributed to rising cinema costs, a comparable pattern has been recorded in UK cinemas, too. The principle culprit for such additional expense is the growing presence of 3D releases, with cinema-goer’s paying a (miraculously low) average ticket price of £5.10. This is an increase of 25 pence since 2009, 38 cents in the U.S. For 3D performances, however, cinemas often charge considerably more.
To date this year, Toy Story 3 is the only summer release to top the $400 million mark at the box office, with Iron Man 2 only managing $300 million and Shrek Forever After, Despicable Me and Inception pulling in $200 million each. Toy Story 3, however, undoubtedly benefited from its third dimension, leading to box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian deeming the higher revenue a “shallow victory”.
That said, the marked increase in ticket prices cannot be the only reason for reduced admissions on both sides of the Atlantic. Indeed, with each chain boasting their own loyalty scheme many customers are getting to see films at a semi-reasonable price.
Another reason noted by the BBC in relation to poor attendance is the non-event that was this year’s summer blockbuster season. With Sex and the City 2 having alienated its core audience while failing to attract the unacquainted, and the adaptation-fatigue evident from the undeservedly poor reception of Kick-Ass and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, the product on offer has been deemed unworthy of the general public’s hard earned money. “Audiences were underwhelmed, and they voted with their absence,” summed Mr Dergarabedian – presumably after another sell-out screening of Sorcerer’s Apprentice.
Whatever the reason, it is clear that something is going to have to change before custom returns to the big screen.
