Noticed that your local movie theater is a little quieter than usual lately? Don't go thinking that moviegoers have just gotten more considerate. The reason phones aren't ringing, babies aren't wailing, and know-it-alls aren't giving away plot twists before they happen is simple: People just aren't there.
When it comes to providing bewitchment for the buck, Harry Potter has notched some mesmerizing numbers. Fans who bought all the hardcover books, the DVDs, and attended the movies in first run, paid an average total of $401.08 -- not counting the $20 to $30 they'll pay for the DVD or Blu-Ray of "Deathly Hallows: Part 2."
Usually, the Oscars highlight the chasm between Hollywood's elite and average Americans. But, says one movie critic: "This is one of the rare years when critics and paying audiences backed the nominees." Also notable in 2011 is a youth movement in the nominees -- and the show's hosts.
At least one analyst is predicting that fourth-quarter box-office sales are set to fall 12% as most 3-D movies have failed to attract big audiences this year. Even worse: The trend extends beyond movie theaters to the living room.
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1" had the most successful opening of the series so far, bringing in $125 million in U.S. box office sales last weekend. That gives the Warner Bros. title the sixth-most successful U.S. movie launch ever.
3-D movie revenue doubled in 2010, and studios will release 18 3-D titles in the second half of the year, up from five. But higher costs worry theater operators, and not all 3-D movies can command higher ticket prices.
The latest movie in the vampire-based Twilight franchise -- The Twilight Saga: Eclipse -- netted $30 million on its opening night, beating the previous installment's $26.3 million. Will it also beat its predecessor's total proceeds of $710 million?
Toy Story 3, made by Pixar, the digital animation company Steve Jobs co-founded and later sold to Walt Disney, is off to a blazing start at the box office, pulling in $41 million in its first day on Friday and a likely $100 million-plus for the weekend.
If you can predict which movies will be hits at the box office, you may soon be able to profit from it. Federal regulators have approved a controversial, new electronic exchange where investors can bet on the success or failure of upcoming Hollywood releases.
DVD sales have been falling so sharply that some movie industry watchers see extinction around the corner for the format. But in less than a week, Avatar discs have rung up huge numbers. Is this a sign that DVDs will survive, or just James Cameron-generated fluke?
"Avatar" is only $50 shy of passing "Titanic" as the largest global box office film in history -- just short of the ship disaster's $1.843 billion mark. The ticket taking "Avatar" all the way to the top spot has already been sold.
