Analysis: 2012 Box Office

Amidst this Vulture article assessing this last weekend at the box office, there is this year-end analysis:

Finally, despite a summer of unmitigated box office bombs, unspeakably dark nights (Aurora, Colorado) and summer movie attendance at a near twenty-year low, 2012 actually saw the movie business rebound after two back-to-back years of decline. Revenue was up 6 percent, and for once, it wasn’t because ticket prices were up 6 percent, too: More people went to the movies this year — 5.6 percent more people, actually.

The fact there was a rise in ticket sales despite a poor summer is attributable at least in part to this fact: There were a lot of really good movies this year including several dramas like Argo, Lincoln, and Flight that connected with the 35+ and older crowd, proving once again, if Hollywood will build it [i.e., good movies], people will come.

But then there’s this:

Still, one thing that won’t change regardless of which dimension you experience a film in is Hollywood’s reliance on the blockbuster franchise. Indeed, if you absorb no other fact about just how important they’ve become, make it this one: Theatrically released films grossed about $10.8 billion this year, but just five films in 2012 — The Avengers; The Dark Knight Rises; Skyfall; The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2; and The Hunger Games — accounted for nearly half ($4.99 billion) of that tally. Happy New Year.

While good movies count, franchises still rule.

For more of the Vulture article, go here.