Record US box office high in 2004 (article)

BBC NEWS | Enter­tain­ment | Film | Record US box office high in 2004: “Record US box office high in 2004

Tic­ket sales at the US box office reached a record high in 2004, although the actual num­ber of movie­goers fell for a second year in a row.

Movies took $9.4bn (£4.9bn) at the domes­tic box office last year, com­pa­red to $9.2bn (£4.8bn) in 2003. The record high was attri­bu­ted to inc­rea­sed tic­ket price, with atten­dance falling 1.7% to 1.51 billion. Shrek 2 was 2004’s highest gros­sing film in the US, taking $436m (£229m), trac­ker Exhi­bi­tor Rela­tions reported.

Late boost

Mel Gibson’s The Pas­sion of the Christ and the Michael Moore docu­men­tary Fah­renheit 9/11 were unex­pec­ted box office suc­ces­ses in 2004, taking $370m (£194m) and $119m (£62.5m) res­pec­ti­vely in the US.

Reve­nue for the year was falling behind 2003 in the final weeks of 2004, but comedy sequel Meet the Foc­kers boos­ted takings with total tic­ket sales of $162.5m (£85.3m) in the last fort­night of the year.

The ave­rage US tic­ket price was $6.22 (£3.26) last year, com­pa­red to $6.03 (£3.16) in 2003.

Analysts said the two-year dec­line was no cause for alarm because 2002 was an ano­maly with hit films such as the first Spider-Man movie and My Big Fat Greek Wed­ding. That year also inc­lu­ded the latest ins­tal­ments in the Star Wars, Harry Pot­ter and Lord of the Rings series.

‘This is a great year,’ said Exhi­bi­tor Rela­tions pre­si­dent Paul Dergarabedian.

‘We saw such mas­sive inc­rea­ses in reve­nue and atten­dance in 2001 and 2002, there is just no way we’re going to see inc­rea­ses sus­tai­ned at that rate.’

Among films expec­ted to per­form well in US cine­mas this year are Star Wars: Epi­sode III — Revenge of the Sith and Bat­man Begins sta­rring Chris­tian Bale.

King Kong, direc­ted by Lord of the Rings film-maker Peter Jack­son, and and Ste­ven Spielberg’s ver­sion of The War of the Worlds are also expec­ted to prove popular.”