Attendances in Hollywood take a dive in 2010
LAST year proved a disappointing year for Hollywood, when higher prices for 3D movies failed to offset a decline in attendance.
The number of tickets sold in 2010 slid about 5.4 per cent from 2009, according to box office analysts at Hollywood.com. It marked the biggest percentage drop since 2005 when attendance tumbled 8.1 per cent.
Overall ticket sales were flat at about $10.6bn (£6.85bn), marking the first time since 2008 that sales failed to improve upon the previous year, Hollywood.com said.
Studios charged moviegoers an extra few dollars to see films in 3D ranging from the hit “Alice in Wonderland” to the bomb “Piranha.”
But fans and critics carped that the picture quality for some 3D movies did not justify the premium pricing, while parents faced an even steeper tab for a family outing.
All three of the 3D movies in the weekend top 10 — Tron: Legacy, Yogi Bear and Disney’s Rapunzel cartoon Tangled — were aimed at families, although only Tangled is a big hit with sales to date of $168m.
Tron: Legacy, a sci-fi reboot also starring Bridges, has earned $130.9 m after three weekends but it cost about $170m to make.