The industry keep saying that illegal downloading of movies gives money to criminals.
I don’t condone those illegal actions but cinemas are as much to blame as the people that buy or download these films.
Going to the cinema used to be a cheap night out but in recent years prices have steadily increased and exhibitors have seen 3D ad a way for them to increase them even further. How can they possibly justify the third extra they charge to watch a film in 3D ad there are no extra costs involved for them to screen a film in 3D. The glasses are three only extra costs bit they are often paid for by the distributor.
A family of four going to the cinema can cost over £100 if you add in the drinks and popcorn purchases which is similar to the going to the theatre.
Box office figures for films may be increasing but the audience numbers are dropping and they will drop more as people are priced out of going to the cinema.
With films now being released on DVD and VOD within three months of release people will often just wait and watch the films at home.
When films used to be released they used to play to pack out houses for days or weeks after release I’m sure you could walk into any cinema on a Monday/Tuesday or Thursday and the number. one film will be playing to a less than half empty cinema.
It’s in the interests of exhibitors to bring in as many people through the doors as where they make their real money is on the food sales. The profit they make on popcorn and soft drinks is far higher than they make on ticket sales.
Star Trek into Darkness opened this weekend to £8.4 million on paper that looking like an incredible opening with the studio quick to say that it was a 45% increase on the opening of Star Trek in 2009.
If you look deeper into the numbers they are not nearly as positive since 2009 ticket prices have increased more than 25% and if you then add the third extra that cinemas charge for 3D (over 50% of the ticket sales of Star Trek Into Darkness were for 3D) then that opening is far less in actual bums on seats than Star Trek in 2009.