Theater grosses vs. movie popularity

[MrMoody]

If you think about it, gross theater receipts are a pretty poor way of measuring a movie's popularity. After all, ticket prices go up every year, so any new movie has an unfair advantage over older ones.

A better way is to compare by tickets sold.

Looked at this way, Episode III is currently #62 at 56.1 million US tickets. A few select titles that are still ahead of it:

(millions of tickets sold in US)
Smokey & The Bandit 56.8
The Towering Inferno 61.4
Blazing Saddles 63.2
Airport 66.1
Beverly Hills Cop 67.2
Home Alone 67.7
The Exorcist 110.6
Jaws 128.1
Titanic 128.3

Episode I and Titanic are the only two movies from the last 10 years that even made the top 20. The original Star Wars is #2 at 178.1 million, and #1 is Gone With The Wind at 202.0 million, a record which will probably never fall and an astounding number considering the population of the US was only 130.9 million when it was released. Of course movies were regularly re-released until the 1980s when the advent of home video rentals made it mostly pointless.

[yoda313]

Hi,

I think the better way to judge a movies TRUE popularity is the HOME VIDEO market. Look at the dvd releases. Hell even FAMILY GUY made it back on the air because the DVD box sets went through the roof. Didn't the same thing happen to FUTURAMA??

The original STAR WARS TRILOGY DVDs sold like 100 million copies or some outlandish number. That speaks volumes right there.

Kevin

[MrMoody]

The number you're remembering is 100 million dollars in first day sales, which equates to a number of copies in the 7-digits. It seems the studios won't admit to total DVD sale numbers, because then they might have to actually pay the people who are supposed to earn residuals etc. People wouldn't buy their poor, broke studios tales any more.

[lordsmurf]

This is something I've long called "bullshit" on when somebody says "it's the best movie ever because it made the most money". So flawed.

[waheed]

Just because someone goes to the theatres to watch a movie doesn't mean its a good movie.

How many times have you been to theatres and ended up hating the movie.

[stryker]

After all, ticket prices go up every year, so any new movie has an unfair advantage over older ones.

Well, the competition for the consumer's entertainment dollars were few back then. So the older movies had the unfair advantage in that regard. These days, you have more choices, meaning less people in the theaters.

[thecoalman]

Well, the competition for the consumer's entertainment dollars were few back then. So the older movies had the unfair advantage in that regard. These days, you have more choices, meaning less people in the theaters.

That's true but it also didn't take the average person half a damn day to make enough to go see a flick. Last time I went to the local theatre it cost me $35 for 3 people between the tickets and the obligatory tub-o-pop corn with soda's. If I remeber correctly about $24 of that was the cost of the tickets. It was the last time I went.

[ukb007]

There are two methods suggested in the posts above, of assessing the popularity of a movie:

1. By number of theatre ticket sales (MrMoody)
2. By Number of DVDs sold (yoda313)

The statistically inclined ones might make an index of popularity by combining these two with appropriate weightages...

Thanks.

[Conquest10]

Futurama is coming back?

[CuCuy]

Futurama is coming back?

Sadly, no. I wish I was wrong.

[stryker]

From "Riding Sun" website-

"Monday, May 23, 2005
YES! Fox may be bringing back Futurama!
Great news, everyone!

According to this post on Can't Get Enough Futurama, and this one on lead actor Billy West's own website, Fox is considering making new Futurama episodes or full-length movies.

Futurama had a few rough episodes early on, but by the time Fox foolishly yanked it off the air, it was far more entertaining than watching the once-great Simpsons go through the motions for yet another season.

Now, having learned from the success of Family Guy, which it brought back to TV after DVD sales went through the roof, Fox is looking to see what other hit shows it cancelled before their time. According to Billy himself, Futurama won't be coming back to broadcast television, but new direct-to-DVD episodes or movie-length features may be in the works soon:

Well, I spoke to [executive producer] David X. Cohen because we did promos for a new Futurama compilation and he said that they did have talks with the top guys at FOX and they were extremely impressed with the sales of the Futurama DVDs. The idea was to make a Futurama movie right to DVD and then a 2nd and a 3rd. That's what's being discussed. Fox is trying to figure out a budget for the whole project, and it sounded like David X. was very jazzed!

I would love more than anything to do that show again. I thought it was best experience on every level...creatively, voice-wise, writing, animation and the laughs. The laughs. Writers and performers that respected each other. No derelict genius looking down the barrel of his own complacency wrecking everything in his wake.

Wouldn't it be nice?

Hear, hear, Billy. Can't wait to see Amy Wong in some new outfits."

http://ridingsun.blogspot.com/2005/05/yes-fox-may-be-bringing-back-futurama.html

[MackemX]

where's this list you got the data from for these ticket sales figures?

I've always said the one on IMDB is misleading due to the difference in prices. Jaws & Titanic are roughly the same attendance yet Titanic raked in $600 million compared to Jaws $260 million. Obviously piracy will be affecting the cinema attendance figures slightly more these days, though not as much as the studios make out, as well as the cost if you are paying for a family etc. As mentioned even the option of getting it on DVD etc affects ticket sales somehow

then again, it's all about money to the fat cats these days isn't it?, so that's why it's the gross figures that are mostly mentioned

The original STAR WARS TRILOGY DVDs sold like 100 million copies or some outlandish number. That speaks volumes right there.

How many did you buy then Yoda?

[yoda313]

Hi,

Just one Mackemx

Though I have three versions of the vhs trilogy. I have the original original trilogy (full screen ). I have the first release full screen Special Edition. I also have the widescreen second release special edition that came out in 2000.

Kevin

[CuCuy]

From "Riding Sun" website-

"Monday, May 23, 2005
YES! Fox may be bringing back Futurama!
Great news, everyone!

This is great news indeed! Thanks for the info.


Way off topic(from the thread), I love the pick up line the robot spits out at the candied heart factory, "heaven must be missing an angel, because you've got great cans". I think about that all the time and laugh my ass off.

[MrMoody]

My numbers are from Box Office Mojo's list, which is based on average ticket price at the time the grosses were earned.

Ep. III has now climbed to #59 and has pulled ahead of Smokey and the Bandit.

[ChrisX]

Just because someone goes to the theatres to watch a movie doesn't mean its a good movie.

Is Mr. & Mrs. Smith any good?

How many times have you been to theatres and ended up hating the movie.

This is why I rarely go to the cinemas and a good reason to view it at home.

[MackemX]

@MrMoody, stat overload