2016 set to be record-breaking year for US box office

LAHORE: 2016 set to be a record-breaking year for US box office.

Sequels and spin-offs have been the trend through 2016, with Finding Dory, Captain America: Civil War and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story powering the box office to reach a new record in the US.

Ticket sales have crossed the $11 billion mark for the second consecutive year, reported Variety. The data analysis company ComScore projected that the stateside box office will hit $11.3 billion this year, passing 2015’s record-setting $11.1 billion.

PHOTO: FILE

Through Monday, stateside revenues were up more than 2% and this week is expected to be a busy one for movie-going. Many Americans are taking the seven days between Christmas and New Year’s off for vacation.



It’s a high-water mark that few thought would be eclipsed in 2016. There were fewer blockbusters like Jurassic World and Avengers: Age of Ultron this year. Moreover, many analysts felt that ticket sales would suffer from the absence of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which injected more than $900 million into the stateside box office.

Even without hits on that scale, 2016 delivered many major successes. Rogue One has dominated the Christmas box office. Deadpool, an R-rated comic book adaptation, was a surprise breakout last February, racking up $363.1 million. And though trade papers fretted about “sequelitis,” a phantom virus that had audiences rejecting franchises, follow-ups such as Captain America: Civil War and Finding Dory delivered at the multiplexes.



The box office also got a hand from superhero films such as Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and animated fare such as The Secret Life of Pets and Moana.

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