Following reports of record-breaking second quarter box office earnings for movie theatres across the United States and Canada, several articles have hailed what is supposedly one of the hottest movie summers of the past 20 years. But is it really?
According to Box Office Mojo, a leading source of box office data, the 2018 movie summer is indeed one of the most lucrative ones since the turn of the century. As of July 10, domestic movie theaters had earned $2.66 billion during this year’s summer season (which traditionally begins on the first Friday in May and ends on Labor Day). That’s the third biggest haul at this point of the season since the year 2000. However, it doesn’t take inflation into account. When adjusting past years’ results to 2018 ticket prices, things look entirely different and the third-best summer since 2000 turns into the fourth-worst summer of the 21st century.
Please note that this is not meant to dispute the fact that the movie industry is having a decent year and arguably a better summer. It is only meant as a reminder that headlines involving any sort of box office record should be taken with a grain of salt.
