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LOS ANGELES — The 2023 box office is getting closer to pre-pandemic levels, but the performance of blockbuster features in the first six months of the year has been inconsistent, putting pressure on second-half releases.
According to data from Comscore, the domestic box office has generated $4.46 billion in ticket sales through June 30, which is nearly a 20% increase compared to the same period in 2022. However, it still falls behind 2019, the benchmark of the pre-pandemic era.
Ticket sales have declined by 21% compared to four years ago, and the number of wide releases has also decreased. In 2019, there were 57 films released in 2,000 theaters or more during the January to June 30 period. In 2023, there have been only 45 releases during the same period.
“It’s not a fair comparison to just look at the dollar figures,” said Mike Polydoros, CEO at PaperAirplane Media.
Quantity is also important. While blockbusters and franchise films can attract large audiences, a consistent flow of low-…
2023-07-04 07:00:01
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