For a long time it seemed as if 2016 would be one of the key years in which movie theatre attendance would substantially grow. Though blockbuster films are still pulling in massive amounts of money, it's no secret that fewer people are going to the cinema than before. In 2014, for example, around 1.26 billion cinema tickets were purchased. A lot? Sure, but it's still the lowest number of sales since 1995. The drop between 2013 and 2014 was about 5%. It's clear the industry is experiencing something of a flux right now. Though it's too soon for any solid information on 2015, there were two films that analysts hung 2016's supposed boom on: Star Wars Episode VIII and Avatar 2. As it turns out, these films won't be hitting screens after all, dealing a huge blow to 2016's potential box office figures. Despite the usual abundance of superhero and non-superhero blockbusters, an analysis featured on the website Deadline predicts that the absence of these two titles, coupled with ever-increasing ticket prices and the rapidly expanding popularity of streaming services will see a further drop in overall box office sales in 2016. Should film fans be concerned? Well, maybe. If you want to watch the same, safe blockbusters year after year than no, but the drop in box office revenue makes it increasingly difficult for directors to make anything, well...unique or interesting.
