Global Box Office Reaches Historic High in 2006

- Planet Bollywood Special Correspondant           Let us know what you think about this article

Global film audiences boosted the worldwide box office to an all-time high of $25.8 billion, compared to 23.3 billion in 2005 - an 11% increase.

"Last year film audiences around the world demonstrated through strong ticket sales that they love going to the movies," said Dan Glickman, Chairman and CEO of the MPAA.* "Technologies are emerging at a fast pace challenging our industry – filmmakers and exhibitors alike – to work harder and smarter to keep moviegoers coming back for more and I think we are well on our way."

In 2006, 63 films grossed more than $50 million at the box office, a 12.5%increase from the previous year, and one film (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest) exceeded the $400 million mark.

In India, 2006 first quarter saw the average collections per print of Mumbai films at around 7.5 million in revenues. According to Mr. Chander M. Lall, All India Legal Counsel for the MPA, "The number of new movies released has been steadily growing over the last several years with total releases topping another all time high of 607 in 2006, compared to 549 in 2005, an 11% increase. Theatrical and digital technology is perking up at a fast rate, thereby making the movie industry boom even more."

Consistent with 2005 figures, PG-13 films comprised the majority of top grossing films for the industry, with PG and PG-13 films accounting for 85% of the top 20 films of 2006. The overall cost for MPAA member companies to make and market a major motion picture in 2006 remained essentially flat at $100.3 million – a 0.6% increase from 2005; a decrease in marketing costs offset a slight increase in production costs. Member companies also focused more of their marketing dollars on non-traditional media and spent almost as much on on-line/Internet advertising per film as they did on movie trailers.

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