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Even superheroes couldn't save Hollywood this summer, said Frank Pallotta at CNN. "Despite strong showings from Wonder Woman and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," the movie industry suffered its worst summer season in two decades, pulling in $3.83 billion in the U.S., down more than 14 percent from the same period last year, thanks to big-budget flops like Pirates of the Caribbean 5 and Transformers: the Last Knight. Adjusted for inflation, it's the worst domestic box office take since 1997, when the top films were Men in Black and The Lost World: Jurassic Park. "And the number of actual tickets sold this summer paints a bleaker picture," said Ryan Faughnder at the Los Angeles Times. Total theater admissions will likely end up around 425 million, the lowest figure since 1992. "No one can fully explain" why Americans aren't buying movie tickets the way they used to. Maybe it's sequel fatigue, or the fact that ticket prices hit a record high in the second quarter, at $8.95 per ticket. Consumers also have more entertainment choices than ever, including buzzy, original TV shows on streaming services such as Netflix and HBO NOW. "How about all of the above?"
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