Statistics prove that movie theaters have declined in popularity and numerous blockbusters fail to attract audiences. 2024 has been a slow year for theaters, with in-person movie theater viewing decreasing in popularity since the beginning of the pandemic.
According to the Wall Street Journal, before the COVID-19 global shutdown, domestic box office sales averaged around $7 million between 2015 and 2019. Following the pandemic, domestic sales for 2024 were at a low of $4.8 million.
Ohio University students said they found themselves going to the movie theater less in 2024 than they had in 2023.
Madi Baldwin, a sophomore studying marketing, said she “(doesn’t) do it as often now that (she’s) away from home.”
Carli Rettig, a junior studying literature, said she was “a lot better about (attending the movie theater) last year.”
The decline in movie-goers results from several different reasons. For starters, movies have become cheaper to consume at home. Tickets to in-person establishments average at around $8, while a subscription to major platforms such as Netflix or Prime averages $16 a month for significantly more content.
Movie audiences share this sentiment. In 2019 around 55% of audiences preferred watching movies in theaters vs 45% at home. In 2024, 65% of audiences preferred at-home viewing.
Movies have not been able to draw people to the theaters either, as more blockbuster movies have been performing poorly in domestic theaters in comparison to past years.
In the top 50 highest-grossing films of all time, 14 movies fell before the pandemic between 2018 and 2019 and only 4 movies fell between 2023 and 2024.
Marisa Vihtelic, a freshman studying pre-veterinary, said viewers make a conscious choice to visit a theater.
“It definitely depends on how excited I am for the movie, like with ‘Bottoms’ I saw it opening day,” Vihtelic said. “If it's something that I'm excited for but I can wait to watch, then I'll wait.”
Vihtelic said a blockbuster worth venturing out to the theaters for has to have “an interesting plot, (and) interesting, well-rounded characters.”
Rettig said a good blockbuster must have good cinematography, writing, “knowledgeable directors” and “reputable reviews” as well in order for her to see it in theaters.
“But, if it's just pure fan service or something like that, I don't really have any interest in it,” Rettig said.
Audiences have found a large sum of 2023 and 2024 movies missing these key components. The 2024 movie “Joker: Folie à Deux,” starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, grossed $40 million upon opening on its $200 million budget.
Rettig said the source of her disinterest in the second “Joker” film is due to its reputation.
“I've heard it's bad, for one thing, and I really didn’t like the first one, so that’s just not something I’m interested in,” Rettig said. “And I don't have any respect for the lead actor, Joaquin Phoenix.”
“Joker: Folie à Deux” has earned a 33% rating on Rotten Tomatoes amid other poor reviews. On Letterboxd, user CinemaJoe stated the movie “actively chooses to be uninteresting and dull.”
The most recent “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” (2023), 13th most expensive movie ever made, fell victim to a similar incident of a large-scale blockbuster failing in sales. The movie earned less in theaters than it cost to produce and resulted in a net loss of $134.2 million, according to Forbes.
2023 saw a surplus of failing movies that ended up with a net loss. “The Marvels,” “The Flash,” “Wish,” and "Haunted Mansion" all earned less than the production costs.
Three major blockbuster films did succeed in 2024: “Dune: Part Two,” “Inside Out 2,” and “Deadpool & Wolverine.” However, this pales in comparison to pre-pandemic years of blockbuster success.
The failure of blockbusters come from users being dissatisfied with the unoriginal concepts and excessive advertising that come with large productions.
For some, like Madi Baldwin, it’s the increase of sequels and repeated concepts.
“A lot of movies are biopics, sequels, (it’s) the same thing,” Baldwin said.
