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| Why is 2015 such a blockbuster year for film? | Why is 2015 such a blockbuster year for film? |
| (3 days later) | |
| Jurassic World has been smashing box-office records. On Monday it became the fastest film to make $1bn at the global box office - a feat that took just 13 days - and $511m of that came in its opening weekend, making it the highest global opener ever. | Jurassic World has been smashing box-office records. On Monday it became the fastest film to make $1bn at the global box office - a feat that took just 13 days - and $511m of that came in its opening weekend, making it the highest global opener ever. |
| "Jurassic World took everyone by surprise," says Keith Simanton, senior film editor at the Internet Movie Data Base (IMDb). | |
| "Universal estimated that it was going to make half what it did domestically. For it to end up where it did took almost everyone unawares." | "Universal estimated that it was going to make half what it did domestically. For it to end up where it did took almost everyone unawares." |
| It's been a phenomenal six months for blockbusters, with Avengers; Age of Ultron and Fast and Furious 7 also breaking the $1bn barrier - an achievement that was almost unheard of until a few years ago. | It's been a phenomenal six months for blockbusters, with Avengers; Age of Ultron and Fast and Furious 7 also breaking the $1bn barrier - an achievement that was almost unheard of until a few years ago. |
| Why is 2015 proving such a blockbuster year for film? | Why is 2015 proving such a blockbuster year for film? |
| One obvious reason is inflation. | One obvious reason is inflation. |
| The average US cinema ticket costs $8.17. That's almost double what it would have cost to see the first of the Jurassic series, Jurassic Park, on its release in 1993. | The average US cinema ticket costs $8.17. That's almost double what it would have cost to see the first of the Jurassic series, Jurassic Park, on its release in 1993. |
| Adjusting for inflation, Jurassic World was actually only the third-biggest film, in terms of box office takings on its opening weekend, according to movie budget experts at the-numbers.com. | Adjusting for inflation, Jurassic World was actually only the third-biggest film, in terms of box office takings on its opening weekend, according to movie budget experts at the-numbers.com. |
| In second place is Spider-Man 3, which took $382m internationally when it opened in 2007, the equivalent of about $543m today. | In second place is Spider-Man 3, which took $382m internationally when it opened in 2007, the equivalent of about $543m today. |
| The top spot goes to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2. This, the final Potter film, took $483m in its opening weekend in 2011, equivalent to $554m today. | The top spot goes to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2. This, the final Potter film, took $483m in its opening weekend in 2011, equivalent to $554m today. |
| Cloned dinosaurs | Cloned dinosaurs |
| It's notable that none of the top 10 are original films. | It's notable that none of the top 10 are original films. |
| "I think you might see a pattern here. We've got sequels and reboots and re-imaginings," says Simanton. "People are going to see 'event' films, and they certainly saw Jurassic World harking back to a franchise that people really loved." | |
| He says the popularity of sequels is a big influence on creative decisions in Hollywood. | He says the popularity of sequels is a big influence on creative decisions in Hollywood. |
| "Studios tend to put their massive production budgets behind things they feel are safe. When you've got a well known, established franchise, you may not even do that well domestically in North America, but you're definitely going to repay your investors internationally." | "Studios tend to put their massive production budgets behind things they feel are safe. When you've got a well known, established franchise, you may not even do that well domestically in North America, but you're definitely going to repay your investors internationally." |
| Jurassic World: The secret of its success | Jurassic World: The secret of its success |
| Inflation is only part of the story, however. | Inflation is only part of the story, however. |
| Fast and Furious 7, which recently became the third most successful film of all time (without adjusting for inflation), illustrates another factor behind the recent spate of box office records. | Fast and Furious 7, which recently became the third most successful film of all time (without adjusting for inflation), illustrates another factor behind the recent spate of box office records. |
| The previous film in the franchise, Fast and Furious 6, did well, making nearly $800m, but 7 has made almost twice that, thanks in part to its huge success outside the US. | The previous film in the franchise, Fast and Furious 6, did well, making nearly $800m, but 7 has made almost twice that, thanks in part to its huge success outside the US. |
| Fast and Furious 7 did a bit better in America making about $100m more than Fast and Furious 6. But international sales were half a billion dollars better. | Fast and Furious 7 did a bit better in America making about $100m more than Fast and Furious 6. But international sales were half a billion dollars better. |
| So where are all these tickets being bought? | So where are all these tickets being bought? |
| "China is this massive market that loves both their domestic product and are voracious consumers of Hollywood movies," says Simanton. | |
| "If you look at Furious 7, of their estimated $910m foreign box office total, 26.4% of that came from China. And that pattern seems to hold up. Of [Jurassic World's] current total, 31.5% of that take is in China." | "If you look at Furious 7, of their estimated $910m foreign box office total, 26.4% of that came from China. And that pattern seems to hold up. Of [Jurassic World's] current total, 31.5% of that take is in China." |
| It used to be difficult to get foreign films screened in China at all, but in 2012 the Chinese government expanded its quota, and cinemas now show 60-70 each year. | It used to be difficult to get foreign films screened in China at all, but in 2012 the Chinese government expanded its quota, and cinemas now show 60-70 each year. |
| Hollywood is responding by making more films that cater to Chinese taste. Universal Pictures has begun production on The Great Wall, a fantasy film set in China, directed by Zhang Yimou and co-starring the American actor Matt Damon and Andy Lau, an actor from Hong Kong. | Hollywood is responding by making more films that cater to Chinese taste. Universal Pictures has begun production on The Great Wall, a fantasy film set in China, directed by Zhang Yimou and co-starring the American actor Matt Damon and Andy Lau, an actor from Hong Kong. |
| It's one of an increasing number of cinematic links between the US and China, says Kevin Ma, who writes about the Chinese movie market for Film Business Asia. | It's one of an increasing number of cinematic links between the US and China, says Kevin Ma, who writes about the Chinese movie market for Film Business Asia. |
| "You also see China Film Group's name in both Fast and Furious and Jurassic World. They were co-producers on those films. And of course last year they shot a lot of the new Transformers film in China. There's a very clear attempt at trying to court the Chinese audience by Hollywood studios." | "You also see China Film Group's name in both Fast and Furious and Jurassic World. They were co-producers on those films. And of course last year they shot a lot of the new Transformers film in China. There's a very clear attempt at trying to court the Chinese audience by Hollywood studios." |
| There is another important factor affecting box office records too, and this is the increasing number of films released in 3D and Imax formats. Cinema-goers pay more for these screenings, and they encourage bigger audiences because they are an "event" - an experience viewers cannot have at home. When China expanded the quota for foreign movies in 2012 it was specifically for these special format films, Ma notes. | There is another important factor affecting box office records too, and this is the increasing number of films released in 3D and Imax formats. Cinema-goers pay more for these screenings, and they encourage bigger audiences because they are an "event" - an experience viewers cannot have at home. When China expanded the quota for foreign movies in 2012 it was specifically for these special format films, Ma notes. |
| The Chinese market is only going to become more important as time goes on. | The Chinese market is only going to become more important as time goes on. |
| In 2014, Chinese cinema-goers spent almost $5bn on tickets. It was a record amount - about a third more than the year before. The accountancy firm Ernst & Young predicts that in just five years China will overtake the US and become the biggest film market in the world. | In 2014, Chinese cinema-goers spent almost $5bn on tickets. It was a record amount - about a third more than the year before. The accountancy firm Ernst & Young predicts that in just five years China will overtake the US and become the biggest film market in the world. |
| Listen to More or Less on BBC Radio 4 and the World Service, or download the free podcast. | Listen to More or Less on BBC Radio 4 and the World Service, or download the free podcast. |
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