The big-screen returns of Captain Jack Sparrow, Superman, Wolverine, James Bond and, yes, Rocky Balboa, all contributed mightily to Hollywood’s comeback year at the box office, the Los Angeles Daily News reports.
By year’s end, revenue is expected to reach $9.3 billion – short of 2004’s record $9.4 billion but comfortably ahead of last year’s dismal numbers that led to widespread speculation over whether the movie business had permanently lost its way.
But a successful Christmas weekend that included strong debuts for the comedy “Night at the Museum” and the musical “Dreamgirls” was representative of a year in which moviegoers seemed far more satisfied with their choices.
Last year’s domestic box office total of $8.9 billion marked the first time since 2001 that overall grosses fell below $9 billion and included a rather dubious record: 19 consecutive weekends of grosses that fell below the totals of the same weekend a year earlier.
