Labor Day is done, the summer box office season is now closed, and the numbers are abysmal.
The final revenue total for the box office from May 5 to Labor Day stands at $3.83 billion, making this summer the first since 2006 to finish below $4 billion. Compared to last summer, that total is 14.6 percent lower, tying summer 2014 for the biggest year-to-year drop for the season.
As for annual totals, after a strong start to the year that included the most profitable March ever, the weak summer has erased Q1 profits and put 2017 down six percent year-to-date. Starting this weekend, exhibitors will get a bailout with anticipated films like “It” and “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” on the September slate, but even if the last four months of 2017 can push annual revenue to more than $11 billion (just less than 2016 overall domestic grosses), attendance is still expected to hit a 25-year low at approximately 1.22 billion tickets sold.
If that happens, then this summer will have been a microcosm for the overall attendance crash. Based on the national average ticket price of $8.89, approximately 430 million tickets were sold this summer, according to Box Office Mojo. That’s by far the lowest since 1992, and while next summer should see a strong rebound with films like “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Deadpool 2” leading the slate, it’s likely to be only a minor rally in what has been a continuous decline in movie theater attendance over the past 12 years.
34 Fall Movies to Obsess Over, From 'Justice League' to 'Wonder' (Photos)
Coming in hot -- and in arguably much higher volume than this past summer -- are a slew of autumn movies to be psyched about this year. From Halloween-time horror to Oscar hopefuls, browse through for TheWrap's lengthy list of 34 fall movies worth obsessing over.
"IT" (Sept. 8)
This horror remake, based on the Stephen King book of the same name, has been at the top of our must-see list for a long while. Starring Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise the Clown, "It" will finally hit theaters on Sept. 8 (and scare the bejeezus out of all of us).
Initially shrouded in secrecy, this Darren Aronofsky thriller stars Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem as a couple whose relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home. The film also features performances from Michelle Pfeiffer and Ed Harris.
Paramount
"First They Killed My Father" (Sept. 15)
Angelina Jolie directs this film based on Loung Ung's memoir of the same name. It is the Cambodian author's personal account of her experiences during the Khmer Rouge era, from the late 1960s to the late 1990s -- when the communist group rose to power.
Netflix
"Kingsman: The Golden Circle" (Sept. 22)
The first "Kingsman" brought in more than $414 million worldwide. Now, its sequel sees protagonists of the spy series return, also welcoming new faces with Elton John and Channing Tatum.
Fox
"Victoria & Abdul" (Sept. 22)
Judi Dench stars as Queen Victoria in this fall drama, also featuring Ali Fazal as Abdul Karim, a young clerk who finds favor with the Queen herself.
Focus Features
"Battle of the Sexes" (Sept. 22)
Emma Stone and Steve Carell star in the film about the 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs.
Fox Searchlight
"American Made" (Sept. 29)
Tom Cruise in another action movie? Sign us up! In this one he plays a CIA agent intertwined in the birth of the Reagan-era Medellin drug cartel.
Universal
"Blade Runner 2049" (Oct. 6)
1982's "Blade Runner" underperformed when it first opened, but has since become a cult hit. Its long-coming sequel is highly anticipated -- and Ryan Gosling in the lead can't hurt, either. (Yes, Harrison Ford, star of the original, returns, too.)
Warner Bros.
"Florida Project" (Oct. 6)
This Cannes favorite follows six-year-old Moonee as she lives at a motel in Florida with her rebellious mother.
A24
"Goodbye Christopher Robin" (Oct. 13)
"Goodbye Christopher Robin" stars Margot Robbie and Domhnall Gleeson in a biographical account f A. A. Milne and his son, Christopher Robin, whose toys inspired Milne to write the book which became known as the Winnie the Pooh stories.
Fox Searchlight
"Happy Death Day" (Oct. 13)
Simply put: This movie just looks epic. A horror film a la "Groundhog Day," where a girl is stuck in a time loop and must find her killer -- who tries to murder her every. single. day.
Universal
"The Snowman" (Oct. 20)
Michael Fassbender plays detective Harry Hole in this thriller about a serial killer who murders women. It also stars Charlotte Gainsbourg and J.K. Simmons.
Universal
"Wonderstruck" (Oct. 20)
Todd Haynes' drama featuring two, intertwining stories about different children, set 50 years apart, has been highly anticipated among film buffs for a while, now.
Amazon Studios
"Suburbicon" (Oct. 27)
George Clooney directs this upcoming crime comedy, in which Matt Damon, Oscar Isaac and Julianne Moore star.
This coming-of-age drama stars Margaret Qualley and Dianna Agron and had its world premiere at Sundance. It follows a young nun in training who struggles with issues of faith and sexuality in the 1960s and marks Maggie Betts' narrative feature directorial debut.
Sony Pictures Classics
"Professor Marston & The Wonder Women" (Oct. 27)
A true story about the life of William Moulton Marston (Luke Evans), who created Wonder Woman in 1941, this film follows his wife and fellow inventor Elizabeth (Rebecca Hall). Bella Heathcote stars as Olive Byrne, a former student of Marston’s, with whom the married couple had a polyamorous relationship. The log line adds that Marston was the inventor of the lie detector and that the inspiration behind Wonder Woman was his wife and Byrne.
Annapurna
"Thor: Ragnarok" (Nov.3)
Marvel and Chris Hemsworth. Enough said. Oh, Queen Cate Blanchett stars as the villain and Tessa Thompson ("Creed," "Dear White People") has a part, too.
STX's "Bad Moms" received mixed reviews but ended up grossing $183 million worldwide, so a sequel was greenlit pretty quickly. The movie will star Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn again in the role of three mothers who bond together... again.
STX
"Murder on the Orient Express" (Nov. 10)
Johnny Depp, Judi Dench, Daisy Ridley, Josh Gad and Michelle Pfeiffer round out the stars in this remake based on an Agatha Christie novel.
Fox
"Justice League" (Nov. 17)
After the success of "Wonder Woman," we can hardly wait to see Gal Gadot kick a-- alongside Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Ray Fisher, Ezra Miller and Jason Momoa. How will the multiple rumors, reshoots and director switch-ups impact the movie? We'll all just have to flock to the theater to find out.
Warner Bros.
"Wonder" (Nov. 17)
If the trailer hasn't broken your heart, you have no soul. Plus, Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson and Jacob Tremblay star in this movie about Auggie Pullman, a boy with facial differences who enters fifth grade in a mainstream elementary school for the first time.
Lionsgate
"Molly's Game" (Nov. 22)
Jessica Chastain stars as Molly Bloom in Aaron Sorkin's directorial debut. Bloom was a former skier who found herself running the world’s biggest underground poker game at a young age. Bloom catered to Hollywood’s elite, which included hordes of famous actors and directors, as well as mobsters and business moguls.
STX
"Death Wish" (Nov. 22)
Eli Roth is directing the remake of 1974's "Death Wish," in which Bruce Willis stars as a New York man-turned-vigilante, looking to find his wife's killers. Plus, the last time we saw Willis was in -- SPOILER ALERT -- "Split."
MGM
"Coco" (Nov. 22)
“Coco” stars Anthony Gonzalez as Miguel, a Mexican boy who longs to be a musician like his idol and great-great-grandfather, Ernesto De La Cruz (Benjamin Bratt), despite his family’s ban on music. He gets whisked away to the Land of the Dead, where he meets a trickster named Hector (Gael Garcia Bernal) and uncovers the reason why his family no longer allows music. The film is written and directed by Lee Unkrich, who won an Oscar as director of "Toy Story 3."
Pixar
"The Current War" (Nov. 24)
This retelling of the rivalry between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Nicholas Hoult, Michael Shannon, Tom Holland and Katherine Waterston. Alfonso Gomez-Rejon directs the film, set in the late 1880s.
The Weinstein Company
"Call Me by Your Name" (Nov. 24)
After receiving rave reviews at Sundance earlier this year, the film starring Armie Hammer and Timothée Chalamet is finally heading for a Nov. 24 release. It follows an American teenager(Chalamet) living in Italy with his family. They take in a handsome American student (Hammer), who serves as an academic assistant. The two men fall into a sumptuous romance against the backdrop of the gorgeous Italian countryside.
Sony Pictures Classics
"The Disaster Artist" (Dec. 1)
A movie about one of the worst movies ever made? "The Disaster Artist" stars James Franco, who also directs and produces. It chronicles the making of Tommy Wiseau's 2003 cult film "The Room," and has been one of the most anticipated movies since it was announced in 2014.
A24
"Wonder Wheel" (Dec. 1)
Woody Allen is back with "Wonder Wheel," which stars Justin Timberlake, Kate Winslet, Juno Temple and Jim Belushi. It is set in the late 1950s at Coney Island. It's about a lifeguard who tells the story of a middle-aged carousel operator and his beleaguered wife.
Guillermo del Toro is back with yet another fantastical film. The gorgeous looking “The Shape of Water” tells the story of a mute janitor who befriends a mysterious sea creature being studied in a lab. It stars Michael Shannon, Doug Jones, Octavia Spencer and Sally Hawkins.
Do we really need to explain why you might be obsessed with this movie? After "The Force Awakens" became the third highest grossing film globally and the highest domestic grossing film, we can't wait to see what "The Last Jedi" brings to the table.
Although fans weren't too stoked about a remake of Robin Williams' "Jumanji," Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson squashed all fears by telling fans it won't be a reboot, but rather a continuation of the story. And let's be honest, we're all in when it comes to The Rock. It also stars Jack Black, Karen Gillan and Kevin Hart.
Footage shown at CinemaCon about this film -- starring Kristen Wiig and Matt Damon -- was met with excitement. It follows a couple as they decide to downsize -- literally, become smaller. It is written and directed by Alexander Payne, whose credits include "The Descendants."
David Ayer and Max Landis team up for "Bright," set in a world where mystical creatures live side-by-side with humans. Will Smith and Joel Edgerton star. The movie is highly anticipated among Ayer fans, since "Suicide Squad" kind of -- well -- bombed in the eyes of his devotees.
Hugh Jackman stars as P.T. Barnum — the man behind the game-changing Barnum & Bailey Circus -- in "The Greatest Showman." Footage of the movie, also starring Zendaya and Zac Efron, got a glowing response at CinemaCon earlier this year -- sure to round out a great slate for the fall movie season.
The season starts with ”It“ and ends with a bang in ”The Greatest Showman“
Coming in hot -- and in arguably much higher volume than this past summer -- are a slew of autumn movies to be psyched about this year. From Halloween-time horror to Oscar hopefuls, browse through for TheWrap's lengthy list of 34 fall movies worth obsessing over.
Warner Bros.
