Getty ImagesFor those of us living in large cities, heading toa movie theater is almost akin to placing a down payment on a house. Tickets for evening showings regularly exceed $15, and that's not even counting premium theaters or IMAX screens. A person has to save up just to see their favorite superhero on the big screen.
That's why the latest report on ticket prices from The Hollywood Reporter totally stunned us. According to new numbers, the current average cost of a movie is a mere $8.12. That's down from an average price of $8.30 in the fourth quarter of 2015.
According to the trade, it's not unusual for ticket prices to drop during the winter months, since there are usually fewer big-draw movies—especially compared to the onslaught of summer blockbusters. But this year's movie slate boasted quite a few impressive titles, like American Sniper and the first Fifty Shades of Grey installment, making the cost reduction extra unusual.
What's even more puzzling to us, however, is the fact that there are theaters in this country that are selling seats for eight dollars a ticket. Last we checked those are numbers more reminiscent of the early aughts. In our humble opinion, there's definitely an outside factor at work here that's bringing the average down quite a bit.
Either that or we've been going to the wrong theaters for years. If you've been to a theater recently with (gasp!) a good deal on movie tickets, let us know so we can get ourselves there, stat.