Avengers: Infinity War And Black Panther Helped 2018's Box Office Recover

It's no secret that theater attendance in the US has been steadily dropping over the past few years, as prices rise and the old-fashioned theatrical experience faces increased competition from streaming services. However, it has been reported that ticket sales rebounded in 2018, making it the most successful year for some time.

As reported by Variety, movie admissions rose by 5.5% on the previous year, to a total of 1.3 billion tickets sold. In terms of money, $11.85 was spent at the box office, which was a 6.9% rise on 2017. The figures come from the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO). The hugely successful movies that helped these numbers include Black Panther, Avengers Infinity War, and Incredibles II, all of which were made by Disney.

2017 was the worst year at the box office since 1995, with a number of high-profile movies underperforming, including the commercial failures Transformers: The Last Knight and The Mummy. Even though 2018 had a few disappointments--most notably the Star Wars spin-off Solo--the huge moneymakers were more than enough the push the figures high.

Overall ticket sales peaked in 2002, the year of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Spider-Man, and Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. There were 1.57 billion tickets sold that year, and while the subsequent two years saw a decline, these three consecutive years remain the highest over the past three decades.

While it is obviously too earlier to know how 2019 will pan out, there have already been some major successes. Aquaman opened at the end of December, and has made $307 million in the US so far; worldwide it is already the most successful DC movie of all time. Later this year, films such as Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Dark Phoenix, and Star Wars Episode IX will open, making it very possible that 2019 tops 2018's admissions.