Hollywood’s Summer of Extremes: Megahits, Superflops and Little Else

The New York Times reports:

Sequel fatigue does not fully explain it. Nor does an overload of mega-budget event movies. A spate of terrible films? Yes, but that’s not entirely the explanation, either.

In a summer when studios suffered more misfires than ever, many of them supersized, Hollywood is scratching for answers, and some longtime movie executives are pointing toward a nuanced shift in consumer behavior.

For the first time since moviegoing became a staple of American life, an underappreciated revenue engine — ticket buyers who still trek to theaters more for the experience than for the movie itself — may finally be conking out.

“We’re in a situation where, if people don’t get excited about a specific movie and plan in advance to go to it, you may end up with literally no one,” said Adam Fogelson, the former chairman of Universal Pictures who now runs STX Entertainment’s film unit.

When movies do not seem worth the hassle, and there seem to be many more of those, there is less of a cushion for studios. Is it because the number of people just wandering in is dwindling?

The lack of excitement.