With a record $4 billion in ticket sales, the summer of 2007 has made many in Hollywood smile from ear to ear. Just over a year ago, the reaction could not have been any different; with some claiming a decrease in attendance was caused by home theater systems, iPods, and videogames. So why the sudden turnaround? It couldn’t possibly be because the movies were better, right? Variety proposes several different reasons, one of which is the weather. From the article,

“Is global warming good for Hollywood? Extreme heat and heavy rain across large swaths of the U.S. sent more people to theaters, looking for relief. The onset of the extreme weather — record-breaking temperatures in the western U.S., rain up and down the Eastern seaboard, the Midwest and Texas — started at the end of June, just as the box office was starting to see a bump. “You went from dreadful heat to downpours,” Snyder says. “Historically, we’ve seen a bounce in grosses when the weather is bad. Also, when kids can’t go outside, and make their parents nuts, they send them to the movies.”

Saying global warming is a contributing cause to movie attendance is a wild piece of conjecture, but we won’t deny the West went through some pretty nasty conditions this summer. I’m sure swimming pools, malls, and other last resorts of cooling comfort saw increases in attendance as well. If we start seeing more stars eschewing hybrids in favor of Hummers though, we’ll start to wonder if there’s a connection here…

Hit Variety for some of the other potential reasons behind the Box Office “Bump”. 

Categories: Film/TV.

About Michael dEstries

Michael has been blogging since 2005 on issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, philanthropy, and healthy living. He regularly contributes to a slew of publications, as well as consulting with companies looking to make an impact using the web and social media. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his family on an apple farm.

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