Summary
After two consecutive record-breaking years at the domestic box office, 2017 was the year the momentum slowed -- even with the late adrenaline boost of a new "Star Wars" film.
Looked at another way, it's also likely to be the third highest grossing year in cinema history.
Experts and insiders are somewhat divided on what this might mean for the current state and future of movie going and whether it is reason for alarm or just part of the natural ebb and flow of business.
If the movies are good, audiences will turn out.
Warner Bros. followed in second with 18.9 percent of the market share, and over $2 billion thanks to films like "Wonder Woman," "It," "Dunkirk" and even "Justice League," which underperformed domestically with $223.2 million. The studio also had its best worldwide year ever with around $5 billion in grosses.
Jeff Bock, a senior box office analyst for Exhibitor Relations, says movies can't compete.
For Bock, it comes back to quality.
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