Blockbuster films propel US, Canadian box office to a record $11B in 2015

By The Associated Press
December 30 2015 05:29 AM

CP35842338 — In this image released by Universal Pictures, Bryce Dallas Howard, from left, Chris Pratt, Nick Robinson and Ty Simpkins appear in a scene from the blockbuster hit, "Jurassic World." Box-office tracker Rentrak said Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2015, that the industry has already reached the benchmark and is expected to end the year with an unprecedented 1.1 billion in ticket sales in the U.S. and Canada. Opening in June, “Jurassic World” scored the biggest debut weekend ever, until it was bested this month by “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” (Universal Pictures via AP)

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – It’s been a record-breaking, $11 billion year at the movies.

Box-office tracker Rentrak said Tuesday that the industry has already reached the benchmark and is expected to end the year with an unprecedented $11.1 billion in ticket sales in the U.S. and Canada.

The previous record of $10.9 billion was set in 2013.

This year heralded numerous record-breaking releases, including “Fifty Shades of Grey,” which set a record for February opening-weekend attendance, and “Furious 7” did the same in April. Opening in June, “Jurassic World” scored the biggest debut weekend ever, until it was bested this month by “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”

“Hollywood built the perfect box office beast in 2015, with one hit movie after the next,” said Rentrak analyst Paul Dergarabedian in a statement.

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