Transformers Will Soon Rule World Box Office

Ticket sales were down, and these movies help explain why

(NEWSER) - This was not a banner year for Hollywood, with domestic box office revenue down 4%, breaking a string of record highs. These films were part of the reason why. The Hollywood Reporter compiled a list of 2011's biggest flops, and there were some doozies—we've listed some of the standouts below. As you're looking at the numbers, remember that grosses are split with theaters, and that the budgets don't include marketing, so films that appear to have broken even are actually big losers. More»

High prices and few choices don't help: Roger Ebert

(NEWSER) - News that movie theaters had lackluster revenue in 2011 didn’t surprise Roger Ebert. He ticks off a list of the reasons why at his blog , including the lack of an Avatar-like blockbuster and usual suspects like too-high prices for tickets and refreshments. But also:

• Distractions: Loud talkers and people using their cell phones (with their bright screens) to text are getting out of hand.

'Muppets' hit No. 2 with $42M

(NEWSER) - Breaking Dawn was busily sucking the life out of the box office for a second weekend, taking in another $62.3 million between Wednesday and today. That performance brings its total to $221.3 million, reports the LA Times. But Twilight wasn't the only draw at the box office, with The Muppets pulling in a hefty $42 million over the holiday weekend. Arthur Christmas took third place with $17 million; Hugo grabbed fourth with $15.4 million. More»

Twilight sequel easily beats Happy Feet Two

(NEWSER) - Bad reviews ? Ha! The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 1 sunk its teeth into the weekend box office, raking in $139.5 million and notching the fifth-best domestic opening ever, the Los Angeles Times reports. (Its only financial failing: missing the $142.8 million opening record set by the series' second installment, New Moon.) The only other major release this weekend, Happy Feet Two, trudged along in second place with a mere $22 million. More»

But Brad Pitt flick still biggest-opening baseball movie ever

(NEWSER) - Moneyball may have scored a homerun with critics , but at the end of the weekend the only number that mattered was 3D, as Disney's souped-up re-release of its 17-year-old The Lion King topped the box office for the second weekend in a row. The Lion King earned another $22.1 million over the weekend, thanks to strong matinees and a rainy Friday, bringing its release revenues to $61.6 million. More»