America's box office is fighting for a comeback $.$ A Hollywood ending still seems far off. Young audiences haven't returned to the movies in earnest since Covid, the number of screens in the U$.$S$.$ is waning and it takes smash hits on IMAX$-$scale screens to sell tickets. Plus, Americans are evermore comfortable watching movies at home. The stakes for the industry are particularly high during the summer season $,$ which typically makes up some $40\%$ of domestic ticket sales in a given year. There have been fewer wide releases$$movies opening or eventually playing in $2,000$ or more theaters$$out this year. Just $54$ wide$-$release films have been released so far in $2024,$ which is about $80\%$ of the average number by this point in prepandemic years. The number of screens in the U$.$S$.$ has contracted in recent years as studios have struggled to rebuild consumers' moviegoing muscle. Theater screens globally have expanded since $2020,$ though worldwide growth was roughly flat last year, according to research firm Omdia. To attract customers, theaters have begun offering novelty perks such as special popcorn buckets, in$-$theater playgrounds and cocktail bars. Others are trying to make moviegoing logistics as easy as possible with order$-$ahead concessions. When customers do go to movies, they increasingly prefer $"$ premium large format $"$ and IMAX screens, both of which now account for a larger share of box$-$office sales than they did before the pandemic. White audiences, who long made up the greatest portion of the moviegoing population, have been slow to return to theaters. Hispanic audiences, meanwhile, account for a growing percentage of movie ticket buyers. Young people$$those $18$ to $34$ that were regular moviegoers before the pandemic$$have proved harder to win back. As more consumers opt to watch movies from home, some studios have shortened the time between theatrical releases and when movies are available for at$-$home rental. For many families, spending $$20$ to rent a new movie at home is cheaper than a theater outing. More films are being made available to consumers at home for the first time via so$-$called premium rentals, rather than via streaming services. $1.$ What does the term $$box$-$office sales$$ mean? $2.$ Describe a movie theater$$s business model and explain how theaters make money as well as the expenses they must bear. $3.$ Briefly summarize at least three trends that are currently taking place with respect to the domestic movie industry. $4.$ Briefly describe and critically evaluate the strategies that movie producers and movie theater owners have used to$-$date to generate more box$-$office revenues.

What does the term $$box$-$office sales$$ mean?

Describe a movie theater$$s business model and explain how theaters make money as well as the expenses they must bear.

Briefly summarize at least three trends that are currently taking place with respect to the domestic movie industry.

Briefly describe and critically evaluate the strategies that movie producers and movie theater owners have used to$-$date to generate more box$-$office revenues.