Worst Box Office Weekend Since 2008

The weeks before Christmas are always difficult days for movie theaters. But the Dec. 12th, 2011 Hollywood Reporter reports that Hollywood execs weren't prepared for the disappointing numbers from the weekend of Dec. 9-11, 2011: With an overall $78 million in domestic box office revenue - the second weekend of December 2011 posted the lowest box-office numbers since September 2008, when revenues only reached $68 million over the Sept. 5-7 weekend.

What's notable about the Dec. 9-11 frame in 2011 is that the price of admissions is up. A movie ticket that cost under $7 in 2008 now costs well over $8. So the box-office numbers actually hide a deeper dip in attendance.

And this despite the presence of a new star-studded picture: New Year's Eve (from Warner Bros. and New Line) was expected to earn "$20 million or more in its opening. The pic's cast includes Michelle Pfeiffer, Zac Efron, Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Heigl, Lea Michele, Robert De Niro, Josh Duhamel, Halle Berry, Abigail Breslin, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Hilary Swank and Seth Meyers." Instead New Year's Eve landed with a thud - grossing only $13.7 million.