However, the increase in box office revenue cannot conceal the declining trend in today's film industry. For example, last year, American film distributors released only 558 new films, compared to 633 in 2008 and the past three years, representing a decline of around 12%.
In 2008, global box office revenue reached $27.8 billion, which was considered a historical high. However, this record was quickly broken in 2009 when global box office revenue reached $29.9 billion. In terms of regional distribution of box office revenue, the United States and Canada accounted for $10.6 billion, or 36% of global box office revenue. The growth rate of box office revenue in the Asia-Pacific region was also quite remarkable, accounting for 12.3% of global box office revenue in 2009. Among these, China and Japan contributed $7.7 billion in box office revenue.
The Motion Picture Association of America stated that the success of box office revenue in 2009 was due to the popularity of 3D films. Taking North American box office revenue as an example, there were a total of 20 3D films released last year, including the globally popular "Avatar" and "Up." The revenue from 3D films was $1.14 billion, accounting for 11% of the $10.6 billion generated by 558 2D films.
Additionally, according to statistics, there are now 8,989 3D screens globally, accounting for about 60% of all movie screens worldwide. In the United States and Canada, the number of 3D screens increased from 1,514 in 2008 to 3,548, while other regions saw an increase from 1,029 to 5,441.
Our newspaper reports that according to the Motion Picture Association of America, global box office revenue in 2009 set a record at $29.9 billion, an increase of 7.6% compared to $27.8 billion in 2008. Furthermore, in this box office revenue statistic, China and Japan contributed $7.7 billion.