Big Cinema has always been a great way for movie companies to make money. They release blockbusters - large budget films with even larger expectations. For years those expectations were largely met with few disappointments but it seems that things just might be changing based on current trends. Well nothing lasts forever.

If you look at the top performing movies in terms of revenue this year many have been box office bombs. They were movies produced at huge budgets that have failed to live up to the expectations of their investors and producers. There are exceptions of course, but that has largely been the case. Movies costing between $200-300 Million in production are raking in revenues far below expectations. Needless to say the whole industry seems to have eaten a bit of humble pie.

Shifting Trend

There is also the case of a looming geographic shift or at least a reliagnment of some sorts. For decades the top movie companies came from the USA and the biggest movies were promoted by the U.S box office, leading to global success. Of course there are always exceptions like the Harry Potter movies but my point largely holds.

Now we are seeing a rather dramatic surge of Asian movies 'taking over' box office. This is especially true about animated movies. They are insanely popular in their domestic territories and become internationally accepted due to great visuals and surprisingly good storytelling. The Asian diaspora may also play a significant role in an Asian originating film's international success.

The Problem

It doesn't take much thinking to understand why the big movie companies in the U.S seem to be falling short. For one there is a great death of original and compelling storytelling. Most of what we see is just recycled or regurgitated stories repackaged for a modern audience.

The reliance on the 'wow factor' or big budgets to present a mediocre story seems to be wearing off. Like it or not, word is mouth is still one of the most effective ways to score at box office and when the audience isn't feeling it, they're going to let their friends know.

We can't also ignore the fact that movies these days are heavily Laden with socio-political and cultural issues which I believe many people are simply tired off. Sometimes people just want to enjoy a movie that makes them feel good, not hear lessons or feel guilty for something they directly or indirectly did or failed to do.

Conclusion

Well I haven't watched any of the top grossing films this year at box office, so there may also be more to it. Things are certainly changing. It will be interesting to see what the big movie companies do to stem the tide over the coming years.