Even if it feels like things are getting worse all the time, with Hollywood delivering an unholy crop of expensive flops amidst murmurs of cinema’s death in 2016, that may not be the case. At the very least, the American film industry isn’t in danger of collapsing any time soon — quite the opposite, in fact. If we’re to take the total sum of money generated by ticket sales in a given year as a barometer of the industry’s overall health, Tinseltown’s still as strong as an ox, Ben-hur remake or no.

Yesterday, The Hollywood Reporter made note of a significant showbiz milestone for 2016, or at least a projection thereof: In the next few days, the total box-office gross for the year is expected to hit $11.3 billion and eclipse 2015, setting a new record for biggest chunk of change in a calendar year. As of Monday, the number stood at $11.05 billion, but strong sales showings from SingLa La Land, and a little picture called Rogue One are expected to push 2016’s receipts over 2015’s $11.14 billion. For a bit of context, it’s worth noting that the yearly box-office total has not steadily climbed every year, as if it reflected some kind of audience inflation. From 2013 to 2014, for instance, cashflow dropped 5.2% from $10.9 to $10.3 billion.

It’s by no means a sure thing that this number should grow every year, but the likes of Finding Dory and Captain America: Civil War ensured that studio heads could breathe a little easier on New Year’s Eve. 11,300,000,000 is a number worth popping champagne over.

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