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[ad_1] Skynesher | E+ | Getty Images LOS ANGELES — The 2023 box office is inching closer to pre-pandemic levels, but inconsistent performances from blockbuster features in the first six months of the year will put a lot of pressure on second-half releases. While the domestic box office has tallied $4.46 billion in ticket sales through June 30, a nearly 20% increase over the same period in 2022, it still lags behind 2019, the benchmark of a time before the pandemic, according to data from Comscore. Ticket sales are down 21% from four years ago, but that's not the only thing that's down. So, too, is the number of wide releases. From January to June 30 in 2019, 57 films were released in 2,000 theaters or more. In 2023, there have been only 45 releases during that same period. "It really isn't a fair comparison just going dollars to dollars," said Mike Polydoros, CEO at PaperAirplane Media. And quantity matters. While blockbusters and franchise films can draw big

[ad_1] Travelers are seen ahead of the fourth of July holiday weekend at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on June 30, 2023, in Atlanta, Georgia. Elijah Nouvelage | AFP | Getty Images Flight disruptions piled up at airports around the country ahead of the July Fourth weekend, but airline investors have largely shrugged them off. More than 63,000 flights operated by U.S. airlines, or 30% of their schedules, were delayed between June 24 through July 2. More than 9,000, or 4.2%, were canceled. Both of those percentages are above disruption averages so far this year, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware. The delays were driven mostly by a series of rolling thunderstorms coupled with other issues like a shortage of air traffic controllers in congested airspace around New York and other areas, derailing travel plans of thousands of customers. It upended what has been a mostly calm spring for travelers. But sky-high travel demand continues to keep airline stocks a

[ad_1] An aerial view of the engines and fuselage of an unpainted Boeing 737 MAX airplane parked in storage at King County International Airport-Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington, June 1, 2022. Lindsey Wasson | Reuters Workers at Boeing aircraft parts supplier Spirit Aerosystems approved a new labor deal on Thursday, setting the stage to resume production at a Wichita, Kansas, facility after a work stoppage last week. Spirit Aerosystems, which supplies fuselages for Boeing's best-selling 737 Max aircraft as well as other parts for Boeing and other manufacturers, halted production last Thursday after workers voted against a new proposed contract and in favor of a strike. "We continue to monitor the situation as we assess any potential impacts to production and deliveries," Stan Deal, CEO of Boeing's commercial airplane unit, said in a note to staff. The company and the workers' union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, had r

[ad_1] Planes are seen on the tarmac as people wait for their flight reschedule inside of the Newark International Airport on June 27, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey.  Kena Betancur | Getty Images News | Getty Images United Airlines ' CEO Scott Kirby said that without more gates the airline will have to reduce or change schedules to handle frequent gridlock at its Newark, New Jersey, hub , a message that came after mass flight delays marred July Fourth holiday weekend travel. The carrier gave 30,000 frequent flyer miles to customers who were most affected by the chaos. "This has been one of the most operationally challenging weeks I've experienced in my entire career," Kirby said in a note to staff on Saturday. He said that the airline needs more gates at Newark Liberty International Airport because of frequent aircraft backups there. "We are going to have to further change/reduce our schedule to give ourselves even more spare gates and buffer — especially duri

[ad_1] Travelers arrive at O'Hare International Airport on June 30 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. Travel forecasters are predicting record travel for the July 4th weekend, but this year's celebration may also be something of a battle with the elements. Kamil Krzaczynski | AFP | Getty Images Flight delays and cancellations continued to mar thousands of Fourth of July travelers on Friday, with United Airlines passengers bearing the brunt of the problems. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 17.7 million people from June 29 through July 5, peaking on Friday at more than 2.8 million people. That would be an single-day record for daily screenings and one of the clearest signs yet of air travel's strong recovery from the Covid pandemic. More than 4,800 U.S. flights were delayed on Friday, though United had more delays than competitors. By 5 p.m. on Friday, the carrier had canceled more than 230 mainline flights, 8% of its operation, while more than 790 f

[ad_1] It's Harrison Ford's final bow as the boulder-dodging, whip-wielding, Nazi-punching Indiana Jones. On Friday, "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" arrives in theaters, marking the fifth and likely final chapter in the Lucasfilm movie franchise. Disney spared no expense in bringing the film to the big screen, starting with a nearly $300 million production budget. Factor in marketing costs, which are typically equal to half the production budget, and a swanky premiere and after-party at the Cannes Film Festival, and "Dial of Destiny" has quite a hole to dig itself out of. Box office analysts are predicting the film will capture between $60 million and $65 million during its first three days in theaters and around $90 million for the five-day holiday weekend. That would mark the latest mediocre opening in the summer blockbuster season, following disappointing bows for "The Flash," "Elemental" and "Transformers: Rise of