Box office
This article is about the movie term; Box Office is also the name of a magazine published since 1920.A
box office is a place where
tickets are sold to the public for
admission to a
venue.
The term is often used, especially in the context of the
film industry, as a synonym for the amount of business a particular production, such as a
film or
theatre show, receives. This can be measured in terms of the number of people who see it or the amount of money raised by ticket sales. The projection and analysis of these earnings is very important for the creative industries and often a source of interest for fans.
Some complain that industry focus on profit has diminished the attention given to film as an
art form. However, analysis of the financial success of films is very influential the production and funding of future works.
There are numerous
websites that monitor box-office receipts and profits, such as
Box Office Mojo.
For a list of films which are major box-office hits, see
List of highest-grossing films.
The term "box office" originates from from the early days of the theatre. Entry into cheaper sections of the performances cost a single coin, and this fee was collected in small, locked boxes with entry slots in the top. Upon the boxes being filled up, a runner would take the coin-filled box to a back room where it was counted and stored. Hence, the room associated with the financial aspects of the theatre became known as a box office.
