• by Wayne Friedman , January 4, 2016

Rentrak says global theatrical revenues hit $38 billion for 2015, with an $11 billion take for the North American U.S. and Canadian box office. 

Major movie franchises drove customers into the theaters with Universal Studios' “Jurassic World” topping the list at $1.7 billion worldwide, with $652 million from North American venues. Universal’s “Furious 7” was next at $1.5 billion and $353 million from North America; and Walt Disney’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” scored $1.4 billion and $460 million for North America.

Next came Walt Disney’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” at $1.3 billion worldwide and $652 million for North American at the close of December 31, 2015. Universal’s animated “Minions” came in at fifth place at $1.2 billion globally and $336 million for the U.S. and Canadian markets. 

Other big movies also contributed to the results:

Through January 3, Sony Pictures’ latest James Bond film “Spectre,” Paramount Pictures’ “Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation” ($864 million globally), Lionsgate’s final film in “The Hunger Games” franchise, “Mockingjay, Part 2” ($636 million), 20th Century Fox’s science fiction drama “The Martian” ($596 million) and from Warner Bros. another action flick “San Andreas” ($473 million).

Rentrak data comes from more than 125,000 screens in more than 25,000 theaters worldwide.

Although revenues are higher -- due to individual higher ticket prices -- admissions (the number of tickets sold) did not achieve record results: 1.33 billion, which was an improvement over 2014’s 1.27 billion but below the big years 2002 through 2004, which pulled in over 1.5 billion.