US cinema takings hit record high

Spider-Man 3 was one of the biggest blockbusters of 2007

North American box office takings hit a record high in 2007 with global box office receipts also on the up.

In the US and Canada, cinemas took $9.6bn (£4.8bn) last year, up 5.4% on 2006, according to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).

The increase was partly due to rising ticket prices in North America - up 5% on average.

Worldwide box office takings, meanwhile, rose to an all-time high of $26.7bn - up 4.7% on 2006.

The number of actual cinema admissions in North America remained roughly the same as the previous year, with about 1.4 billion tickets sold.

Once again, diverse, quality films and the timeless allure of the movie house proved a winning combination with consumers around the world Dan Glickman MPAA

MPAA chairman Dan Glickman said that, despite the writers' strike and economic concerns, "ultimately we got our Hollywood ending".

"Once again, diverse, quality films and the timeless allure of the movie house proved a winning combination with consumers around the world," said Mr Glickman added.

The MPAA said that box office revenue outside North America climbed 4.9% to $17.1bn (£8.6bn).

Hollywood made a total of 603 films in 2007, about the same as the previous year.

The biggest blockbusters of the year in 2007 in the US and Canada were Spider-Man 3, Shrek the Third, Transformers and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.

All made more than $300m (£150m).