Coming to a Theater Near You: Pricier Popcorn

May 27, 2008— -- Families turning to the movies this summer for a little distraction from the economic drama in the own lives might not find the relief they were seeking.

The cost of movie tickets and those tubs of popcorn are starting to creep up in some theaters across the country.

Part of the problem: the rising price of corn resulting from the increased ethanol production and more countries around the world seeking the grain. Corn prices are up 58 percent from where they were last year at this time.

Just in time for the Memorial Day weekend, AMC Entertainment increased the price of its popcorn 25 cents nationwide. The company operates about 290 theaters in the United States.

It is also increasing ticket prices in some markets. In the Kansas City area, for instance, weekend shows after 4 p.m. will now cost $10 for adults, up $1.

Nationally, the average price of a movie ticket during the first three months of the year was $7.08, up nearly 3 percent from $6.88 in 2007, according to the National Association of Theatre Owners. And 2007 prices were up 5 percent from the year before. (The price average includes all children and senior citizen tickets and any matinee discounts.)

Ricard Gil, an economics professor at the University of California-Santa Cruz, who studies the movie business, said it is only logical that some movie theater chains would want to pass those costs on to customers.

Gil said that movie theaters mark up the price on soda, candy, popcorn and other snacks by an average of 80 percent. The profit margin on popcorn is probably higher, he said.

But that money is used to keep movie ticket prices down. His research found that profits from the concession stand subsidize about 25 percent of the ticket price.

(And the movie theaters get to keep all of that food and drink profits for themselves. Patrick Corcoran, a spokesman for the National Association of Theatre Owners, points out that 55 percent of the movie ticket price goes back to the film distributors.)

Gill said, "Some of these theaters already are barely breaking even. They might have a tough call to make. Given the markups on popcorn, they may have to increase the prices on movie tickets."