Genre, adaptation, and sequel seem to be the key words for the top grossing movies released worldwide in 2007. The top 20 movies of the year grossed a combined total of $9,307 billion dollars, and 14 of those films were genre stories (8 of which were in the top 10) that generated 80% of the gross. What does this say about genre in the theater? Genre films are not only alive and well; they are thriving!

Of the top 20 films, 11 of those can be considered adaptations of one form or another, and 10 are sequels. It's clear from these results that audiences prefer to spend their monty on the tried and true. They like to come back to the familiar, to get to know those characters they have grown to love either through a continuation of the story or a live action interpretation of a book that they enjoyed.

For me to interpret more than this would border on speculation. So, I will simply leave you with this information to mull over and do what you will with it.

Top 20 Worldwide Grossing Films of 2007
(as published in Variety Magazine, January 14-20, 2008. Note: Dollars are in the millions.)
$962 Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
$937 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
$891 Spider-Man 3
$796 Shrek the Third
$706 Transformers
$617 Ratatouille
$526 The Simpsons Movie
$457 300
$442 The Bourne Ultimatum
$383 Live Free or Die Hard
$322 I Am Legend
$312 Ocean's Thirteen
$288 Fantastc Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
$254 The Golden Compass
$253 Wild Hogs
$253 Rush Hour 3
$235 Bee Movie
$227 Enchanted
$226 Mr. Bean's Holiday
$220 Ghost Rider