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North American cinema attendance hit a 20-year low in 2014.



At 1.26 billion, box office numbers were the lowest in the US and Canada since 1995 (which recorded 1.21 billion), according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Chinese attendance figures rose by 34.5% to 830 million compared to 2013.

The country is projected to surpass North American figures by 2017.

Average ticket prices rose in North America, but revenue fell by 5% from 2013 to $10.36 billion (£6.72 billion). This was the greatest drop in revenue in nine years.

2002 marked an all-time high in the US and Canada, with the release of Spider-Man, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

The top grossing films of 2014 included Guardians of the Galaxy, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The LEGO Movie and Transformers: Age of Extinction.