Worldwide grosses hit a record $40 billion, but attendance in North America sinks to a 22-year low as the movie industry makes do with higher costs, slimmer profits and consolidation amid Disney's bid to swallow much of 21st Century Fox.
Luc Besson's space epic 'Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets' floped in the U.S. but delivered in the director's home country, part of a comeback for French-made films last year.
Hollywood had a particularly strong year in the market, with international movies accounting for 46 percent of revenue, up from a 42 percent share in 2016.