If characters in a movie are risking their lungs by smoking, a new study has found that the producers are risking their profits!
According to research from the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California, San Francisco, movies that have featured smoking cigarettes in the last ten years made LESS in the Box Office compared to movies without the unhealthy habit.
Researchers analyzed 1,232 movies released in the U.S. that were among the top 10 grossing films for at least one week between 2002 and 2010. After controlling for factors like total budget and film rating, the researchers found that smoking was associated with 13% less money made in ticket sales.
Stanton Glantz, the lead researcher who is using the findings to advocate an automatic ‘R’ rating for any movie featuring smoking, said:
“Putting smoking in the film isn’t leading to more popular films that make more money. It’s leading to less popular films that make less money.”
Inneresting!
The same man behind this study also admits the 1996 blockbuster live-action remake of 101 Dalmatians is “one of the smokiest films made.”
That kids movie raked in $168,700,000 worldwide!