Mr. Fithian and Christopher J. Dodd, chief executive of the film association, which represents Hollywood’s six biggest studios, emphasized

Mr. Fithian and Christopher J. Dodd, chief executive of the film association, which represents Hollywood’s six biggest studios, emphasized
that global ticket sales had increased 1 percent, to $38.6 billion, because of a 2 percent increase in sales in the United States and Canada.
So it was startling Wednesday when the Motion Picture Association of America said overseas ticket sales had zero
growth last year as increases in countries like Brazil and Japan could not offset steep declines elsewhere.
Mr. Dodd, a former United States senator from Connecticut, used words like “robust,” “thriving”
and “continued strength” to describe global ticket sales.
Even so, the increase in domestic sales was caused by higher prices; movie theater
attendance in the United States and Canada was flat at 1.32 billion.