Average Movie Ticket Price Jumps to Record $8.58 in First Quarter

The spike is due to tentpoles including 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens,' 'Deadpool,' 'Zootopia' and 'Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.'

The cost of going to the movies jumped to $8.58 in the first quarter of 2015, a record amount for the winter months and first part of spring, according to the National Association of Theatre Owners.

That represents a 6 percent year-over-year increase from Q1 in 2015, when the average ticket price was $8.12. The spike is due in large measure to tentpoles including Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which played well into January, Deadpool, Zootopia and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Still, the average ticket price in Q1 was down from the final quarter of 2015 ($8.70). For the full year, the average ticket price was $8.43 in 2015, the biggest gain in five years.

The growth of premium seating options, as well as 3D, continues to drive up the average cost.

Overall, Hollywood and theater owners in North America celebrated a record year in 2015 as revenue hit $11.12 billion, eclipsing the previous best set in 2012 ($10.9 billion).