LOS ANGELES — Movie theaters were open over the weekend, but it was hard to tell by ticket sales, which were held back by lethargic new movies, competition from a pay-per-view boxing match and Hurricane Harvey.

The top 12 films took in $49.6 million in North America, according to comScore. To find a lower top-12 total, you have to go back to 2001, when the Sept. 11 attacks resulted in mid-September weekend ticket sales of about $43.5 million, according to data from Box Office Mojo. But even that total rises to $59.7 million after adjusting for inflation.

Grosses may be even worse next weekend, when no films are scheduled to arrive in wide release. The last time theaters saw such a void over the Labor Day holiday was 25 years ago, according to the entertainment trade news site Deadline.com.

Hollywood always struggles in late August, when families and college students turn their attention to back-to-school activities and other people hit the road for one last summer getaway. Rather than try to push crowds into theaters, the major studios essentially give up and hold back new films.