Summary The Avengers was the biggest hitter, taking $623m (£385.5m) in the US.
NEW YORK: Cinema attendance in the US has risen for the first time in three years, bucking a trend of declining audiences.
While takings hit a record $10.8bn (£6.69bn) in 2012, according to box office tracker Hollywood.com, this growth can largely be attributed to inflation and rising ticket prices. But a projected 5.6% rise in ticket sales have proved cinema s enduring draw.
The Avengers was the biggest hitter, taking $623m (£385.5m) in the US.
This was followed by Batman: The Dark Knight Rises, which took $448m (£277.1m), and James Bond film Skyfall, which is continuing to attract audiences.
Ticket sales hit their modern day peak in 2002, when 1.6 billion tickets were sold for films including The Two Towers, the second film in the Lord of the Rings franchise, and director Sam Raimi s reboot of Spider-Man, starring Tobey Maguire.
There was a general feeling in the industry that with the growing sophistication of home cinema systems and the rise in digital devices, cinema audiences would continue to dwindle "It s a victory, ultimately," said Don Harris, head of distribution at Paramount Pictures.
Hollywood recorded its previous record year in 2009, with revenue topping $10.6bn (£6.5bn). The following two years showed a fall in sales, with receipts falling to $10.2bn (£6.3bn) last year.
The Avengers achieved the US s biggest opening weekend ever when it was released in May, with takings of $207.4m (£128.3m).
The Joss Whedon-directed action film also proved to be an international hit, with $1.5bn (£927m) taken around the world.
