http://cinematreasures.org/news/21222_0_1_0_C/

The Cinerama Theater chain got started in the 50’s to exhibit films filmed in a special three projector process.

It evolved to the 70MM exhibitions that I recalled.

STTMP apparently had a run because its special fx were all filmed in a 65 MM process which lent itself well to the huge screens these theaters employed.

As for the number of IMAX theaters today, well, STTMP got its total ticket numbers in only about a maximum of 1000 theaters domestically too.

I suppose you are making a good argument that we should consider a margin of error in this conversion process.

I’ve been sticking with + or – 10 percent. To that end, I hold the domestic and international numbers currently show that Paramount successfully activated the same core group of TOS fans that launched the film franchise in 1979.

Unless the worldwide takes a big jump and starts tracking ANGELS & DEMONS’ numbers, I doubt there’ll be any statistically significant (i.e., outside the margin of error) attendance difference in 79-09 numbers to indicate a significant number of new fans.

However, at this point, with a $247 domestic gross, I would be willing to concede it is likely the most popular film in the franchise, both in terms of dollars and ticket sales domestically, and if not now at least by the end of its domestic run.

Actually there was a premium theater chain in the 70s called the Cinerama Dome(?) that either got the studios to release in 70mm or would transfer 35mm prints to 70mm stock for an “enhanced” movie experience. They also promoted their’s was the best sound system in a theater possible (I believe they were all THX rated sound systems by the time of 1979).

I can’t recall if STTMP had a run there but if there was a 70mm release the chances are good that’s where it played and this could be used to make an IMAX equivalency.

I’m not sure how you can make this claim. Anthony is getting his data from Box Office Mojo like the rest of us. There is no ticket data provided. All they have is the gross receipts, which must also account for more expensive IMAX tickets.

Given that TMP was a G rated film, far more children’s tickets were sold, which accounted for lower gross receipts. There were no so-called premium or IMAX theatres in those days, so there would have been more tickets per dollar. In fact there were many more “dollar theatres” which would have accounted for a much greater number of tickets per dollar.

Presumably BOM’s inflation adjusted ticket price takes into account an average of all sales: child through senior, matinee, premium theatres, dollar theatres and IMAX.

Nevertheless, using BOM’s figures, TMP still made close to $400M, far more than Trek has yet earned. Slicing those grosses up using BOM’s adjusted formulas, TMP is still the highest earner of all of the films in the franchise. Even if ST09 equals TMP, I’m not sure BOM’s formula adequately takes into account all of the variables which favor TMP’s greater number of tickets sold per dollar. Without an actual ticket count, I don’t know how you can say any differently.

This is why I would prefer ST09 to clearly and definitively pass that $400M mark thus ending the debate for all practical purposes. Until then, TMP will always be the largest grossing, highest ticket count film of the franchise. Not because it is the best of the films, or even the most successful, but simply because it is the most logical conclusion given the known variables.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/26/movies/26itzk.html?_r=4

”That year[2005], the corporate behemoth Viacom, which owned “Star Trek,” was splitting itself in two, divorcing its CBS studio (which made the “Trek” shows) from its Paramount studio (which made the films). “Trek” was likely to go to CBS, where another television show might eventually be developed. Gail Berman, then the president of Paramount, convinced Leslie Moonves, the chief executive of CBS, to allow her one more chance at a “Trek” film; he gave her 18 months to get the cameras rolling or lose the property. (Under the arrangement CBS retained the “Star Trek” merchandising rights.)” – Dave Itzkoff, NEW YORK TIMES

Gray states that it “may still have a ways to go”. Anthony, whose interest in the numbers is far more specific than Gray’s, says it doesn’t. Perhaps Gray didn’t feel like doing the math. If he did, he would have been more precise—without the need for the word “may”.

“With $240.3 million in 45 days, it edged past Star Trek: The Motion Picture on that front, though it may still have a ways to go in terms of attendance: around $22.3 million of the new Trek’s total comes from IMAX runs, which typically cost a few bucks more than regular shows.” – Brandon Gray, BoxOfficeMojo.com

https://secure.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=2597&p=.htm

The bottom line: ST09 has already sold more tickets than any movie in the history of the Star Trek film franchise, including TMP.

I also think it is no coincidence that the top 5 Star Trek films (in ticket sales) all feature the original characters. And, had TUC not followed the horrendous TFF, I think its ticket sales would have been better. But without question, the ST movies with the most general appeal were the first four feature films (1979-1986) and ST09 (2009).

Ticket sales:
1.ST09 (2009)
2.TMP (1979)
3.TVH (1986)
4.TWOK (1982)
5.TSFS (1984)

6.FC
7.GEN
8.TUC
9.INS
10.TFF
11.NEM

My list of favorites:

1.ST09
2.TWOK
3.TMP
4.TVH
(big dropoff)
5.TSFS
6.TUC
7.FC
(another dropoff)
8.INS
(yet another dropoff)
9.GEN
(huge plummet)
10a.NEM
10b.TFF (cannot decide which is worse)