*By Max Godnick*
Hollywood is having its best summer at the box office in years, flipping the script after nearly being pushed to the brink in 2017.
Last year was the lowest-grossing summer since 2006, sparking a slew of [headlines](http://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-movie-projector-summer-meltdown-20170830-story.html) mourning the demise of the movie theater. The year was marked by some notable bombs including "Baywatch," "The Mummy," and the latest "Pirates of the Caribbean" installment.
But it's the success of this year's "Incredibles 2," "Avengers: Infinity War," and "Deadpool 2" that make all that hand-wringing for naught.
"Everybody was tolling the death knell for the cinema experience," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior analyst at ComScore, in an interview with Cheddar on Friday. "It shows you what a difference a year makes."
According to ComScore's reporting through July 11th, this year's summer box office is up nearly 13% over 2017. While it's unlikely that Hollywood will surpass its record-breaking summer of 2013, when "Iron Man 3" led the season to a $4.75 billion take, Dergarabedian says it's likely to be the strongest of the last few years. That's largely to the credit of the string of commercially and critically successful superhero movie premieres.
And it might stay that way for years to come.
"There's no sign of superhero fatigue at all," Dergarabedian said.
Caped and costumed vigilantes aren't the only ones helping Hollywood dig itself out of last summer's hole. Documentaries are emerging as one of the season's most surprising saviors.
"Documentaries are killing it right now," Dergarabedian said, pointing to the $25 million in ticket sales generated by the unscripted movies "RBG" and "Won't You Be My Neighbor," which the analyst described as "no small thing."
The season has also seen studios break boundaries of inclusion and diversity. "Black Panther" set the tone in February, becoming the ninth-highest-grossing movie and the most successful one from a black director and with a black lead. Now, "Ant-Man and The Wasp" is the first Marvel movie to use a female character's name in the title. Brie Larson will star as "Captain Marvel" next year, and Cate Shortland will become the studio's first solo female director when she helms the standalone "Black Widow" movie.
"I think we're going to look back and say this was a turning point where there is no limit on who could lead a superhero movie," Dergarabedian said.
For the full segment, [click here.](https://cheddar.com/videos/how-hollywood-saved-itself-from-a-summer-box-office-disaster)
Spotify has announced its official Songs of the Summer predictions. Lea Palmieri, a Spotify trend expert and podcast host, joined Cheddar News to break down the acts who made the cut and how. “It's a mix of streaming data charts and also our global curation team," she said. "They're keeping an eye on all of the hottest music." While Harry Styles has recently topped the Spotify charts, Palmieri also addressed the "Feral Girl Summer" trend, which she described as going "moderately wild, having fun, enjoying yourself."
Catching you up on today's top entertainment stories with a recap from the 75th Annual Tony Awards, including red carpet interviews and Jennifer Hudson receiving her EGOT, and "Jurassic World: Dominion" topping the box office.
The Tony Awards made its sensational return to Radio City Music Hal for the first time since 2019. 'A Strange Loop' stole the show, winning Best Musical while Adrianna Debose hosted in the most spectacular way possible. Cheddar News was joined by Broadway Reporter Leigh Scheps to break down the 75th Annual Tony Awards.
U.S. stocks closed Thursday at their lowest levels of the trading day, as investors continue to eye inflation ahead of the May CPI report out Friday. Art Hogan, Chief Market Strategist for National Holdings, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
U.S. stocks closed Friday at session lows after May CPI data showed inflation in the U.S. has not peaked and is still rising rapidly. For the week, the S&P fell 5.06%, the Dow lost 4.58%, and the Nasdaq dropped 5.60%, marking the worst week since January for all three major indexes. Mike Zigmont, Head of Trading and Research at Harvest Volatility Management, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Benefits brokerage, Nava Benefits, raised $40 million in a Series B round. Nava says it's on a mission to fix healthcare, one benefits plan at a time. The startup is working to bring benefits to small business that are normally available to only Fortune 500 companies. Brandon Weber, Co-Founder and CEO of Nava Benefits, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Auction house Christie's will be presenting "Legacy of the GOAT," which will include a rare Michael Jordan signed rookie card and sneakers. Caitlin Donovan, the vice president of Christie's handbags and accessories department. joined Cheddar News to discuss the special memorabilia selection for the NBA great. "He's been a global phenomenon, so he's really shaped '90s culture and streetwear culture," she said. "And we see bidders from every pocket in the world."
Kona Brewing Co., pro surfer Anna Gudauskus, and surf photographer Sarah Lee are embarking on an 1,500+ mile beach cleanup down the East Coast. Gudauskus and Lee join Cheddar News to discuss the initiative.
March For Our Lives will be returning this weekend to Washington, DC, in the wake of the recent mass shooting seen throughout the country. Marchers include Yolanda Renee King, the only granddaughter of Martin Luther King Jr. She joined Cheddar News to discuss the importance of the march and activism in general. "I just think that it's so important to have these rallies because we need to demand to our leaders and politicians that they pass legislation and that and we actually need to see action," she said.
