SUBMITTED BY pimpjoe_esb

May 26, 2007 —

Even though there's another week left in the month, Fandango, the nation's leading movie destination, announced today that May 2007 already ranks as the top ticket-selling month in the company's seven-year history. The month's ticket sales include such summer blockbusters as Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Spider-Man 3, and Shrek 3. (Previously, Fandango's top month was May 2005, when Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith ruled ticket sales.)

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is currently accounting for 95% of weekly ticket sales on Fandango and selling 10% more tickets than Spider- Man 3 sold at the same point in that film's sales cycle.

With Pirates 3 dominating advance ticket sales, this Memorial Day Weekend is tracking to become the best-selling holiday weekend in the history of Fandango. Previously, Thanksgiving 2005 (when the box office was dominated by Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) was the company's best-selling holiday weekend.

"May 2007 is a month for the box office record books," says Ted Hong, VP Marketing for Fandango, "and it's definitely a month to remember for Fandango. The fan anticipation for Spider-Man 3, Shrek 3 and Pirates 3 translated into huge ticket sales for all three titles, and Pirates ticket sales are still going strong, along with other titles. We are pleased to see that online ticketing, more and more, has become a habit for moviegoers, and that Fandango is the way that millions of entertainment fans go to the movies."

In a recent online survey on Fandango, thousands of moviegoers responded with the top reasons they are planning to see Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Interestingly, 75% of the respondents were female. The results were as follows:

-- 72% want to see Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow;
-- 71% want to see how the story concludes;
-- 69% are fans of the franchise;
-- 43% are action-adventure movie fans.

Fandango has recently added new features to its site so that it continues to be the leading movie destination. Among the additions are more extensive content in the form of commentator articles, blogs and interviews, expanded user ratings and reviews, and easily browsable collections of movie trailers, clips and photos. Not changed is Fandango's user-friendly interface for showtimes and tickets.