Fresh films fire up box office

Running low on sequels and fresh off a $4billion record summer at theaters, this was supposed to be a season of Hollywood rebuilding. But something strange happened on the way to the cineplex: Originality played.

Halfway through summer, four out of the five biggest movies are not franchise installments. And ticket sales are 4% ahead of last year's pace, according to Nielsen EDI.

"Fresh ideas are always going to sell if you execute them, if you take your time making your movie and telling a good story," says Chuck Viane, distribution chief for Disney, which released this weekend's WALL·E. "It's cliched, but good movies will always find an audience."

Bert Livingston of 20th Century Fox says the summer also has benefited from an unusually competitive environment.

"Last year, I think, no one wanted to open their movies on the same weekend" as the third installments ...