In March ofJustin Thompson, a year-old security technician from Livonia, Michigan, decided to go to the movies. We dug through concessions data from AMC, Cinemark, and a number of other theater chains to compile rough averages of how much certain items cost. Then, we compared these prices to the typical street price you might pay at a convenience store. It popxorn be said that movie food and beverage prices vary widely by geographic region, theater size, and a number of other factors. The figures you see here are rough, non-definitive industry averages — but they still paint a bleak picture. Allen Michaan was just 19 when he built his first movie theater in the s. When a theater wants to show a film, it must agree to pay the distributor a percentage of all ticket sales.