http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1414353920100416 market is amazing...seriously you think you've seen it all and then end up surprised. surprise.
Perfect way to offset clunkers, but you would lose out on some gains of sneak hits. I wouldn't play in those, but i can see why they want to try.
Trade movie futures? I can just hear it.... Give me 10 Bourne, sell 50 Avatar, and let's load the boat on that Veggie Tales Pirate flick.
There's a lot of business we haven't seen yet. Imagine going to the movies and the pimply face ticket seller asks "Would you like to pay an extra $1, and if the opening weekend totals are over x million, you get a free movie ticket." Now you personally have an incentive to get your friends to go see that movie. The studio and movie house lay off that risk to the market, win/win for them. Just wait till you can open a brokerage account though NetFlix.