what do movie-goers want to see?

Here's Ted Baehr and Tom Snyder in the WSJ...

...each year Movieguide.org examines more than 250 major films from Hollywood studios and independents for their social, political, philosophical, moral and religious content. When all the information -- categorized by dozens of criteria -- is in a database, we calculate which movies took in the most money at the theatrical box office in America and Canada in 2008.

Once again, family-friendly, uplifting and inspiring movies drew far more viewers in 2008 than films with themes of despair, or leftist political agendas. Sex, drugs and anti-religious themes were not automatic sellers, either. Among the 25 top-grossing movies alone, 14 out of 25 had strong or very strong Christian, redemptive and moral content, and nearly all had at least some such content.

...films with strong pro-capitalist content -- extolling free-market principles or containing positive portrayals of real or fictional businessmen and entrepreneurs -- tended to make the most money...The moneymaking trend was similar for movies with explicit or implicit anticommunist content...

Movies in a broader "conservative" category -- those with a positive view of democracy and property rights, for instance; that were pro-life or anti-abortion; or that promoted freedom of speech or the right to bear arms -- were much more successful at the domestic box office, on average, than movies with content that attacked America, were politically correct, inserted some politically correct messages, etc....

While Washington may have taken a left turn, Hollywood cannot afford to snub its nose at the values of most Americans. It may decide to reject them at its annual Oscar ceremonies, but it cannot do so at the box office...