I got laughed at for saying this when Lightyear came out, but I still think inflation's something to consider when predicting and analyzing box office. Things keep getting worse and we're in the holiday shopping season, which only further complicates things. People are going to focus on gas and food and gifts and their families over movies, especially when their kids can just sit down and watch Encanto or The Bad Guys for free. Won't affect Avatar of course, but every other December movie has a huge uphill battle.