All the whizbang 3-D hoopla IMAX excitement at movie theaters is coming at a hefty price, as the National Association of Theatre Owners says the average ticket price was at a record high in 2011.

The average price for a movie ticket in the United States hit $7.93 last year, four cents up from the year before, says the L.A. Times. We can blame the premiums moviegoers are forking over to see flicks in 3-D or at IMAX theaters, says the president of the association.

Even with higher ticket prices, box office earnings sank 4% and attendance was down 5%. The rising admission toll could be why less people are going to movies, but theater owners say it’s the fault of Hollywood for making the movies they made last year.

Quick, someone write seven more Harry Potter books and three additional sequels to Twilight. Or, not, and we’ll all stay home and catch up on Breaking Bad.

Average movie-ticket price edges up to a record $7.93 [L.A. Times]

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