LOS ANGELES – Hollywood is closing out its best summer since the pandemic, as an eclectic mix of blockbusters, sequels and original films wooed moviegoers back to the theatres.
The US and Canadian box office generated US$4.6 billion (S$5.8 billion) in ticket sales from the first weekend in May through Aug 30, according to measurement firm Rentrak.
Ticket sales are up 26 per cent from last summer, thanks to blockbusters like Sony Pictures’ Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Universal’s The Odyssey and Pixar’s Toy Story 5.
Analysts estimate the total box office for 2026 could top US$10 billion.
The summer season, which officially ends Labour Day, Sept 7, is unlikely to surpass the inflation-adjusted, all-time high of US$6.8 billion set in 2013, when blockbusters like Iron Man 3 and Despicable Me 2 captivated moviegoers.
Still, this summer, the local cineplex seemed to offer something for everyone.
Two horror movies made by directors who got their start on YouTube – Backrooms and Obsession – attracted an unprecedented number of Gen Z moviegoers.
Michael, The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Scary Movie brought women back in force, while young men found themselves reflected in Peter Parker’s struggles with isolation in Spider-Man.
“We are seeing literally every single age group, every single demographic, out in theatres,” said Jim Orr, president of domestic theatrical distribution for Universal Pictures.
The film industry appears to have regained its footing after the disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the simultaneous writers’ and actors’ strikes in 2023.
“The impact of the strikes on the studios was more lasting than people realised,” according to Michael O’Leary of the Cinema United trade group representing theatre owners. “In the last year or so, the studios are starting to hit their stride again.”
Films like Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey also sparked interest in 70mm film, contributing to a record summer box office for IMAX.
“The success of The Odyssey has changed perceptions of what could work with IMAX with almost every constituency,” said IMAX chief executive Richard Gelfond.
Production is still down. Studios offered 34 films in wide release over the summer, two more than in 2025, but well shy of the 44 broadly distributed films in 2019.
Audiences showed a greater eagerness to see movies on opening weekend this summer in surveys conducted by market researcher Enact Insight, as Hollywood took chances on original stories rather than relying on familiar stories and characters – known as intellectual property, or IP – and sequels, a tactic studio executives have used for years.
“Hollywood turned into a sequel and IP factory,” said Greg Durkin, founder and CEO of Enact Insight, as it sought to limit the risk of financing big-budget films. The ultimate hedge against box office disaster is a diversified portfolio that takes creative risks, he said.
That diversity of offerings paid off, especially among Gen Z, including moviegoers in their late 20s and early 30s, a demographic film executives once worried would never get into the moviegoing habit, preferring streaming and social media.
Actress Sadie Sink at the world premiere for Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Tim Richards, founder and CEO of Europe’s Vue cinema chain, said the wider range of films was working.
“A lot of people had written off the Gen Zs, said they weren’t interested, and they’re coming back in record-breaking numbers” he said. “That’s a global phenomenon, and that’s been really encouraging since that’s our future audience.”
Paul Dergarabedian, Rentrak’s head of marketplace trends, said the summer momentum could continue through the end of 2026, when two widely anticipated films – Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three – reach theatres.
He forecasts that the domestic box office could reach US$10 billion in 2026, a threshold it has not crossed since 2019.
“The movie theatre is back.” REUTERS
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