Movie Theaters Just Broke A Pre-COVID Record, But Is Hollywood Really Back?

For years, Hollywood has been waiting for definitive proof that movie theaters could recapture the excitement (and revenue) they enjoyed before the COVID-19 pandemic. That proof may have finally arrived. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and “The Odyssey” powered the North American box office to its biggest weekend in history, surpassing a record that had stood since “Avengers: Endgame” opened in 2019.

But the historic numbers raise a larger question for the entertainment industry. Are audiences genuinely returning to theaters, or did Hollywood simply give them two movies too big to miss? The answer appears to be a little bit of both.

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” opened to an estimated $355 million in the United States and Canada, but stronger-than-expected Sunday ticket sales pushed its final domestic total to $360 million. That was enough for the Tom Holland-led film to surpass the $357.1 million opening of “Avengers: Endgame” and claim the record for the biggest North American debut in history, according to the Associated Press.

The superhero film did not carry the marketplace alone. Christopher Nolan‘s “The Odyssey,” which also stars Holland, remained remarkably strong in its third weekend, adding approximately $51 million domestically. Its staying power helped push the overall weekend box office to approximately $434 million, breaking the previous industry-wide weekend record set during the opening of “Avengers: Endgame,” TheWrap reported.

The moment was particularly significant because Hollywood was not merely comparing its latest success to another post-pandemic release. For the first time, the entire domestic theatrical marketplace surpassed a record established before COVID-19 shuttered cinemas and dramatically changed viewing habits.

The 2026 domestic box office has now reached approximately $6.2 billion, putting ticket sales more than 15% ahead of the same point in 2025. However, the record-breaking revenue does not necessarily mean the same number of people are visiting theaters as they did before the pandemic.

Movie Theater Attendance Has Not Completely Recovered

Higher ticket prices and the increasing popularity of premium formats have made box-office revenue a more complicated measurement of the industry’s recovery. Theaters in the United States and Canada sold approximately 1.23 billion tickets in 2019. That number plummeted to 231.6 million in 2020 as cinemas closed across the country.

Attendance has steadily improved since then, but it remains well below its former level. Approximately 769.2 million tickets were sold in 2025, according to an analysis published by the Pew Research Center. That means theaters sold approximately 37% fewer tickets in 2025 than they did in 2019, despite generating more than $9 billion in annual revenue.

The latest forecast from Gower Street Analytics projects that the 2026 domestic box office will reach $9.75 billion. That would represent a 10% increase over 2025 and an 11% increase over 2024. Nevertheless, the projected total would still be approximately 15% below the average of the final three years before the pandemic.

In other words, the COVID effect has not disappeared entirely. What has changed is audiences’ willingness to return when a release feels worthy of the time, expense, and effort required to see it in a theater.

Audiences Are Treating Movies Like Major Events

“The Odyssey” may offer the clearest example of how theatrical moviegoing has evolved. The film was shot entirely with IMAX film cameras and marketed as a cinematic experience that could not be fully replicated on a television at home.

Premium large formats accounted for 53% of the movie’s opening domestic revenue, while IMAX alone generated $51.8 million globally during its debut, according to Variety. “The Odyssey” has since generated more than $221 million through IMAX screenings worldwide, helping the company record its highest-grossing July ever. Demand has been especially intense at the small number of theaters equipped to present the film in 70mm IMAX.

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” generated similar demand through a different type of theatrical experience. While “The Odyssey” emphasized filmmaking technology and Nolan’s reputation, “Spider-Man” delivered a recognizable character, an established franchise and a release that audiences could experience together before spoilers dominated social media.

The two films appealed to different moviegoing impulses, but both successfully turned a theater visit into a cultural event.

Hollywood Is Finally Releasing More Movies

Hollywood is also finally supplying theaters with a more consistent lineup. The pandemic disrupted film production and delayed numerous releases, while the 2023 actors’ and writers’ strikes created additional gaps in the theatrical calendar. Even moviegoers who wanted to visit cinemas regularly did not always have enough appealing options. That appears to be changing.

Major studios are expected to release between 115 and 120 films widely in 2026, roughly matching the 120 wide releases that reached theaters in 2019, according to Variety.

The success has not been limited entirely to comic-book franchises and familiar sequels, either. “Project Hail Mary,” an adaptation of Andy Weir’s science-fiction novel starring Ryan Gosling, opened to approximately $80.5 million domestically in March, delivering the biggest opening of 2026 at that time, IndieWire reported.

Movie Theaters May Be Returning On Audiences’ Terms

The historic success of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and “The Odyssey” does not prove that moviegoing has returned to exactly what it was before COVID-19. Instead, it suggests the industry is settling into a different model.

Before the pandemic, consumers could visit a theater regularly and decide what to watch after arriving. Today’s audiences appear more selective, often choosing a specific film, filmmaker or premium presentation before determining that a trip to the theater is worthwhile.

That puts greater pressure on studios to offer movies that feel like events, but this record weekend proves the audience is still available.

The Movie Theaters Just Broke A Pre-COVID Record, But Is Hollywood Really Back? first appeared on The Blast