Need proof the movies are really, truly back? The summer box office was already the biggest since COVID upended the industry in 2020 — and now the season has become the highest-grossing of all time. Domestic ticket sales from May 1 through Labor Day on Sept. 7 stand at $4.76 billion, according to Rentrak. Revenues surpassed the long-held record set in 2013 with $4.755 billion, anchored by “Iron Man 3,” “Despicable Me 2” and “Man of Steel.”
This summer’s benchmark comes with two major caveats: Ticket sales from more than a decade ago weren’t adjusted for inflation, and popcorn season was slightly longer (running at 130 days compared to 123 days in 2013) because of Labor Day’s placement on the calendar. Still, it’s a significant milestone because it signals that after five years of uncertainty about the movie business, people have fallen back in love with the silver screen.
While the summer box office record marks an important turning point for movie theaters, the numbers are only part of the story,” says Rentrak’s head of marketplace trends Paul Dergarabedian. “What makes this summer uniquely important and potentially pivotal is that, for many people, it may have been the season that reminded them just how much fun it is to go to the movies. That can inspire future moviegoing, create a new generation of theatergoers and, with so many great films still ahead, keep that momentum going.”
This summer is also notable as the first in history where each of the four months generated above $1 billion, with May bringing in $1.07 billion, June powering to $1.08 billion, July earning $1.18 billion and August soaring to $1.27 billion, according to Rentrak. Popcorn season, which runs from early May through Labor Day, is crucial because revenues for those months represent 40% of the annual box office. This summer is only the second since the pandemic in which ticket sales surpassed $4 billion. The first time was in 2023, when “Barbenheimer” fever buoyed grosses to $4.09 billion. In 2019, the last “normal” period at the box office, summer revenues climbed to $4.3 billion, thanks to “Avengers: Endgame” and several other billion-dollar blockbusters. In 2018, popcorn season reached $4.42 billion with “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Incredibles 2” among the highest-grossing movies.
This season, studios succeeded with time-tested franchise sequels like “Toy Story 5” and “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” as well as Gen Z-fueled sleeper hits like “Obsession” and “Backrooms.” Much of the credit for the potential milestone belongs to Sony’s Marvel adventure “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” which has been a behemoth with $923 million domestically and $2.4 billion globally to date. Universal’s Christopher Nolan epic “The Odyssey” also shattered expectations with $589 million in North America and $1.62 billion worldwide. Those triumphs helped offset some major bombs, including Disney’s live-action “Moana,” Warner Bros. and DC’s “Supergirl” and Amazon MGM’s “Masters of the Universe.”
Over Labor Day weekend, Sony’s Marvel juggernaut “Spider-Man: Brand New Home” was No. 1 for the sixth consecutive frame with $23.5 million during the four-day holiday frame. With unprecedented staying power, “Brand New Day” will soon surpass 2015’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” ($936 million, not adjusted for inflation) as the highest-grossing movie of all time at the domestic box office. Meanwhile, it’s already the third-biggest release ever globally behind 2009’s “Avatar” ($2.9 billion) and “Avengers: Endgame” ($2.7 billion).
“The Odyssey” secured second place with $17.3 million over the holiday after eight weekends on the big screen. Imax has contributed $486 million globally, representing a massive 30% of the film’s total box office tally.
Third place went to another holdover, “Coyote vs. Acme,” with $15.8 million from 3,727 venues over the four days. With great reviews and positive audience scores, “Looney Tunes” spinoff has been a hit with $38.3 million domestically after two weekends of release. It was originally set at Warner Bros. before the studio shelved the completed film as a $30 million tax write-off. That prompted outrage from the creative community, leading Warner Bros. to allow the filmmaking team to shop “Coyote vs. Acme” around town before selling it to indie distributor Ketchup Entertainment.
Newcomer “By Any Means,” an R-rated thriller from Paramount, stumbled at No. 4 with 9.3 million from 2,903 theaters from Friday to Monday. Directed by Elegance Bratton, “By Any Means” centers around the unlikely partnership between a young Black FBI agent (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and a notorious mafia hitman (Mark Wahlberg) as they investigate a wave of brutal killings targeting civil rights leaders. It carries a $30 million production budget, funded by Hammerstone Studios.
Two other new holiday releases, Lionsgate’s anxiety-inducing sequel “Fall 2: Deadpoint” and A24’s action thriller “Onslaught,” failed to even crack the top 10.
“Fall 2: Deadpoint” crash-landed at No. 12 with $2.8 million at 1,704 venues over the holiday weekend. Those ticket sales are similar to its predecessor, 2022’s survival thriller “Fall,” which opened to $2.5 million. That film managed to climb to $7.2 million domestically and $18 million globally by the end of its run, becoming a modest success against a mere $3 million budget. The sequel follows two friends who travel to Thailand and get trapped at 4,000 feet after a sudden rockslide.
“Onslaught” fared even worse, debuting in 13th place with $2.2 million from 1,918 theaters through its first four days. Directed by Adam Wingard (“Godzilla vs. Kong”), “Onslaught” stars Adria Arjona as an army sniper who struggles to protect her young daughter from an army of genetically engineered super soldiers.
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