The box office is back in business.
Thanks to SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY, THE ODYSSEY, TOY STORY 5 and BACKROOMS, the US summer box office has made over $4 billion for the second time since COVID-19 hit, Variety reported.
The last time the summer box office hit the ceiling was when BARBIE and OPPENHIEMER came out in 2023.
A few more weeks remain in the summer. This year will likely reach the highest the box office has gotten since 2019, which had $4.3 billion in the box office. THE END OF OAK STREET and INSIDIOUS: OUT OF THE FURTHER will help boost the summer sales before the fall period starts.
Before COVID came, summers regularly passed $4 billion. At $4.755 billion, 2013 is the highest year on record.
“Hitting this $4 billion threshold for only the second time since COVID is truly significant,” said Rentrak’s head of marketplace trends Paul Dergarabedian. “Coming after several tumultuous years, the idea of theatrical moviegoing as something that would be replaced by small-screen entertainment can finally be put to rest.”
Related: SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY Smashes Box Office Records
Last summer only made it to $3.655 billion, despite the huge success of LILO & STITCH.
“This entire year will be studied for future strategy by studios,” said Dergarabedian. “Is the old-school thinking correct, that audiences just want known IP, big blockbusters, sequels and franchises? Of course they do. But they also want challenging fare, unique and original stories.”
If other movies do well this year, the box office could hit the $10 billion mark. Movies expected to do well include AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY, DUNE: PART THREE and THE HUNGER GAMES: SUNRISE ON THE REAPING, Forbes reported.
This summer, SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY alone has, so far, brought in $655 million at US and Canadian theaters. It’s made over $1 billion overseas. Just seven days after it was released, it earned the title of highest-grossing movie of the year, Fortune reported.
Total domestic ticket sales are currently higher than last year by 18.5%. Five movies this year have made it over $1 billion, including THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE.
The worst-performing movies this summer have been TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA, TONY, SUPER TROOPERS 3 and ONE NIGHT ONLY. All of these movies are rated R and have limited appeal to people with moral values, which explains why they’ve had very low ticket sales and why most people don’t know they exist.
Read Next: THE ODYSSEY Sails to Record-Breaking Opening
Questions or comments? Please write to us here.
