Gen Z drives global movie theater revival

The global movie industry is seeing a revenue resurgence, with analysts projecting the box office to reach $35 billion this year, a 7% increase from 2025. While overall ticket sales have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels, the sector is benefiting from a significant revival driven by younger audiences.

In the United States, nearly 90% of Gen Z visited a movie theater in 2025, outperforming Gen X and baby boomers in frequency of visits. This demographic shift was highlighted by the record-breaking opening of ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day,’ which earned $360 million in North America and has since grossed over $1.6 billion globally. Two-thirds of that film's opening weekend audience were aged 18 to 34.

Beyond superhero franchises, young viewers are driving success for various genres, including science fiction, romantic comedies, and horror films like ‘Obsession.’