After high hopes, Hollywood’s summer box office falls flat again

by

This summer, movies like Stitch, Superman, and an unsettling group of kids attracted cinema-goers, yet their attendance failed to boost box office earnings beyond the lackluster figures from the previous year.

During the summer season, from early May to Labor Day, the combined box office revenue in the United States and Canada amounted to approximately $3.67 billion. This figure is slightly lower compared to the $3.68 billion earned in 2024. The numbers are notably less than the staggering $4 billion generated in 2023, a mark that the industry had previously reached regularly thanks to the success of Barbenheimer films.

Despite an optimistic beginning to the season with popular titles like “Sinners” and “A Minecraft Movie,” as well as high-anticipation franchise blockbusters, it appears that the weaker summer releases are exposing long-standing weaknesses in the film industry that have been gradually developing over the years.

Movie theaters have been struggling with a decrease in audience numbers even before the pandemic, but the closures due to COVID-19 worsened this issue significantly. As more people got accustomed to watching movies at home through streaming services, certain mid-level films like comedies started moving towards these platforms as well, reducing their appearance on the big screen. Movie studios continue to face challenges due to an excessive reliance on franchises that are gradually losing popularity.

This summer saw a noticeable absence of major blockbusters that could significantly shift the overall atmosphere, like the ones we experienced last year. To begin with, there wasn’t a film that achieved the same level of box office dominance as “Inside Out 2” from Walt Disney and Pixar or Marvel Studios’ “Deadpool & Wolverine,” both of which earned over $600 million domestically and surpassed $1 billion globally.

Disney’s live-action version of “Lilo & Stitch” proved to be a major success this summer, generating approximately $420 million at the domestic box office and surpassing $1 billion worldwide.

As summer approached, there was a widespread belief within the entertainment industry that the significant impacts of the pandemic and the simultaneous writers’ and actors’ strikes in 2023 were now no longer present on movie schedules.

The anticipated launch of multiple franchise films fueled this optimism, such as “Jurassic World Dominion” from Universal Pictures, “Superman” produced by Warner Bros. and DC Studios, Marvel Studio’s “The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Champions,” and the movie “F1” starring Brad Pitt, co-produced by Apple and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Although these films achieved high box office earnings, many of them failed to make a significant impact. The latest installment in the “Jurassic World” series, “Jurassic World Rebirth,” performed poorly compared to its predecessors since 2001’s “Jurassic Park III.” Similarly, the rebooted version of “Fantastic Four” saw a steep decline following an encouraging debut weekend.

A number of high-grossing films encountered difficulties abroad as well, with movies like “Fantastic Four” and “Superman” earning less money internationally than they did in North America. Notably, “Superman” might have been affected by the character’s long-standing connection to distinctively American values, which could have limited its appeal outside of the U.S.

Eric Handler, a media and entertainment analyst at Roth Capital, noted that “few films failed,” implying that overall performance was good for major motion pictures. However, he added that nothing extraordinarily successful emerged from this particular batch of releases.

This past summer, it was noticeable that the popular movies often appealed more to male viewers, with fewer films specifically targeting women. The lack of such female-oriented films could potentially have contributed to the less impressive box office revenues, according to Andrew Cripps, who heads theatrical distribution at Disney.

This year, unlike previous ones, there haven’t been as many standout events or trends that particularly appealed to women.

To add to that, a few movies failed miserably at the box office, such as “M3GAN 2.0” from Universal and Blumhouse’s horror series, and “Elio,” an original animation by Disney-owned Pixar that recorded their poorest opening weekend performance in history. [I was one of those who didn’t find success with these films.]

Reviving the discussion, the movie sparked questions about viewer preference for original animated productions compared to sequels or adaptations from established content sources. Original animations, it seems, have faced more challenges at the ticket counter than their follow-up or adapted counterparts.

Emphatically reinforcing its impact, the Netflix animated series “KPop Demon Hunters” gained significant cultural recognition upon its June debut on the streaming platform. The show evaded theater releases until a unique, limited presentation last weekend for sing-along screenings.

Despite Netflix keeping its box office earnings private, the movie, revolving around a girl band battling demons and boasting catchy anthems, is reportedly the top-grossing film in cinemas, raking in approximately $18 million from ticket sales, as per industry calculations.

Translation brought about packed screenings, especially among the youth demographic. It was a shining success for cinema chains like Regal Cineworld, boosting their morale.

Adam Rymer, the UK-based chain’s commercial chief, mentioned an increase in younger crowds attending cinemas for significant cultural events. He also observed a similar trend during the release of ‘A Minecraft Movie’ in April.

Movie exhibitors are eagerly aiming to attract a larger audience from the younger generation, especially since films rated as PG such as “Lilo & Stitch” and Universal’s live-action version of “How to Train Your Dragon” have proven successful.

Michael O’Leary, head of Cinema United, expressed optimism that the enthusiasm generated this summer will carry over into the next year. He noted that it attracts a younger audience, shaping the cinema-goers of tomorrow.

Additionally, there were unexpected successes. For instance, Warner Bros.’ horror movie “Weapons” earned a robust $43.5 million on its opening weekend and sustained its popularity at the box office. This was due to positive audience feedback and critical acclaim. Directed by Zach Cregger, the chilling film has accumulated over $120 million in domestic earnings.

According to industry experts and insiders, this September’s financial outcomes are anticipated to be less robust compared to the previous year, when the long-awaited sequel “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” boosted box office sales significantly. However, the latter part of the year shows promise with several potential blockbusters on the horizon, such as James Cameron’s new film “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” Universal’s adaptation “Wicked: For Good,” and Disney’s upcoming animated sequel “Zootopia 2.”

Despite initial expectations of a stronger 2025, it seems the year may fall short compared to hopes. However, by year’s end, the total could exceed both the previous year’s and 2023’s numbers, as predicted by Handler.

“The end of the year is going to be very big,” he said.

Read More

2025-09-01 13:31