Retro movies are hitting big at the box office. Why cinephiles and theaters are going back in time

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As AMC Theatres in Century City prepares to celebrate the 50th anniversary of “Jaws” with a special screening this month, even the movie’s trailers are bringing back fond memories.

In 1985, audiences first saw Marty McFly soaring through the air in the DeLorean from “Back to the Future.” They also enjoyed glimpses of the Von Trapp family’s musical outing in the hills of Austria in 1965’s “The Sound of Music,” and watched Tom Hanks embark on a space mission in 1995’s “Apollo 13.”

As a movie critic, I’m excited to report that a lot of classic films are getting the big-screen treatment again this year! Several are returning to theaters to mark significant anniversaries, and it’s a fantastic opportunity for both revisiting old favorites and letting new audiences experience them as they were meant to be seen.

Recent box office numbers suggest people are eager to see familiar movies, with many older films actually making more money on their opening weekends than some of the new releases.

During the Labor Day weekend, Steven Spielberg’s classic film “Jaws” earned $8.2 million domestically, making it the second-highest-grossing movie behind Zach Cregger’s horror film, “Weapons.” Shown in 3,200 theaters, “Jaws” brought in approximately $15 million worldwide. Earlier this year, a 20th-anniversary screening of “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith” also landed in second place with a $25 million opening weekend, trailing Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners.” It ultimately grossed around $55 million globally, pushing the film’s total box office revenue past $900 million.

It feels like everyone involved in movies – studios, audiences, and theaters – is longing for the days when films were a central part of American culture. This was before social media and streaming services like Netflix captured so much of our attention, and the movie business was thriving, especially compared to its current struggles over five years after the COVID-19 pandemic began.

David Berger, owner of the historic Ojai Playhouse – a small theater with just one screen and 200 seats – consistently sees good turnout when studios send him newly restored classic films. For example, a recent 40th-anniversary showing of “The Breakfast Club” on September 10th drew a crowd of 125 people.

Berger explained that the cinema offers an escape from constant streaming and phone use, allowing audiences to simply enjoy the experience of watching a film. They’ve found that showing classic and anniversary films is very popular, and ticket sales have increased significantly.

There’s debate about why older movies are doing well in theaters. Some believe it’s simply due to anniversaries. Others think it’s helping theaters fill empty slots after the pandemic, or providing a reliable audience during slower times like mid-week to keep business steady.

Comscore estimates that around 100 special screenings – including anniversary and re-release showings – will have taken place across the country by the end of 2025. This is up from just over 60 such screenings in 2019.

Prior to the pandemic, limited-time screenings of older films usually lasted a day or two and were organized by companies specializing in this type of event, like Fathom Entertainment. Major studios didn’t typically treat re-releases or anniversary showings as regular film launches. However, this practice has begun to shift in recent times.

According to Paul Dergarabedian, a media analyst at Comscore, movie theaters often bring back popular older films at the end of years ending in 0 or 5.

Movies with dedicated fans, such as the 2005 version of “Pride & Prejudice” ($6 million), the 1990 film “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” ($4 million), and the 1975 classic “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” ($1.1 million), have often done well by appealing to those existing fans. However, these films missed out on potential success in 2020 when movie theaters were shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fathom, a company that has been bringing classic movies, documentaries, performing arts, and faith-based films back to theaters for over 20 years, is seeing a surge in business. According to CEO Ray Nutt, more people are interested in this type of content. Special showings celebrating anniversaries of these “classic” films generate between 20% and 40% of Fathom’s yearly revenue – that’s $20 million or more.

Nutt announced that the company’s revenue has grown significantly over the past two years, increasing by 45% and then 48%. He credited this success to record-breaking performance and the continued popularity of their classic products.

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the “Twilight” saga is coming back to movie theaters! Fathom and Lionsgate plan to show all five films, plus exclusive behind-the-scenes footage with author Stephenie Meyer, from October 29th to November 2nd. Initially planned for around 1,000 theaters, Lionsgate’s Kevin Grayson expects strong ticket pre-sales will likely expand the screenings to between 1,500 and 2,000 locations.

Grayson noted that while ‘Twilight’ is an older film, its strong ticket sales prove audiences still crave the experience of watching it together in a theater.

Executives say these showing are good for business and come with little downside.

Movie studios can easily re-release older films they already own and build excitement with a new marketing push. These screenings can attract fans who didn’t have a chance to see the movie in theaters originally. Though not as lucrative as a major new release, the extra income they generate makes it a worthwhile strategy.

Jim Orr, head of domestic theatrical distribution for Universal Pictures, explained that these screenings are a significant source of revenue for the company each year. He emphasized that seeing a movie in a theater provides the optimal viewing experience.

Even with re-releases, franchises come out on top.

As a huge movie fan, I was excited to hear Disney celebrated the 30th anniversary of “Toy Story” this weekend – it’s hard to believe it’s been that long! It’s especially cool because they’re already gearing up for “Toy Story 5” next year. And it doesn’t stop there! They’re bringing “Avatar: The Way of Water” back to theaters, which is a great way to revisit Pandora before “Avatar: Fire and Ash” comes out in December. Definitely a lot to look forward to for any cinema lover like me!

Marketing a movie worldwide is costly, according to Andrew Cripps, who leads Disney’s theatrical distribution. He explained that it’s much simpler to promote a film that’s part of an already popular franchise, because you can build on existing fan interest instead of having to create awareness from the ground up.

Last year showed a clear interest in people wanting to see classic films back in theaters. For example, “Interstellar” made $15.2 million when re-released in IMAX, and “Coraline” earned $34 million during a special 15th-anniversary showing.

I remember when “Jaws” first came out, so many of us rushed to see it in the cinema. It wasn’t just about the film itself, though; we really wanted to experience it *with* everyone else. There was something special about sharing those moments of pure fear and nervous laughter as a crowd – it felt like that’s how the filmmakers really wanted us to see it, all together.

Ella Paseua, a new AMC Stubs A-List member from Culver City, said it had been years since she’d seen ‘Jaws,’ and watching it in a theater felt special. While she could easily watch it at home, she explained that these anniversary screenings are about bringing people together. She noted that the audience applauded when the shark was finally caught – something you just don’t experience watching a movie at home.

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2025-09-15 13:32