The whole "Gen Z killed movie theaters" narrative might have been premature. Cinema United, the exhibition industry's largest trade group, just dropped its annual "Strength of Theatrical Exhibition" report, and the headline number is a doozy: Gen Z moviegoing frequency jumped 25% year-over-year. That’s the biggest increase of any age group. Some data points:
- Gen Z now averages 6.1 theater visits annually, up from 4.9 last year.
- 41% of Gen Z went to theaters six or more times, up from 31% in 2022.
- 38% say premium formats like IMAX are a major draw.
- The #1 reason Gen Z picks theaters? Concessions (23%), beating out "immersive experience" (18%).
- Habitual moviegoers overall grew 8%, with loyalty program memberships up 15%.
Worth noting: Cinema United has publicly opposed Netflix's Warner Bros. acquisition, and this data bolsters their argument that theatrical has a future worth protecting. Agenda aside, the Gen Z numbers are genuinely surprising. UCLA data in the report shows 10-24 year-olds rank opening weekend moviegoing as their #1 preferred activity, coming in above concerts and sporting events.
Looking ahead… The optimism isn't just backward-looking. Gower Street Analytics projects global box office will hit $35B in 2026, up 5% from 2025 and the highest since pre-pandemic 2019. Domestic is pegged at $9.9B—still below the $11B+ pre-pandemic years, but the trajectory's pointing up. The firm cites a franchise-stacked slate including new 'Avengers,' 'Spider-Man,' 'Toy Story,' 'Dune,' and 'Star Wars' installments, plus potential breakouts like Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' and Spielberg's 'Disclosure Day.'
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