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Summer Box Office Is Biggest Of All Time
“A boatload of tickets to see The Odyssey please.” // Courtesy of Universal Pictures
This summer’s box office was the biggest ever, crossing $4.76 billion worldwide.
The Big Picture: Plenty was written about the potential end of theatrical moviegoing during COVID, but 2026 has proven those headlines premature. People still love going to the movies, and this summer proved that making a habit of it is a tide that lifts all boats.
Behind The Scenes: This summer’s box office proved that Hollywood is still a very healthy business.
Deadline breaks it down:
This was the first summer in which every month of the season — May, June, July, and August — posted a billion dollars in revenue.
Admissions are also up to 322 million tickets sold, compared to last year’s 275 million. But that’s still way under pre-COVID levels, showing how inflation and premium-format surcharges are boosting the bottom line.
Analysts note that success at the box office begets more success — people show up to the movies, see a trailer for something they’re excited about, and then come back for more. It’s a virtuous cycle.
Final Tally: Ultimately, the surge in demand goes back to the movies themselves. The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day were runaway hits, but a slate of surprise successes buoyed the box office, including Toy Story 5 (families), The Devil Wears Prada 2 (women), and Obsession (Gen Z). It underscored that not only do young people want to go to the movies to socialize, but older audiences who got used to staying home still feel FOMO.
Even more surprising, the box-office record was broken despite several high-profile tentpoles underperforming, including The Mandalorian and Grogu, Masters of the Universe, and Supergirl. If any of those had taken off, the box-office record could’ve stayed unbeatable for quite some time.
Coming Soon: Theatrical success is once again becoming the gold standard for cultural awareness, so it’s no surprise that even Netflix will start reporting box-office numbers. The company (and Apple) might even launch an official theatrical division sometime this year.
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Today’s email was written by David Vendrell.
Edited by Nick Comney. Polled and Copy-edited by Kait Cunniff.
Published by Darline Salazar.