Here's how the summer box office blew up and Hollywood got its mojo back
[September 05, 2026]
By JAKE COYLE
NEW YORK (AP) — Hollywood has just wrapped up its best summer in a
decade and its biggest vibe shift since the pandemic.
After years of new-normal ticket sales and regular spells of unease, the
summer box office rallied to $4.61 billion in domestic ticket sales
between May 1 and Aug. 31, according to Rentrak.
That’s not just miles ahead of last year (a 26.1% increase from 2025),
but better than every summer other than 2013. Accounting for inflation
and higher ticket prices, it’s less of a record season. Admissions are
still way down from pre-pandemic levels. But 2026 was still the summer
Hollywood got its mojo back.
While that is partly thanks to some usual suspects — Spider-Man, “Toy
Story” and others — much of what’s driven the resurgence has been
refreshingly new. Gen-Z audiences have filled theaters. Low-budget films
such as “Obsession” have turned into blockbusters. But it's been
filmmakers, even more than intellectual property, that have lured
moviegoers. Even once-dead movies have come back to life.
“We’re seeing audiences show up for things they really care about, and
those might not be the same things we saw a summer or two summers ago,”
says Dave Green, director of the previously canned “Coyote vs. Acme.”
“I’m really encouraged by the resilience of the movie business and that
it can bounce back and morph and change all the time.”
Such optimism had for years been hard to find in a Hollywood ravaged by
the pandemic, wildfires, labor strife, contraction and technological
upheaval. There are still seismic changes afoot, including Paramount’s
proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery and the continuing
effects of generative AI.
But for the first time in a while, the movie business is running at a
high gear, with reason to expect the good times might continue to roll.
Fall releases like “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Dune: Part III” (both due
out in December) should add to the momentum, and maybe more record
returns.
Here’s what fueled Hollywood’s summer comeback:
Filmmakers drive moviegoers
There's not a lot that movies like “The Odyssey,” “Obsession” and
“Disclosure Day” have in common. But each drew audiences largely because
of the filmmaker behind them.
Christopher Nolan's box-office drawing power has never been more
apparent. That he could transform one of the oldest works in literature
into a summer blockbuster that will soon hit $1.6 billion is a triumph
even for him. It goes to show just how much a studio having the right
stable of filmmakers can be a boon to them. Universal Pictures famously
scooped up Nolan after his acrimonious departure from Warner Bros. over
its pandemic detour to streaming.
Universal is also home to Spielberg, whose “Disclosure Day” ($241.3
million worldwide) made a more minor splash in theaters. But everyone
who came to see it came for Spielberg. The same, maybe, could be said
for “Obsession,” by 26-year-old YouTuber-turned-filmmaker Curry Barker.
Made for less than $1 million, it's surpassed $500 million worldwide for
Focus Features, making it among the most profitable movies ever made.
The seminal moment of the season, and a possible sea change in 21st
century Hollywood, was when “Obsession” blew past “Star Wars,” a
franchise that helped define the summer blockbuster. “Star Wars: The
Mandalorian and Grogu” tapped out with a disappointing $345.4 million
globally.
It wasn't the only sign that some of Hollywood's most dependable
franchises don't necessarily have the same power they once did. The Walt
Disney Co.'s latest live-action remake, “Moana” ($315.4 million), also
stumbled, as did Warner Bros. and DC Studios' big summer release,
“Supergirl” ($126.4 million).
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This image released by Universal Pictures shows Matt Damon as
Odysseus, left, in a scene from "The Odyssey." (Melinda Sue
Gordon/Universal Pictures via AP)
 Gen-Z audiences are filling
theaters
Of course, other long-running franchises are doing just fine. Sony
Pictures' “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is still atop the box office
but it's already accrued $2.34 billion, making it the second highest
grossing film ever, not accounting for inflation.
While that success points to a few things — Spider-Man's supremacy
among superheroes, the inconsistency of any “superhero fatigue” — it
was hard to miss how, for two months, Tom Holland and Zendaya (stars
in "Brand New Day,” co-stars in “The Odyssey”) presided over summer
moviegoing.
The 30-year-old stars, and their obvious drawing power, reflect the
considerable influence Gen Z has on the box office. Those aged 14 to
29 were already ranking as the demographic going most often to
theaters. According to Cinema United, the exhibitor trade group, Gen
Z in 2025 averaged a leading 6.1 visits, up from 4.9 the year prior.
That was most evident in the twin successes of “Obsession” and
“Backrooms” earlier in the summer. A24's “Backrooms,” directed by
21-year-old Kane Parsons, grossed $394.1 million worldwide on a $10
million budget. That a pair of 20-something former YouTubers
outperformed Spielberg and “Supergirl” suggests shifting tides in
American moviegoing.
“I think we’re a little tired of being at home. Our generation is
the COVID generation a little bit,” Barker said in an earlier
interview while basking in the grosses for “Obsession.” “I was
fortunate enough to have all four years of high school experience.
My brother Riley lost two years of that. We’re sick of the phones.”
Large-format screens, and 70 mm
According to S&P Global, the number of overall ticket sales is still
well behind where they were in 2019. Through mid-August in 2019,
cinemas sold 795.9 million tickets. Over that same period this year,
the number is 547.1 million.
What's making up the difference is ticket prices, particularly for
large-format showings. Business has been best on the biggest
screens. In July, “The Odyssey” led IMAX to its best month ever,
with $257 million in worldwide sales.
IMAX, more differentiated from home TVs than your average movie
screen, never saw the same downturn that broader exhibition did.
“IMAX had a record in 2025. We beat the number from pre-pandemic and
we expect to beat last year’s number this year,” says Richard
Gelfond, IMAX chief executive. “So we’ve been back.”
Still, the craze over seeing “The Odyssey” in 70 mm IMAX isn't
likely to be forgotten. Film format increasingly drives moviegoing.
The chance to see this year's best-picture winner “One Battle After
Another” in VistaVision was part of its pull on cinephiles.
It's also one reason why the looming matchup of “Avengers: Doomsday”
and “Dune: Part III” will be so fascinating. In December, “Dune:
Part III” will have IMAX exclusivity while Disney is promoting
“Infinity Vision” — a designation for premium large format screens —
for “Doomsday.” But in a similar situation, things worked out just
fine for “The Odyssey” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.”
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