Hollywood recorded its strongest North American summer box office since 2013, with cinemas in the United States and Canada collecting about $4.6 billion from early May through the end of August. Reuters and the Associated Press reported on September 4 that ticket revenue rose about 26% from the 2025 summer, citing figures from the measurement company Rentrak.
The rebound came from a varied slate rather than a single phenomenon. Major releases including Spider-Man: Brand New Day, The Odyssey and Toy Story 5 led the market, while lower-budget horror films such as Backrooms and Obsession also drew unusually strong interest from younger viewers. Films including Michael, The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Scary Movie helped broaden attendance among women and other audience groups.
Industry executives attributed the gains to studios offering more distinct choices and to viewers returning for filmmaker-led projects as well as familiar franchises. Reuters reported that surveys by Enact Insight found greater willingness to attend on opening weekends. The success of The Odyssey also increased demand for 70-millimeter presentations and helped IMAX achieve a record summer at the box office.
The recovery remains incomplete. Studios placed 34 films into wide release during the summer, compared with 32 in 2025 but 44 in 2019, before the pandemic. The Associated Press also noted that admissions remain below earlier levels after accounting for inflation and higher ticket prices, while Hollywood continues to navigate the effects of the pandemic, the 2023 labor strikes and broader technological and corporate disruption.
Even with those limits, the audience mix offered encouragement to exhibitors. Cinema United said the impact of the 2023 strikes lasted longer than many observers understood, but production and release schedules are now regaining consistency. Vue cinema founder Tim Richards told Reuters that Generation Z viewers were returning in record numbers, describing the trend as global and important to the industry's future.
Rentrak analyst Paul Dergarabedian said momentum could continue with Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three scheduled for later in the year. He projected that the full 2026 domestic box office could reach $10 billion for the first time since 2019. The summer season formally runs through the September 7 Labor Day holiday, so final totals may still rise, although the inflation-adjusted 2013 record of $6.8 billion remains out of reach.
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