TORONTO – Summer blockbusters are shattering records this year, giving a boost to movie theatres which have continued to struggle following the COVID-19 pandemic. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” smashed North American box office records, bringing in US$360 million in the opening weekend, while Christopher Nolan’s epic “The Odyssey” has officially become the highest-grossing IMAX release of all time. While the two films have given a significant boost to movie theatres, other films like “The Invite” and “Michael” have also brought moviegoers out in ways not seen since the “Barbenheimer” craze of 2023, when Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” were released at the same time. “Just being with other people because, well … we don’t socialize (as much),” said Sherry Davis, as she tried to decide what movie to see on her own Tuesday afternoon. “For me to go by myself is really not by myself, because I’m going to be with other people.” The North American box office has officially topped US$4 billion this summer, according to analytics company Rentrak. The summer season is crucial for theatres, typically representing about 40 per cent of the annual box office. This marks just the second time since the COVID-19 pandemic that North American summer box office revenues have surpassed the US$4-billion mark, a benchmark that was routinely hit before 2020. On Tuesday, Cineplex – the largest theatre company in Canada – reported second-quarter revenue of more than C$383.7 million, the highest Q2 revenue in the company’s history. Nearly 12.7 million guests visited Cineplex theatres, an increase of 9.3 per cent compared to last year. “I think that we are going to see people going back to theaters,” said CTV News film critic Richard Crouse. “I think that it in some way may depend on what movies get released, but there’s all these little ones coming out of left field that are really grabbing people’s attention.” Those include two low-budget horror films – “Backrooms” and “Obsession” – which have been especially popular with gen-Z moviegoers. Crouse attributes some of the increase at the box office to younger theatregoers embracing the movie experience. “It’s something that a younger generation, I think, kind of feels like they missed out on, because of COVID-19 and streaming and everything else that happened,” he said. “They’re embracing it again. And they’re not just going to see the big movies: they’re finding their own entertainment and they’re embracing it.” With several more weeks to go until Labour Day and the end of the summer movie season, insiders anticipate this will be the most profitable summer since 2019.
