Need proof the movies are really, truly back? The summer box office was already the biggest since COVID upended the industry in 2020 — and now the season has become the highest-grossing of all time. Domestic ticket sales from May 1 through Labor Day on Sept. 7 stand at $4.76 billion, according to Rentrak. Revenues surpassed the long-held record set in 2013 with $4.755 billion, anchored by “Iron Man 3,” “Despicable Me 2” and “Man of Steel.”
This summer’s benchmark comes with two major caveats: Ticket sales from more than a decade ago weren’t adjusted for inflation, and popcorn season was slightly longer (running at 130 days compared to 123 days in 2013) because of Labor Day’s placement on the calendar. Still, it’s a significant milestone because it signals that after five years of uncertainty about the movie business, people have fallen back in love with the silver screen.
While the summer box office record marks an important turning point for movie theaters, the numbers are only part of the story,” says Rentrak’s head of marketplace trends Paul Dergarabedian. “What makes this summer uniquely important and potentially pivotal is that, for many people, it may have been the season that reminded them just how much fun it is to go to the movies. That can inspire future moviegoing, create a new generation of theatergoers and, with so many great films still ahead, keep that momentum going.”
