LOS ANGELES — Hollywood is closing its strongest summer since the Covid-19 pandemic, with U.S. and Canadian theaters generating $4.6 billion from the first weekend in May through Aug. 30, measurement firm Rentrak reported, according to Reuters.
The haul is up about 26 percent from summer 2025 and reflects an eclectic mix of blockbusters, sequels and original films that drew Gen Z audiences and women back to theaters. Analysts estimate the full-year domestic box office could top $10 billion for the first time since 2019, when ticket sales finished near $11.4 billion.
Paul Dergarabedian, Rentrak’s head of marketplace trends, said summer momentum could carry through the holidays when “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Dune: Part Three” reach theaters. The Labor Day weekend still closes the official summer season on Sept. 7; even a strong finish is unlikely to catch the inflation-adjusted 2013 summer record of about $6.8 billion set in the era of “Iron Man 3” and “Despicable Me 2.”
Year-to-date domestic sales had already crossed $7 billion by late August, Deadline reported, fueled by titles including “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” Pixar’s “Toy Story 5,” and breakout originals from YouTube-rooted filmmakers. Industry executives cast the rebound as evidence the theatrical window still matters after pandemic closures and the simultaneous 2023 writers’ and actors’ strikes.
Sources: Reuters; The Straits Times.
