Cinema United, the world’s largest trade association for movie exhibitors, unveiled its annual report today assessing the current state of theatrical exhibition.
Rather than focusing solely on box office grosses, the report digs into audience behavior and reveals a notable shift: moviegoing among Gen Z—those from their early teens to late twenties—jumped 25% over the past year, marking the biggest gain of any demographic.
Gen Z moviegoers logged an average of 6.1 theater visits annually, up from 4.9 the previous year, with 41% of that demographic attending the cinema six times or more. The two genres that drove Gen Z to theaters were video game adaptations (“A Minecraft Movie”) and anime (“Chainsaw Man”).
If you’re searching for reasons to be optimistic about the state of movie theaters, this study offers one of the more encouraging signs. Cultural momentum is shaped by younger audiences, and they’re still showing up—cinemas remain very much on their radar.
There’s been a clear change lately. At the last few screenings I went to, the audience skewed heavily Gen Z, while older moviegoers seemed far more content to stay home after fully embracing streaming during the pandemic. Platforms like Letterboxd also appear to be part of the equation, turning Gen Z online enthusiasm into ticket sales.
On the broader metrics, 77% of Americans went to the movies at least once this year, the share of frequent moviegoers (six or more visits) rose by 8%, and enrollment in theater loyalty programs increased by 15%.
I actually find that number optimistic. Tickets for “Digger” go on sale next Tuesday, and presales will give us a better picture of how bad it’s looking.