The summer movie season has wrapped, and the numbers aren’t pretty. With Labor Day included, North American grosses hit $3.6 billion. That’s slightly below last year’s $3.67 billion, and well off the $4.09 billion of 2022.
Studios are calling this a worst-case scenario.
One executive tells THR they’re “very, very nervous for the future,” pointing less to a shortage of films than a shrinking audience for them. Since mid-June, only one weekend — the launch of “Superman” — managed to top its 2023 equivalent.
The international market hasn’t helped. Overseas grosses for superhero movies have cratered this year, especially across Europe and Asia, where interest in Hollywood blockbusters is down sharply. Pre-pandemic, eight of the top ten studio titles got more than 60% of their money abroad. Last year, that number was six. This year? Just three.
The big hit of the summer was Disney’s Lilo & Stitch — a live-action remake — which brought in over $420, and exceeded $1 billion worldwide, largely fueling Memorial Day’s record-setting weekend.
The second biggest summer hit was another IP tentpole, “Jurassic World Rebirth,” which crossed the $330M mark in North America and $855M globally.
The biggest surprise? “F1” which has quietly overtaken James Gunn’s “Superman” at the worldwide box office — $613M vs. $610M. A racing drama edging out DC’s flagship hero wasn’t on anyone’s bingo card this summer. Further proof that a grounded, non-franchise, star-driven action-drama can still capture global interest when executed properly.
Regardless, Summer 2026 might fare better with such titles as “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” “Toy Story 5,” “Minions 3,” “The Odyssey,” “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” and “Moana” set for release.
The prime catalyst for Netflix's risk-free shift may have been new content chief Dan Lin, who said two years ago that the company would greenlight films "more about audience, and less about auteurs."