For the first time in box office history, the year’s top-grossing film was not American: China’s animated Ne Zha 2 earned roughly $2.001 billion worldwide, per Box Office Mojo. The global box office reached an estimated $33.5 billion in 2025, up about 12% on 2024 (Gower Street Analytics). North American theaters took in $8.87 billion, a modest 1.5% gain that still sits 22% below pre-pandemic 2019 (Comscore). IMAX, meanwhile, closed its best year ever at a record $1.28 billion, up 40% year over year (IMAX Corporation). This analysis consolidates data from Comscore, Gower Street Analytics, the MPA, Cinema United, IMAX, Pew Research Center, and 12 other primary sources on where theatrical stands heading into 2026.
TL;DR
- Global box office hit an estimated $33.5 billion in 2025, up ~12% on 2024’s $30 billion (Gower Street Analytics, 2026).
- US and Canada grossed $8.87 billion, up 1.5% but still 22% below 2019’s $11.4 billion (Comscore, via Screen Daily 2026).
- Ne Zha 2 became the first non-American film to finish as the world’s top grosser, at ~$2.001 billion (Box Office Mojo, via Forbes 2025).
- China’s box office rose ~22% to $7.4 billion on 1.24 billion admissions (Deadline, 2026).
- Japan set an all-time record of 274.45 billion yen ($1.79 billion), up 32%, led by anime (The Hollywood Reporter, 2026).
- IMAX posted a record $1.28 billion, +40% year over year, on ~1% of the world’s screens (IMAX Corporation, 2026).
- Only 53% of Americans said they saw a movie in a theater in the past year; 7% never have (Pew Research Center, 2026).
- Gen Z made up nearly 40% of North American audiences and averaged ~7 visits a year (Fandango, via Variety 2026).
- The summer 2025 box office of $3.67 billion was among the weakest in decades on an inflation-adjusted basis (TheWrap, 2025).
- The average first transactional-VOD window for wide releases lengthened to 39 days, up from 36 in 2024 (Omdia, 2026).
- North America has roughly 5,700 fewer screens than before the pandemic, about 12% of the pre-COVID footprint (Variety, 2025).
1. The Global Box Office Rebound
Theatrical is recovering, slowly. The estimated $33.5 billion global total for 2025 marks a second straight year of growth and the highest since 2019, yet it still trails that pre-pandemic peak of $42.3 billion by more than a fifth (Gower Street Analytics). The gap is structural, not cyclical: fewer wide releases, longer gaps between tentpoles, and a China market that no longer reliably lifts the global number. Gower Street’s early 2026 forecast started at $35 billion before being revised down to $34.7 billion after a soft Chinese New Year.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Global box office, 2025 | $33.5 billion (est.) | Gower Street Analytics, via Deadline 2026 |
| Growth vs 2024 | +12% (from ~$30 billion) | Gower Street Analytics, 2026 |
| Global box office, 2023 (post-pandemic high) | $33.9 billion | Gower Street Analytics, 2024 |
| Global box office, 2019 (pre-pandemic) | $42.3 billion | Gower Street Analytics, 2026 |
| 2026 global forecast (revised April 2026) | $34.7 billion | Gower Street Analytics, 2026 |
| 2026 North America forecast | ~$9.9 billion (+11%) | Gower Street Analytics, 2026 |
Estimates diverge by methodology: Ampere Analysis pegged 2023 global theatrical revenue at $30.3 billion, below Gower Street’s $33.9 billion, because the two firms scope the “theatrical market” differently. The MPA’s annual THEME Report remains the reference frame for combining theatrical with home and mobile entertainment. Streaming’s scale reshaped that mix; see our Netflix statistics for the other side of the ledger.
2. North America by the Numbers
The domestic story is a shallow rebound on a low base. US and Canada grosses of $8.87 billion were up just 1.5%, and remain 22% below the 2019 total of $11.4 billion (Comscore, via Screen Daily). Attendance is the tell: roughly 769.2 million tickets were sold, about two per person, and admissions fell close to 5% even as revenue rose, because average ticket prices climbed to $13.29. The summer corridor, historically the engine of the calendar, delivered one of its weakest showings in decades.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| US/Canada box office, 2025 | $8.87 billion (+1.5% vs 2024) | Comscore, via Screen Daily 2026 |
| Vs 2019 pre-pandemic ($11.4 billion) | -22% | Comscore, 2026 |
| Tickets sold, US/Canada 2025 | 769.2 million | Pew Research Center, 2026 |
| Domestic admissions estimate | 780 million (-4.9% vs 2024) | EntTelligence, via Deadline 2026 |
| Average standard ticket price | $13.29 | Comscore, 2025 |
| Summer 2025 box office (May-Labor Day) | $3.67 billion | Comscore, via TheWrap 2025 |
| PG-rated releases gross | $2.93 billion | Comscore, 2026 |
Outlier note: the summer 2025 total of $3.67 billion barely edged past 2024’s $3.68 billion and, adjusted for inflation, ranks among the worst since the early 1980s excluding the pandemic years (Box Office Mojo, via Forbes 2025).
3. The Films and Studios That Drove 2025
Family and franchise animation carried the year. Ne Zha 2 grossed roughly $2.001 billion worldwide, the first time a non-American release finished as the year’s global number one (Box Office Mojo, via Forbes). Behind it, Zootopia 2 and the live-action Lilo and Stitch each cleared $1 billion, while Disney’s overall slate lifted the studio to the top of the global rankings. Concentration is high: the three largest studios captured close to 70% of the domestic market, a dynamic that also shapes how films get greenlit and produced (see our AI in Hollywood statistics).
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Top film worldwide: Ne Zha 2 | $2.001 billion | Box Office Mojo, via Forbes 2025 |
| #2 worldwide: Zootopia 2 | $1.103 billion | Box Office Mojo, via Forbes 2025 |
| #3 worldwide: Lilo and Stitch | $1.038 billion | Box Office Mojo, via Forbes 2025 |
| Top domestic film: A Minecraft Movie | $423.9 million | Comscore, 2026 |
| Disney global gross (studio #1) | $6.58 billion | Screen Daily, 2026 |
| Warner Bros global gross | $4.4 billion | Screen Daily, 2026 |
| Universal global gross | $3.89 billion | Deadline, 2026 |
| Top 3 studios’ combined domestic share | ~70% | Screen Daily, 2026 |
Domestically, Disney held about 27.5% share on $2.49 billion, with Warner Bros at ~21% and Universal at ~19.7% (Screen Daily, 2026).
4. International Markets: China and Japan Set Records
The two Asian giants pulled in opposite emotional directions but both broke records. China’s box office rose about 22% to $7.4 billion, with domestic titles taking a commanding 79.67% of receipts and Ne Zha 2 alone accounting for roughly a third of the annual haul at $2.13 billion (Deadline; Variety). Japan, meanwhile, surged 32% to an all-time high of $1.79 billion, driven overwhelmingly by anime; Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle led the market. The anime economy behind that boom is detailed in our anime industry statistics.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| China box office, 2025 | $7.4 billion (51.8 billion yuan, +22%) | SCMP, 2026 |
| China admissions, 2025 | 1.24 billion | Deadline, 2026 |
| China local-film share | 79.67% | Variety, 2026 |
| Ne Zha 2 China gross | $2.13 billion | Variety, 2026 |
| Japan box office, 2025 | 274.45 billion yen ($1.79 billion, +32%, record) | The Hollywood Reporter, 2026 |
| Japan admissions, 2025 | 188.76 million (+30.7%) | The Hollywood Reporter, 2026 |
| Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle (Japan) | 39.14 billion yen ($255 million) | The Hollywood Reporter, 2026 |
Context: Japan’s previous record was 261.18 billion yen ($1.70 billion), set in 2019, so 2025 cleared a pre-pandemic peak that many Western markets have not (The Hollywood Reporter, 2026).
5. Premium Formats and the IMAX Record
Premium is where the money is moving. IMAX closed its best year ever at a record $1.28 billion, up 40% year over year and 13% above its 2019 record, on roughly 1% of the world’s screens (IMAX Corporation). That footprint produced about 5% of all ticket sales and a record 3.8% of global box office, an efficiency no standard screen can match. Premium large format broadly now accounts for more than 16% of US showtimes’ ticket sales, and those seats carry a meaningful price premium.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| IMAX global box office, 2025 | $1.28 billion (record, +40%) | IMAX Corporation, 2026 |
| IMAX vs its 2019 record | +13% | IMAX Corporation, 2026 |
| IMAX global market share | 3.8% (record) | IMAX Corporation, 2026 |
| IMAX share of ticket sales vs screens | ~5% of tickets on ~1% of screens | The Hollywood Reporter, 2026 |
| IMAX 2025 releases | 122 (67 international from 14 countries) | IMAX Corporation, 2026 |
| PLF share of US ticket sales, 2025 | >16% (up from 15% in 2024) | Boxoffice Pro, 2025 |
| Average PLF ticket price | $17.65 | Boxoffice Pro, 2025 |
| IMAX 2026 global forecast | $1.4 billion | IMAX Corporation, 2026 |
Outlier note: IMAX’s domestic take of $449 million (+14%), international $427 million (+12%), and local-language slate of $405 million (+65%) all set records in the same year (IMAX Corporation, 2026).
6. Who Goes to the Movies: Demographics and Gen Z
The audience is younger and shallower than the box office alone suggests. Only about 53% of Americans said they had seen a movie in a theater in the past year, and 7% said they never have (Pew Research Center). Age is the sharpest divide: two-thirds of adults 18-29 attended, versus 39% of those 65 and older. The bright spot is Gen Z, which made up nearly 40% of North American audiences and drove the fastest growth in attendance frequency of any group.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Americans who saw a movie in theaters in past year | 53% | Pew Research Center, 2026 |
| Adults 18-29 who attended (vs 65+) | ~67% (vs 39%) | Pew Research Center, 2026 |
| Americans who have never seen a movie in theaters | 7% | Pew Research Center, 2026 |
| Gen Z who saw >=1 movie theatrically (12 mo) | 87% (vs 58% of boomers) | Fandango, via Variety 2026 |
| Gen Z share of North American audiences, 2025 | ~40% | Fandango / Cinema United, 2026 |
| Gen Z and millennial average annual visits | ~7 (vs 5.7 for boomers) | Fandango, via Variety 2026 |
| Americans 12-74 who saw >=1 movie, 2025 | 77% (200M+ people) | Cinema United / NRG, 2025 |
| Growth in habitual moviegoers (6+ films/yr) | +8% | Cinema United, 2025 |
Pew surveyed 9,916 US adults from July 8 to Aug. 3, 2025; the higher 77% reach figure comes from an NRG panel of ages 12-74 cited by Cinema United, a difference of scope and age band rather than contradiction.
7. Theatrical Windows and the Exhibition Footprint
After years of compression, exclusivity windows are stretching back out. The average first transactional-VOD window for wide releases rose to 39 days in 2025, and the top 10 North American films averaged 51 days before digital rental, up from 45 a year earlier (Omdia). Studios increasingly tailor windows by title, with blockbusters getting the longest theatrical runs. That matters because the exhibition base is still smaller than before the pandemic. The streaming picture those windows feed into is covered in our video streaming statistics.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Average first TVOD window, wide releases 2025 | 39 days (up from 36 in 2024) | Omdia, 2026 |
| Top 10 North American films to first TVOD | 51 days (up from 45) | Omdia, 2026 |
| Average SVOD window | 95 days (down from 98 in 2024) | Omdia, 2026 |
| Disney average theatrical-to-PVOD gap | 61.6 days | ScreenRant / Cinelytic, 2025 |
| US/Canada screens (Cinema United members) | ~31,000 | Cinema United, 2025 |
| North America screens lost vs pre-COVID | ~5,700 (~12% of footprint) | Variety, 2025 |
| Theater upgrade investment, past year | $1.5 billion+ | Cinema United, 2025 |
Outlier note: exhibitors are spending to defend the footprint they have; loyalty-program subscriptions across North America jumped 15% from 2024 to 2025 (Cinema United, 2025).
Summary: Box Office by the Numbers
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Global box office, 2025 | $33.5 billion (est.) | Gower Street Analytics, 2026 |
| Global growth vs 2024 | +12% | Gower Street Analytics, 2026 |
| 2026 global forecast | $34.7 billion | Gower Street Analytics, 2026 |
| US/Canada box office, 2025 | $8.87 billion (+1.5%) | Comscore, 2026 |
| US tickets sold, 2025 | 769.2 million | Pew Research Center, 2026 |
| Average US ticket price | $13.29 | Comscore, 2025 |
| Summer 2025 box office | $3.67 billion | TheWrap, 2025 |
| Top film worldwide (Ne Zha 2) | $2.001 billion | Box Office Mojo, via Forbes 2025 |
| Top studio (Disney), global | $6.58 billion | Screen Daily, 2026 |
| China box office, 2025 | $7.4 billion (+22%) | Deadline, 2026 |
| Japan box office, 2025 | $1.79 billion (record, +32%) | The Hollywood Reporter, 2026 |
| IMAX global box office, 2025 | $1.28 billion (record, +40%) | IMAX Corporation, 2026 |
| IMAX global market share | 3.8% | IMAX Corporation, 2026 |
| PLF share of US ticket sales | >16% | Boxoffice Pro, 2025 |
| Americans who saw a movie in past year | 53% | Pew Research Center, 2026 |
| Gen Z share of North American audiences | ~40% | Fandango / Cinema United, 2026 |
| Average first TVOD window, 2025 | 39 days | Omdia, 2026 |
| North America screens lost vs pre-COVID | ~5,700 | Variety, 2025 |
Methodology and Sources
Data was gathered from year-end 2025 and H1 2026 industry reports, trade disclosures, and survey releases, prioritizing primary providers and cross-referencing revenue and attendance figures across two or more sources where possible.
Sources cited:
- Gower Street Analytics - global box office estimates and 2026 forecast (2024-2026)
- Comscore - domestic box office, ticket prices, studio and summer data, via Screen Daily and TheWrap (2025-2026)
- Motion Picture Association, THEME Report - global theatrical and home/mobile entertainment framework
- Cinema United, Strength of Theatrical Exhibition December 2025 Update - attendance, loyalty, and screen metrics (2025)
- IMAX Corporation - IMAX 2025 results and 2026 forecast
- Pew Research Center - US moviegoing habits survey (2026)
- Fandango, via Variety - generational moviegoing study (2026)
- Deadline, Global and China Box Office Report Cards - global and China totals (2026)
- The Hollywood Reporter - Japan box office record and IMAX reporting (2026)
- Screen Daily - studio rankings and North American totals (2026)
- Box Office Mojo, via Forbes - top-grossing films worldwide (2025)
- Boxoffice Pro - premium large format share and pricing (2025)
- ScreenRant / Cinelytic - theatrical window strategy by studio (2025)
- South China Morning Post - China box office total (2026); Variety - China local-film share and Ne Zha 2 (2026); Omdia - transactional and subscription VOD windows (2026); EntTelligence - domestic admissions (2026); NRG - moviegoer reach panel (2025); Ampere Analysis - global theatrical revenue scope (2023).
Data watch: Gower Street Analytics revises its global forecast around CinemaCon each spring; the MPA typically publishes its THEME Report in the first half of the year covering the prior year; Cinema United updates its Strength of Theatrical Exhibition report each December; IMAX reports quarterly earnings; and Pew Research Center periodically refreshes its moviegoing survey. Expect next editions across late 2026 and early 2027.
Last updated: July 17, 2026. We review and update this page quarterly as new data is published.