Blockbuster Weekend Kickstarts Hollywood’s Best Summer Since 2019

Hollywood has spent years wondering if the cinema was dead — not this summer. Industry insiders projected a $190M Memorial Day weekend and got $222M instead, with domestic box office up 14% from last year. With May on track to break recent records, analysts forecast a $4.1–4.3B summer haul that rivals the pre-pandemic peak.

• The diversified slate drove the blockbuster weekend — as six crossed $10M each, and a micro-budget horror film (Obsession) even grossed $60M domestically in just 11 days.
• NetflixNFLX
  launched its first theatrical release, AmazonAMZN
  pledged 12+ annual films, and AMC’sAMC
  CEO bought $344K in company stock — sending shares higher.

Worth watching: The economy is quietly doing Hollywood a favor. With real incomes stalling and credit card debt rising, a $10.75 movie ticket has become one of the few guilt-free splurges left. But attendance tells a more unwilling story, as per-capita visits have fallen to half of what they were 25 years ago. Factor in a thinner 2027 release slate and a pending Warner BrosWBD

and Paramount SkydancePSKY

merger that could shrink Hollywood’s output, and this summer looks more like a test than a triumph.