Movie theaters finally got their blockbuster ending. Domestic summer ticket sales hit $4.76B from May 1 through Labor Day, breaking the 2013 record before inflation and marking a major comeback for theaters. Spider-Man, The Odyssey, Toy Story 5, and a wave of horror hits turned summer into Hollywood’s biggest post-pandemic victory lap.
- Summer revenue rose nearly 30% from 2025, while 322.8M tickets sold marked a 22.6% attendance jump, according to EntTelligence.
- “Obsession” crossed $500M worldwide on a sub-$1M budget, while “Backrooms” reached $394.1M worldwide on $10M.
Popcorn math: Despite the summer success, the comeback still leans heavily on a handful of monster releases. Analysts cited by the Los Angeles Times expect the 2026 domestic box office to clear $10B for the first time since before the pandemic, with more than $7.3B already in the bank. The next big test comes Dec. 18, when Dune: Part Three and Avengers: Doomsday go head-to-head.