(CNN) Despite recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, the film industry hasn’t had many recent successes. Blockbusters that fell far short of expectations, a writers’ strike, and the question of whether to release films in cinemas before they were streamed online presented challenges for the studios.
Due to the lack of a big holiday-season movie or an unexpected crowd-pleaser in January, the domestic box office resumed its habit of starting the year slowly, rekindling concerns that the industry may be facing long-term financial difficulties.
From January 1 to April 3, the box office saw a 13% decrease from the same period the previous year, which was 7.6% lower than 2023.
The idea that the first three months are usually slow is not a hard-and-fast rule. According to Paul Dergarabedian, senior analyst at Comscore, they can occasionally be quite successful if you have a major blockbuster film and a few breakout hits.
Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New World was the first big release of 2025. It made over $100 million during the four-day Presidents Day holiday weekend in February, but its earnings fell 68% in the second week.
From there, not much got better. Based on Comscore data, the box office saw an almost 50% decline in March compared to the same month the previous year. Disney’s Snow White, which opened to a pitiful $43 million amid divisive emotions regarding casting and politics, most definitely did not boost ticket sales.
A Hollywood comeback
But then things started to change.
A wide range of films released in April attracted both nostalgic viewers and spectators after favorable reviews.
Warner Bros. Pictures bore a large portion of the burden for the month. With over $275 million in domestic sales, Ryan Coogler’s critically praised Sinners has surpassed projections, while the studio’s A Minecraft Movie launched to about $163 million. CNN’s parent company is Warner Bros. Discovery.
After Minecraft’s impressive success, the industry experienced a record Memorial Day weekend, with box office receipts up 22% from 2024.
Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch remake, which debuted with a record $183 million, was the biggest hit. With nearly $380 million in domestic sales to far, Lilo & Stitch has the potential to surpass Minecraft ($423.9 million) as the highest-grossing game of the year. Other May winners include Warner Bros.’ Final Destination: Bloodlines ($133 million), Paramount’s Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning ($173 million), and the high-profile Disney/Marvel film Thunderbolts ($189 million).
With How to Train Your Dragon, the momentum continued into June. Since its premiere last weekend, Universal’s live-action version has already brought in close to $135 million.
According to Comscore data, the total box office is approaching $4 billion for 2025, an 18% increase over this time last year.
According to Comscore, 2023 was the first post-pandemic year to generate over $4 billion between May 1st and Labor Day.
Greg Durkin, the creator of the entertainment data company Enact Insights, credits the industry’s resurgence to an increase in high-caliber movies.
Additionally, there are upcoming high-potential films. Universal Pictures’ M3GAN 2.0 and Warner Bros. Pictures’ F1 are scheduled to open on Friday. Warner Bros. Superman and Universal Pictures’ Jurassic World Rebirth are scheduled for release in July; according to Durkin, both films will be huge box office successes. He went on to say that The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which Disney will release in July, will likewise be a success.
According to Shawn Robbins, director of analytics at Fandango and founder and owner of Box Office Theory, Superman, Fantastic Four, and perhaps to some extent Jurassic World will be major players to almost reach $4 billion this summer.
It s still a risky business
We don’t sell Coca-Cola or Frosted Flakes. Daniel Loria, editorial director of Boxoffice Pro, stated that this product reinvents itself every week.
Thankfully, moviegoers now engage with films more, but it’s still a risky industry, Loria continued.
It can be beneficial to have a varied selection of films. Since April, viewers have had the option of romantic comedies (Materialists), action films (Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning), horror films (Sinners), and family and children’s films (How to Train Your Dragon and Lilo & Stitch).
There are hot and cold streaks throughout the lineup. According to FranchiseRe publisher and movie office analyst David A. Gross, something may seem good on paper but not work when released, and vice versa.
Even superhero films, like Captain America and Thunderbolts, haven’t consistently done as well as they did before the outbreak, according to Gross.
Additionally, according to Gross, June will be down roughly 26% from the pre-pandemic average and down roughly 6.5% from last year, even though April and May helped this year’s box office recover from a bad start.
“It’s not time to pop the champagne just yet because the recovery is slipping compared to last year,” Gross added.
Movies are recession-proof
Americans have demonstrated that they will shy away from costly commitments and pursue smaller pleasures during periods of greater political and economic unpredictability. For some, that entails forgoing expensive goods in favor of trips.
According to Durkin, going to the movies is more affordable than renting a house, taking a plane, or renting a car. That escape is still necessary for you.
According to Durkin, going to the movies is a rewarding and valuable social event.
A special showing was held in Clarksdale, Mississippi, the town that served as the inspiration for Sinners’ setting, so that residents of the theater-less community may see the movie together.
According to Loria, moviegoers are still price conscious. Theater companies like AMC provide discounted screenings on Tuesdays, despite the fact that premium offers in places like New York and Los Angeles can cost up to $25 for a single ticket. AMC will begin providing Wednesday savings of 50% on July 9.
“PG-rated films have been booming as families head to theaters,” Dergarabedian said, adding that it’s a reasonably priced option to escape the outside world for a few hours.
He said, “Looking at 2025 in a vacuum, what a great recovery.” Everything is founded on products. The box office is determined by the films, not the month.
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