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Hollywood box office report 2025 | Avatar Fire and Ash, Zootopia 2 not enough to beat pre-pandemic highs in anxious year
The Hollywood box office reported earnings of over $8 billion this year, just 1.2% up from 2024, and way below the pre-pandemic highs.
A lot had been expected of 2025 in terms of Hollywood box office performance. There were some huge releases, such as the final Mission Impossible film and Avatar: Fire and Ash. In the middle of the year, horror found a lease of life with Sinners and other hits. And Zootopia hit it out of the park, along with A Minecraft Movie. Yet, the success of these films was not enough to assuage fears of takeovers, shutdowns, and more in an anxious year for Hollywood.
Tepid growth for Hollywood box office in 2025
The year saw tepid growth for Hollywood films in North America in 2025, with cinemas struggling to recover to pre-pandemic sales levels. Bloomberg reported that U.S. and Canadian theatres took in $8.76 billion through December 28 this year. While this represented a 1.6% increase from 2024, according to Comscore, it was still well below the pre-pandemic highs seen by the cinema industry, when a $10 billion year was the norm. The full-year record of $11.9 billion was set in 2018.
The few bright lights
Two films from Disney, Avatar: Fire and Ash and Zootopia 2, led the earnings in the final days of the year. But they were not enough to help the industry surpass the pre-pandemic days.
While the top 10 was once again dominated by sequels and spinoffs from popular franchises, there were exceptions to the rule. Warner Bros Discovery produced A Minecraft Movie, which finished No. 1 in domestic ticket sales, while Sinners, an original horror film from director Ryan Coogler, came in seventh.
Fears about the future of theatres
Yet, news of share dips and hostile takeovers meant the year remained anxious for the larger cinema industry in the US. Shares of AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc., the largest US theatre chain, declined almost 60% this year. The news of Netflix trying to acquire Warner Bros Discovery has led to increasing fears of the theatrical model itself. Netflix has historically released just a fraction of its films for limited theatrical runs. So even as the streamer has promised to continue to release Warner Bros. films in theatres if it prevails, many are still worried about the future of theatres.
Ironically, the year ends in theatres with the final episode of a streaming show playing there. In a special promotion, Netflix is putting the final episode of its TV show Stranger Things in theatres for two days starting December 31. The seats are free, but attendees must purchase concessions in advance.
