Summer 2026 has become the highest-grossing season in US cinema history, with ticket sales reaching $4.76 billion between May 1 and September 7.
The result narrowly surpassed the previous record, set in 2013, when films including Iron Man 3, Despicable Me 2, Man of Steel, Monsters University and Fast & Furious 6 generated around $4.75 billion.
Sony’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Universal’s The Odyssey were the leading contributors this year, accounting for more than $1.5 billion between them — over 30 per cent of the summer total. Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5 also helped sustain audiences through the season.
The figures cover a 130-day period, seven days longer than the equivalent summer in 2013. Even so, the performance represents a significant recovery for the cinema industry, with the 2026 season finishing almost 10 per cent ahead of 2019, the last full pre-pandemic year.
Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Rentrak, said the results showed the benefit of a broad and consistent programme rather than relying on one major release to carry the market.
“One movie should not have to carry an entire season,” he said. “You need the event pictures, the family films, the breakout surprises, and the independent films working together to keep people coming back.”
Record box office, fewer admissions
The recovery is not being driven solely by larger audiences. Cinema attendance remains almost a quarter of a billion admissions below 2019 levels, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence, while the number of wide releases has also fallen.
Only 68 films have received wide releases in 2026, meaning they opened in or eventually played in more than 2,000 cinemas. That compares with 79 films during the same period in 2019.
Higher ticket prices, particularly for premium large-format screenings, have helped close the gap. The average ticket cost $12.75 in 2026, compared with $9.16 in 2019, while premium large-format tickets averaged about $18.26. The average price for an IMAX ticket was $20.57.
Audiences have nevertheless continued to pay for more expensive presentations. IMAX said on Tuesday that The Odyssey had become its highest-grossing release ever, generating $485 million for the format, while its summer takings reached a record $728 million worldwide.
The company said demand for 70mm screenings of Christopher Nolan’s film had been strong enough for screenings to be extended at dozens of locations. The success has reinforced the industry’s belief that audiences will pay a premium for films designed to be experienced on the biggest possible screen.
A wider range of films brings audiences back
Although the summer was led by major franchises and large-scale productions, smaller films also played an important role. Disney’s The Devil Wears Prada 2 provided the first major hit of the season, followed by Universal’s Obsession and A24’s horror film Backrooms.
Ticket sales for Lionsgate’s Michael, released in April, continued into the summer, before Toy Story 5 arrived in June. The five films together contributed more than $1.4 billion to the seasonal total.
Justin McDaniel, senior vice-president of global content at Cinemark, said the results reflected demand for films appealing to different sections of the audience, alongside the attraction of the cinema environment itself.
Marcus Theatres, the fourth-largest cinema chain in North America, also reported its strongest summer on record, including record sales from concessions, food, drink and merchandise. The company said attendance was at its highest summer level since 2019, with premium-format admissions also reaching a new high.
The industry is now hoping that momentum will continue through the final months of the year. The forthcoming slate includes Dune: Part Three, Avengers: Doomsday, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, Jumanji: Open World and a series of horror and genre films.
The strong summer has left the 2026 year-to-date box office about 7.5 per cent, or $595 million, below the comparable pre-pandemic benchmark. Analysts now believe the annual domestic total could exceed $10 billion for the first time in seven years.
