In 2019, 910 films were released, with total collection of $11.3 billion (avg of $12.5 million per release). Highest grossing film was Avengers Endgame.
In 2024, only 675 films were released, with total collection of $8.6 billion. Avg per release increased by +2% to $12.7 million. Highest grossing film was Inside Out 2.
In 2023 too, only 592 movies were released.
Studios are releasing fewer movies to theatres in the streaming era.
Oof – brutal.
I suspect two factors at play:
First, permanent changes personal behavior due to COVID, similar to the much stronger preference for WFH vs. commuting. I suspect that people coped with COVID by bulking up their home theater systems – better TVs and sound systems, better furniture, more engagement with streaming media – and those perks are still around.
As a related factor – COVID upended the common practices of Hollywood in releasing new material to streaming media. The lag time in the VHS/HBO era was like 2-3 years after the theatrical run; in the DVD/Blu-Ray era, it was more like 6-12 months; now, it’s like 0-3 months. I suspect that people aren’t chomping at the bit to catch their films in theaters when they’re available at home, for far cheaper, not too long after.
Second, bonkers levels of inflation across the board that skew people’s choices. In addition to the direct impact of inflated costs of movie tickets, theaters have to compete for customers’ money against things that *are* necessities and now cost more, like food and shelter. Since movie theater visits are 100% a luxury, they can can be the first thing sacrificed.
I used to love taking my kids to the movies but seems like there are 2 disney, 2 dreamworks and one or two stranglers a year to take them to now
The closest movie theater to me closed for covid and hasn’t re-opened.
Maybe if they tried making something other than re-boots, sequels and art house indie pics, people would actually show up.
The cinema is so expensive now too. I’m not in the US but I imagine it’s expensive there now too
Movies come to streaming sooo fast these days. Especially if it’s doesn’t do well. I’d rather get high on my couch than go to a theater.
The theater experience is so much worse now. People’s behavior seems to have changed. I’d like to go more but it’s generally just not worth it.
It’s okay, they just saved The Coyote v Acme movie. Everything will be fixed soon.
Phones and attention spans are a massive problem. I teach a film class to high schoolers, and 90% simply cannot watch a movie for 45 minutes. Most don’t go to the movies either.
Have they tried making better movies?
Maybe the need to think **outside** the box
Because it’s overpriced and they don’t put any good content out
i feel like the theaters are always a remake, sequel, avengers, horror, and prestige horror movie now which im not really interested in seeing plus studios are going straight to streaming way more now
The world is quite different than 2019 – the majority of high quality content was only available in theaters, technical staffing at theaters was correspondingly higher. COVID surged two investments that countered this – people upgraded their home systems with bigger screens, better quality audio, and studios created more content for streaming including new movies that either went streaming only or simultaneously with theaters. As a result we have theaters that are comparatively less impressive to home theaters, less exclusive content, and all in the middle of streaming wars where studios are competing for our time with an absolute barrage of “streaming-only” full-season shows.
Even “in-theaters-only” is super short now; Wicked was in theaters for only a month before it started streaming on Amazon. Why pay $50 for two people to get your shoes sticky staring at an old out of focus screen with bad audio risking getting whatever cold/flu is going around when you can pay $10 for a comfortable, clear, clean environment one month later?
The solution at the top end is clear; better content that looks great in IMAX – give people an experience that bests home viewing, and they’ll come. Requires investment by studios (hint: a terrible remake of Snow White isn’t it) and theater owners.
For example, we have a local theater that completely redesigned the theater for smaller spaces, but nicer recline chairs, better food options and updated projectors. Even though the screen itself is smaller than bigger places across town, we find ourselves going to it more often now.
Snow White will turn that around
I just hate sitting in the same tiny chair for 2 hours and not being able to pause or turn subtitles on.
Most movies have been shit since then. Either rehashes of old content (looking at you Disney) or just very blah experiences.
The two standouts for me are the Sonic franchise (Sonic having solid movies still blows my mind) and Wicked (though it could’ve done without as much breakout dance, the story absolutely sucked me in).
I only go to the theatre rarely now and it is to the local cinema that plays more art films than big old extravaganzas. Also I waited to stream some of the big films. Sorry not sorry.
Movies come out on digital literally a single week after they debut in the theater.
It used to be months between the theater and your first opportunity to watch a movie at home.
From my perspective, I picked up additional streaming services during COVID. The variety and availability sitting at home is so vast that it doesn’t make sense to head to the theater vs. waiting a bit for it to hit streaming.
I think since COVID, we’ve (Wife, I, three kids) have been to the new Marvel, Harry Potter, and PIxar releases. Pretty much everything else we just wait for it to hit the streaming platforms.
Fiber internet, AppleTV, access is so easy.
EDIT: Demographics probably matter. I spent the Summer of ’77 watching Star Wars at the mall about six times. Opening Day for all the Star Wars and Star Trek releases after that time. Opening day for Alien, Aliens, etc. In other words, I was the “dropped off at the Mall” generation. Movies and hanging out at the food court was pretty much my pre-driving entertainment.
Forced Woke shift destroyed box office along with streaming. Good stories still were a hit.
Maybe, just maybe, it’s also because many recent movies are just shit?
NO movie is worth >$80 for a family of three to see in a theater (tickets + snacks) when I can wait three months a stream it for <$30. Especially for some bullshit remake, sequel, prequel, or cartoon.
I now view going into the actual theater as going bowling.
Bowling alleys are six layer.
They will likely never recover.Â
I still enjoy going to the theater but it feels like the only options are horror and kids movies.
I hate sitting still for hours, not being able to get up to pee or grab a snack. Movie theaters are a big NO for me.
Top 10 things no one gives a shit about rn
Let’s see. Go out in to public. With people. And expensive prices. Or wait three months for it to come out so I can watch it at home with the family with a good Atmos setup at home. Plus the ability to pause it at any time if needed. And not deal with people. Im not that desperate to see a movie in theaters.
Make Movies Fun Again.
Honestly, why is the only movie I want to see this entire summer a Mission Impossible movie. Make fun movies and people will see them.
They need to recover from Marvel like movies, not from COVID. They are making boring/safe movies.
I think this chart would be more interesting if it was adjusted for inflation or just listed the number of tickets sold(ticket prices have gone up much faster than inflation). You would see that the US movie theaters were already struggling even before the pandemic. Ticket sales had already been generally [declining since 2002](https://www.the-numbers.com/market/). Increasing ticket prices helped keep the gross receipts up before the pandemic but that obviously isn’t a sustainable model long term. Eventually you just price a large percentage of people out.
The Covid-19 pandemic just accelerated a trend that was already occuring.
Maybe they should try making good movies again.
I’m a broken record on this, but you can charge admission or you can force commercials on people, pick one. The industry execs just don’t seem to get it and I can’t remember the last time I paid 14 bucks to have 15 minutes of ghastly commercials blasted into my eyeballs.
That generally happen when studio keep putting out shit products
36 comments
In 2019, 910 films were released, with total collection of $11.3 billion (avg of $12.5 million per release). Highest grossing film was Avengers Endgame.
In 2024, only 675 films were released, with total collection of $8.6 billion. Avg per release increased by +2% to $12.7 million. Highest grossing film was Inside Out 2.
In 2023 too, only 592 movies were released.
Studios are releasing fewer movies to theatres in the streaming era.
Oof – brutal.
I suspect two factors at play:
First, permanent changes personal behavior due to COVID, similar to the much stronger preference for WFH vs. commuting. I suspect that people coped with COVID by bulking up their home theater systems – better TVs and sound systems, better furniture, more engagement with streaming media – and those perks are still around.
As a related factor – COVID upended the common practices of Hollywood in releasing new material to streaming media. The lag time in the VHS/HBO era was like 2-3 years after the theatrical run; in the DVD/Blu-Ray era, it was more like 6-12 months; now, it’s like 0-3 months. I suspect that people aren’t chomping at the bit to catch their films in theaters when they’re available at home, for far cheaper, not too long after.
Second, bonkers levels of inflation across the board that skew people’s choices. In addition to the direct impact of inflated costs of movie tickets, theaters have to compete for customers’ money against things that *are* necessities and now cost more, like food and shelter. Since movie theater visits are 100% a luxury, they can can be the first thing sacrificed.
I used to love taking my kids to the movies but seems like there are 2 disney, 2 dreamworks and one or two stranglers a year to take them to now
The closest movie theater to me closed for covid and hasn’t re-opened.
Maybe if they tried making something other than re-boots, sequels and art house indie pics, people would actually show up.
The cinema is so expensive now too. I’m not in the US but I imagine it’s expensive there now too
Movies come to streaming sooo fast these days. Especially if it’s doesn’t do well. I’d rather get high on my couch than go to a theater.
The theater experience is so much worse now. People’s behavior seems to have changed. I’d like to go more but it’s generally just not worth it.
It’s okay, they just saved The Coyote v Acme movie. Everything will be fixed soon.
Phones and attention spans are a massive problem. I teach a film class to high schoolers, and 90% simply cannot watch a movie for 45 minutes. Most don’t go to the movies either.
Have they tried making better movies?
Maybe the need to think **outside** the box
Because it’s overpriced and they don’t put any good content out
i feel like the theaters are always a remake, sequel, avengers, horror, and prestige horror movie now which im not really interested in seeing plus studios are going straight to streaming way more now
The world is quite different than 2019 – the majority of high quality content was only available in theaters, technical staffing at theaters was correspondingly higher. COVID surged two investments that countered this – people upgraded their home systems with bigger screens, better quality audio, and studios created more content for streaming including new movies that either went streaming only or simultaneously with theaters. As a result we have theaters that are comparatively less impressive to home theaters, less exclusive content, and all in the middle of streaming wars where studios are competing for our time with an absolute barrage of “streaming-only” full-season shows.
Even “in-theaters-only” is super short now; Wicked was in theaters for only a month before it started streaming on Amazon. Why pay $50 for two people to get your shoes sticky staring at an old out of focus screen with bad audio risking getting whatever cold/flu is going around when you can pay $10 for a comfortable, clear, clean environment one month later?
The solution at the top end is clear; better content that looks great in IMAX – give people an experience that bests home viewing, and they’ll come. Requires investment by studios (hint: a terrible remake of Snow White isn’t it) and theater owners.
For example, we have a local theater that completely redesigned the theater for smaller spaces, but nicer recline chairs, better food options and updated projectors. Even though the screen itself is smaller than bigger places across town, we find ourselves going to it more often now.
Snow White will turn that around
I just hate sitting in the same tiny chair for 2 hours and not being able to pause or turn subtitles on.
Most movies have been shit since then. Either rehashes of old content (looking at you Disney) or just very blah experiences.
The two standouts for me are the Sonic franchise (Sonic having solid movies still blows my mind) and Wicked (though it could’ve done without as much breakout dance, the story absolutely sucked me in).
I only go to the theatre rarely now and it is to the local cinema that plays more art films than big old extravaganzas. Also I waited to stream some of the big films. Sorry not sorry.
Movies come out on digital literally a single week after they debut in the theater.
It used to be months between the theater and your first opportunity to watch a movie at home.
From my perspective, I picked up additional streaming services during COVID. The variety and availability sitting at home is so vast that it doesn’t make sense to head to the theater vs. waiting a bit for it to hit streaming.
I think since COVID, we’ve (Wife, I, three kids) have been to the new Marvel, Harry Potter, and PIxar releases. Pretty much everything else we just wait for it to hit the streaming platforms.
Fiber internet, AppleTV, access is so easy.
EDIT: Demographics probably matter. I spent the Summer of ’77 watching Star Wars at the mall about six times. Opening Day for all the Star Wars and Star Trek releases after that time. Opening day for Alien, Aliens, etc. In other words, I was the “dropped off at the Mall” generation. Movies and hanging out at the food court was pretty much my pre-driving entertainment.
Forced Woke shift destroyed box office along with streaming. Good stories still were a hit.
Maybe, just maybe, it’s also because many recent movies are just shit?
NO movie is worth >$80 for a family of three to see in a theater (tickets + snacks) when I can wait three months a stream it for <$30. Especially for some bullshit remake, sequel, prequel, or cartoon.
I now view going into the actual theater as going bowling.
Bowling alleys are six layer.
They will likely never recover.Â
I still enjoy going to the theater but it feels like the only options are horror and kids movies.
I hate sitting still for hours, not being able to get up to pee or grab a snack. Movie theaters are a big NO for me.
Top 10 things no one gives a shit about rn
Let’s see. Go out in to public. With people. And expensive prices. Or wait three months for it to come out so I can watch it at home with the family with a good Atmos setup at home. Plus the ability to pause it at any time if needed. And not deal with people. Im not that desperate to see a movie in theaters.
Make Movies Fun Again.
Honestly, why is the only movie I want to see this entire summer a Mission Impossible movie. Make fun movies and people will see them.
They need to recover from Marvel like movies, not from COVID. They are making boring/safe movies.
I think this chart would be more interesting if it was adjusted for inflation or just listed the number of tickets sold(ticket prices have gone up much faster than inflation). You would see that the US movie theaters were already struggling even before the pandemic. Ticket sales had already been generally [declining since 2002](https://www.the-numbers.com/market/). Increasing ticket prices helped keep the gross receipts up before the pandemic but that obviously isn’t a sustainable model long term. Eventually you just price a large percentage of people out.
The Covid-19 pandemic just accelerated a trend that was already occuring.
Maybe they should try making good movies again.
I’m a broken record on this, but you can charge admission or you can force commercials on people, pick one. The industry execs just don’t seem to get it and I can’t remember the last time I paid 14 bucks to have 15 minutes of ghastly commercials blasted into my eyeballs.
That generally happen when studio keep putting out shit products
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