\n\tNeed proof the movies are really, truly back? The summer box office was already the biggest since COVID upended the industry in 2020 \u2014 and now the season has become the highest-grossing of all time. Domestic ticket sales from May 1 through Labor Day on Sept. 7 stand at $4.76 billion, according to Rentrak. Revenues surpassed the long-held record set in 2013 with $4.755 billion, anchored by \u201cIron Man 3,\u201d \u201cDespicable Me 2\u201d and \u201cMan of Steel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tThis summer\u2019s benchmark comes with two major caveats: Ticket sales from more than a decade ago weren\u2019t adjusted for inflation, and popcorn season was slightly longer (running at 130 days compared to 123 days in 2013) because of Labor Day\u2019s placement on the calendar. Still, it\u2019s a significant milestone because it signals that after five years of uncertainty about the movie business, people have fallen back in love with the silver screen.<\/p>\n
\n\tWhile the summer box office record marks an important turning point for movie theaters, the numbers are only part of the story,\u201d says Rentrak\u2019s head of marketplace trends Paul Dergarabedian. \u201cWhat makes this summer uniquely important and potentially pivotal is that, for many people, it may have been the season that reminded them just how much fun it is to go to the movies. That can inspire future moviegoing, create a new generation of theatergoers and, with so many great films still ahead, keep that momentum going.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tThis summer is also notable as the first in history where each of the four months generated above $1 billion, with May bringing in $1.07 billion, June powering to $1.08 billion, July earning $1.18 billion and August soaring to $1.27 billion, according to Rentrak. Popcorn season, which runs from early May through Labor Day, is crucial because revenues for those months represent 40% of the annual box office. This summer is only the second since the pandemic in which ticket sales surpassed $4 billion. The first time was in 2023, when \u201cBarbenheimer\u201d fever buoyed grosses to $4.09 billion. In 2019, the last \u201cnormal\u201d period at the box office, summer revenues climbed to $4.3 billion, thanks to \u201cAvengers: Endgame\u201d and several other billion-dollar blockbusters. In 2018, popcorn season reached $4.42 billion with \u201cAvengers: Infinity War\u201d and \u201cIncredibles 2\u201d among the highest-grossing movies.<\/p>\n
\n\tThis season, studios succeeded with time-tested franchise sequels like \u201cToy Story 5\u201d and \u201cThe Devil Wears Prada 2,\u201d as well as Gen Z-fueled sleeper hits like \u201cObsession\u201d and \u201cBackrooms.\u201d Much of the credit for the potential milestone belongs to Sony\u2019s Marvel adventure \u201cSpider-Man: Brand New Day<\/a>,\u201d which has been a behemoth with $923 million domestically and $2.4 billion globally to date. Universal\u2019s Christopher Nolan epic \u201cThe Odyssey<\/a>\u201d also shattered expectations with $589 million in North America and $1.62 billion worldwide. Those triumphs helped offset some major bombs, including Disney\u2019s live-action \u201cMoana,\u201d Warner Bros. and DC\u2019s \u201cSupergirl\u201d and Amazon MGM\u2019s \u201cMasters of the Universe.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tOver Labor Day weekend, Sony\u2019s Marvel juggernaut \u201cSpider-Man: Brand New Home\u201d was No. 1 for the sixth consecutive frame with $23.5 million during the four-day holiday frame. With unprecedented staying power, \u201cBrand New Day\u201d will soon surpass 2015\u2019s \u201cStar Wars: The Force Awakens\u201d ($936 million, not adjusted for inflation) as the highest-grossing movie\u00a0of all time\u00a0at the domestic box office. Meanwhile, it\u2019s already the third-biggest release ever globally behind 2009\u2019s \u201cAvatar\u201d ($2.9 billion) and \u201cAvengers: Endgame\u201d ($2.7 billion). <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThe Odyssey\u201d secured second place with $17.3 million over the holiday after eight weekends on the big screen. Imax has contributed $486 million globally, representing a massive 30% of the film\u2019s total box office tally. <\/p>\n \n\tThird place went to another holdover, \u201cCoyote vs. Acme,\u201d with $15.8 million from 3,727 venues over the four days. With great reviews and positive audience scores, \u201cLooney Tunes\u201d spinoff has been a hit with $38.3 million domestically after two weekends of release. It was originally set at Warner Bros. before the studio shelved the completed film as a $30 million tax write-off. That prompted outrage from the creative community, leading Warner Bros. to allow the filmmaking team to shop \u201cCoyote vs. Acme\u201d around town before selling it to indie distributor Ketchup Entertainment.<\/p>\n \n\tNewcomer \u201cBy Any Means,\u201d an R-rated thriller from Paramount, stumbled at No. 4 with 9.3 million from 2,903 theaters from Friday to Monday. Directed by Elegance Bratton, \u201cBy Any Means\u201d centers around the unlikely partnership between a young Black FBI agent (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and a notorious mafia hitman (Mark Wahlberg) as they investigate a wave of brutal killings targeting civil rights leaders. It carries a $30 million production budget, funded by Hammerstone Studios.<\/p>\n \n\tTwo other new holiday releases, Lionsgate\u2019s anxiety-inducing sequel \u201cFall 2: Deadpoint\u201d and A24\u2019s action thriller \u201cOnslaught,\u201d failed to even crack the top 10.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cFall 2: Deadpoint\u201d crash-landed at No. 12 with $2.8 million 1,704 venues over the holiday weekend. Those ticket sales are similar to its predecessor, 2022\u2019s survival thriller \u201cFall,\u201d which opened to $2.5 million. That film managed to climb to $7.2 million domestically and $18 million globally by the end of its run, becoming a modest success against a mere $3 million budget. The sequel follows two friends who travel to Thailand and get trapped at 4,000 feet after a sudden rockslide.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cOnslaught\u201d fared even worse, debuting in 13th place with $2.2 million from 1,918 theaters through its first four days. Directed by Adam Wingard (\u201cGodzilla vs. Kong\u201d), \u201cOnslaught\u201d stars Adria Arjona as an army sniper who struggles to protect her young daughter from an army of genetically engineered super soldiers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Need proof the movies are really, truly back? 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