Hollywood reaches its peak
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Hollywood's box office has enjoyed a wildly successful summer season. Photo: OGB.
According to film and media measurement firm Rentrak, domestic box office revenue in the U.S. from May 1 through Labor Day (September 7) reached $4.76 billion. This figure surpasses the long-standing record set in 2013 of $4.755 billion, which was driven by films such as Iron Man 3, Despicable Me 2, and Man of Steel.
Upon closer inspection, the new record is not entirely definitive, as ticket sales from over a decade ago have not been adjusted for inflation. Furthermore, this year's summer season was slightly longer (130 days) compared to 2013 (123 days) due to the variable timing of Labor Day—the first Monday in September.
Nevertheless, this remains a milestone worth celebrating. The $4.76 billion figure indicates that after five years of industry volatility, audiences have rediscovered their love for the big screen. This summer was also notable for being the first time in history that all four months surpassed $1 billion in revenue. According to Rentrak, May brought in $1.07 billion, June reached $1.08 billion, July collected $1.18 billion, and August surged to $1.27 billion.
For Hollywood, the summer film season is particularly vital, as revenue from these four months accounts for 40% of the total annual box office. This is only the second time since the COVID-19 pandemic that ticket sales have crossed the $4 billion mark. The first was in 2023, when the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon helped revenue reach $4.09 billion.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day contributed significantly to the overall success of the U.S. domestic box office. Photo: Sony Pictures
In 2019, during what was considered the final “normal” period for the box office, summer revenue reached $4.3 billion thanks to Avengers: Endgame and several other billion-dollar blockbusters. In 2018, the summer season hit $4.42 billion, with Avengers: Infinity War and Incredibles 2 among the highest-grossing films.
This year began with sequels to time-tested franchises like Toy Story 5 and The Devil Wears Prada 2, alongside the unexpected appeal of Gen Z-focused hits like Obsession and Backrooms.
Most of the credit for this remarkable milestone belongs to Sony's Marvel blockbuster, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which has grossed $923 million in the U.S. domestic market and $2.4 billion globally. Christopher Nolan's epic The Odyssey, distributed by Universal, also far exceeded expectations with $589 million in North America and $1.62 billion worldwide. During the Labor Day holiday (September 4-7), Spider-Man 4 continued to top the North American box office for the sixth consecutive week, earning $23.5 million.
With unprecedented staying power, Brand New Day is projected to soon surpass 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($936 million, unadjusted for inflation) to become the highest-grossing film of all time at the U.S. domestic box office. Meanwhile, the film currently stands as the third highest-grossing work in global history, trailing only 2009's Avatar ($2.9 billion) and Avengers: Endgame ($2.7 billion). The Odyssey placed second with $17.3 million over the holiday weekend, now in its eighth week of release. IMAX contributed $486 million to the film's global revenue.
