Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was nothing for theaters to worry about. Life was grand and so was the box office. All of that changed REAL quick once things shut down. Ever since then, box office metrics have often been measured in pre and post COVID times. There’s been a lot of stress about how theaters are faring, but the latest second quarter earnings for 2026 have been great. Let’s talk about why.
Theater Profits Are Up
Cinemark, one of the bigger theater chains in the country, saw a rise in sales for the quarter of up to $1.1 billion. That’s up 15% from the previous quarter. It no doubt helps that The Super Mario Galaxy Movie came out in April and eventually crossed the billion dollar mark. There’s also the double whammy of Obsession and Backrooms that hit in May. Those two films alone made between them, around $850 million. Let’s not forget Michael, the biopic that critics were NOT into, but audiences loved. Loved it to the tune of over a billion dollars worldwide.
The 2nd quarter also included the premiere of Toy Story 5 which also joined the billion dollar club during the course of its continuing run. Cinemark CEO, Sean Gamble gave credit to more than just the films. He said, “Our achievements reflect the significant progress we’ve made enhancing our consumer offerings, scaling revenue opportunities and further optimizing our business, combined with the impact of solid operating rigor in a robust box office environment.” That might be one of the most bland statements ever issued by a human being. It says absolutely nothing about why there were successful in Q2.
Actual Reasons to Celebrate
What people should be doing is taking the time to acknowledge what’s actually helping the industry right now. A big part of that is exciting films that are taking chances with new ideas. Backrooms and Obsession helped reignite people’s sense of imagination and excitement in movies. And while we didn’t really need a Toy Story 5, it was still a seven year gap between entries. That’s a lot more time than between Moana 2 and a live-action remake of the first one that no one asked for.
That’s what cinema owners should be celebrating. They should be saying, “We’re proud to feature movies that are novel, untested, and take chances. We should continue to cherish when films take big swings in new or forgotten territories. Those are the experiences that bring people into our seats and keep the magic of the movie going experience alive and well.”
There is good reason to celebrate the second quarter of this year in film. But we should be celebrating it for the right reasons so we can carry that light into the rest of the year.
