Will Gen Z be the generation to revive moviegoing?

Hollywood can breathe a sigh of aid: Generation Z is just not solely going to the films, it is driving field workplace development.

Throughout the pandemic, when theaters shut down and streaming grew to become a dominant pressure in the media panorama, fears rose that this younger cohort would shun the large display screen as they matured into extra engaged customers. 

Nonetheless, this generation, which ranges from round 14 to 29 years outdated, is one among the most energetic moviegoing demographics and attends extra movies per yr than some older generations, in accordance to information from Fandango.

In 2025, members of Gen Z noticed a mean of seven films in theaters — matching common viewership amongst millennials — whereas members of Generation X and child boomers noticed round six films on common, Fandango discovered.

“Gen Z is driving moviegoer traits in the present day, and I feel individuals are shocked,” stated Jason Dorsey, president and co-founder of The Heart for Generational Kinetics and co-author of “Zconomy.” “They’re like, ‘Oh, Gen Z would not need to go away their home.’ That is not true. Gen Z completely needs to go away their home — in all probability greater than you realize.”

Gen Z accounted for almost 40% of all film audiences in North America in 2025, in accordance to information from Comscore.

As teenagers and 20-somethings change into the dominant generation at the field workplace, they’re additionally shaping the way forward for moviegoing — and studios and film theaters are taking be aware.

“Not solely are we seeing an even bigger and larger proportion of Gen Z make up our general viewers, however their frequency is growing yr over yr,” Carrie Trotter, senior vp of selling at AMC, instructed CNBC. “So that they have change into one among the most vital audiences for us, and I see that in the future, it could change into the absolute most vital viewers for us.”

Serving to to gas Gen Z’s affinity for the films is the indisputable fact that it stays one among the extra cheap types of leisure.

“Ticket pricing has gone up, because it does, however while you evaluate it to the year-over-year inflation fee, it is on par, if not much less,” stated Steve Buck of EntTelligence, a film information agency. “When you consider Gen Z, they’re cost-conscious, however they’re opening up their pockets.”

Gen Zers got here of age round the time of Covid, which Dorsey referred to as a “generation-defining expertise.” This cohort would not know a time with out social media or smartphones and is extremely cost-conscious, having grown up in a time of nice uncertainty, he stated.

“Covid uprooted all of their plans,” Dorsey stated. “They have been going to faculty, going to school … all the things acquired turned the other way up and it lasted for a protracted time period. So, we see them rather more fiscally acutely aware. I am going to say it typically, like they’re actually conservative with their cash typically, rather more thrifty than we might count on for anyone at their age.”

This has led a good portion of Gen Z to go for loyalty applications at film theaters, like AMC’s A-list, Regal Limitless and Cinemark’s Film Membership, that reward them for cash spent or permit them to see a number of movies a month for a subscription price.

“Gen Z over-indexes in the AMC A-Checklist tier, and their participation has grown triple since the pandemic,” Trotter stated, noting that AMC’s program additionally permits clients to e-book tickets for different loyalty members which are a part of their good friend group.

“We’re making an attempt to make it as frictionless as attainable so we will encourage as a lot moviegoing and this social ambiance,” she stated.

At Rutgers Cinema in Piscataway, New Jersey, common supervisor Alex DelVecchio is preserving ticket costs low for the the college students at close by Rutgers College. College students who present a faculty ID pay simply $5 for matinee screenings and $9.50 for all different common admissions. That is fairly a bit cheaper than the nationwide common of almost $13.50, in accordance to EntTelligence.

“We attempt to maintain it as low cost as we will,” DelVecchio stated.

But it surely’s not all about affordability. DelVecchio stated he additionally runs promos like free slushies on Wednesdays and appears for methods to interact his predominantly college-age client.

For the launch of Warner Bros.’ “It: Chapter One” in 2017, DelVecchio stated the firm put a clown in each theater, posted crimson balloons throughout campus and had a employees member put on a yellow jacket and play with a paper boat exterior to mimic iconic scenes from the film.

“We began promoting all the things out,” he stated. “And, then, when you get the momentum you’ll be able to maintain it so long as you retain taking part in what they need.”

Whereas Gen Zers are selective about their spending, they’re prepared to shell out for experiences, significantly social actions they will do with their associates that give them an excuse to disconnect from their telephones.

“This can be a means for them to come and spend time with their associates and their household, and that social expertise actually outweighs the film itself that they are seeing,” Trotter stated. “But in addition there’s somewhat little bit of FOMO [fear of missing out], like they need to be a part of the pleasure and their fandom of that fuels their need to be the first to see these films and be a part of the dialog because it’s taking place.”

And whereas Gen Z enjoys staying off their telephones throughout the film, they nonetheless use social media to share their ideas on movies and see what others consider new and outdated titles.

Letterboxd, a web based platform the place moviegoers can monitor films they’ve watched and publish critiques, has change into so ubiquitous with this generation that Hollywood has come to refer to Gen Z interchangeably as the Letterboxd generation.

The positioning at the moment has greater than 29 million customers, with greater than half of that base underneath the age of 35. By Letterboxd, Gen Z is relying extra on neighborhood critiques than these of official film critics when selecting what films to see in theaters.

In fact, Gen Z has some genre-specific preferences, and Hollywood seems to be taking part in to them.

Related to their elders, this age group usually flocks to cinemas for horror movies and R-rated fare. However they diverge from earlier generations of their curiosity in anime and online game variations primarily based on video games they performed rising up. Gen Zers have additionally proven a penchant for older, rereleased titles, leaning into the nostalgia of moviegoing.

In 2025, “A Minecraft Film,” primarily based on the well-liked on-line sport, was the most attended movie by Gen Z, in accordance to information from EntTelligence. The Warner Bros. movie generated greater than $424 million domestically throughout its theatrical run, the second-highest take of the yr, and tallied $960 million globally.

In the meantime Sony and Crunchyroll’s “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba — The Film: Infinity Fortress” noticed the largest proportion of Gen Z in its audiences, with 42% of tickets being offered to this members of the generation.

To date in 2026, Common’s “The Tremendous Mario Galaxy Film” is the most attended movie by Gen Z. It is secured $425 million domestically, the highest-grossing movie of the yr thus far, and $982 million globally. 

Field workplace analysts count on movies like Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 5,” Common’s “Minions & Monsters,” Sony’s “Spider-Man: Model New Day” and Marvel’s “Avengers: Doomsday” to see a good portion of ticket gross sales from Gen Z audiences.

“I feel theaters have an actual opening proper now to be that in-person social expertise for Gen Z,” Dorsey stated. “It is nonetheless fragile, the generation remains to be finicky, however there is a huge alternative for them to be ready to construct on the indisputable fact that they will create these great in-person experiences and in a extra reasonably priced means.”

Disclosure: Versant is the mother or father firm of Fandango and CNBC.