(Bloomberg) — It was the year that sequels saved Hollywood. Of the 10 highest-grossing films released domestically in 2024, all were in some way tied to previous movies, from Moana 2 to Despicable Me 4 to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. US and Canadian theaters finished 2024 with ticket sales down 3.
3% to $8.75 billion, according to estimates from analyst Paul Dergarabedian at market researcher Comscore Inc. That’s a big improvement from where the industry closed the first half, when a string of duds and a release schedule crimped by the prior year’s strikes cut box-office receipts by 28%.
The tide began to turn in June after Walt Disney Co. released Inside Out 2, the sequel to the 2015 animated hit that became the year’s biggest picture. Next year’s lineup is a mix of retreads and original films that’s forecast to lift domestic ticket sales to $9.
7 billion, the highest since the global pandemic, according to an estimate from Gower Street Analytics. “The 2025 release calendar has everything,” Rob Mitchell, director of theatrical insights at Gower Street, said in an email. “There is huge potential for global breakouts even beyond our current projections.
” The domestic box office in 2025 should be buoyed by original pictures from marquee directors, such as Sinners from Ryan Coogler, Bong Joon-ho’s Mickey 17, Joseph Kosinski’s F1 and Antoine Fuqua’s Michael. There will also be new installments of well-known franchises, the titles of which seem to suggest a lot.
