Can Generation Z save Hollywood?

Few could have predicted what would happen at Disney Zootopia 2 It will become the highest-grossing film of 2025 before then Avatar: Fire and Ashescollecting $1.86 billion in ticket sales worldwide, or a live-action Disney film Lilo and Stitch Between the three films, it will bring in more than $1 billion. This year holds more surprises: Iron lunga small asteroid from a movie released by YouTube star Mark Fishbach (aka Markiplier) that surprised with $40 million, and was criticized by Paramount Screaming 7which defied logic by opening with $64 million, a franchise best and $20 million ahead of expectations. In terms of specialization, there are foreign-speaking Neon films Emotional value and Secret agentboth of which are in the Oscar race for Best Picture and hovering in the $4 million to $6 million range.

The common denominator? Zoomers, also known as Gen Zers, were written off by some as anti-movie watchers, since they were the first generation to be tied to an iPhone or other device 24/7. It’s true that social media makes them yearn for a communal experience, which has led to higher rates of theater-going among those born between 1997 and 2012. “Ironically, Gen Z is drawn to the classic analog experience of going to the movies,” says Paul Dergarabedian of comScore. “They are able to blend this traditional activity with their digital lives, using theater outings as fodder for social engagement.”

Generation Z has become a larger share of the total moviegoing audience. In 2025, they represented 39 percent of the North American audience, up from 34 percent in 2019, according to Comscore PostTrak exit survey data shared with Hollywood Reporter. Leading theater trade organization Cinema United announced that Zoomer theater attendance has increased 25 percent over the past 12 months.

Last year, Gen Z ranged in age from 13 to 28; This year, they will have greater influence by occupying a larger share of the film industry’s two most sought-after age groups: 18-24 and 25-34. With Zoomers now occupying the 13-17 demographic, PG-rated movies are making a comeback and studios are reconsidering the hard-won knowledge that PG movies were alienating to millennials when they were 13-17. Gen Zers don’t feel that way, which helps explain why four of last year’s best films were rated PG (Zootopia 2, Lilo and Stitch, Minecraft movie and How to train your dragon). And ticket purchases are planned in advance: 40 percent of Gen Z say they purchased tickets in advance “within the past week,” compared to 25 percent before the pandemic, according to a PostTrak survey.

“There’s no doubt about it – Generation Z loves going to the movies, and they do so more often than older audiences,” says Ray Subers, head of film at leading research firm NRG, pointing to the demo’s trend toward intellectual properties like video games, anime and YouTuber brands, as well as the mainstream animated films they grew up with. “It’s important for the future of the industry that studios prioritize these 21st century brands over older intellectual property that primarily resonates with the 35-plus and 45-plus audience. Gen Z doesn’t want their parents’ franchises.”

Disney Chief Brand Officer Asad Ayaz had a front-row seat to the revolution when he helped with the 2019 live-action events Aladdin It turned into a billion-dollar success, thanks to the usual flock of families along with a general audience group made up of older Millennials and younger Gen Lilo and Stitch.

The Millennial-Gen Z group his team looked at was stronger than expected, providing invaluable insight into the nostalgia factor as both demos got a chance to watch an updated version of the 1992 animated film they grew up with. by the time Zootopia 2 With the advent of film, Generation Z was even more important and the sky was the limit, as the picture became the highest-grossing animated film of all time. “It’s done great with families, but it’s also done well with people without children and with the general public around the world,” says Ayaz.

Or take Marty Supremea caper film by Timothée Chalamet. The film became A24’s highest-grossing film (a worldwide gross of over $274 million) and the majority of those Supreme Moviegoers were under 35 years old. The ping-pong movie was particularly popular among users of Letterboxd, a social network founded in 2011 for young people who have an opinion on art. The platform, whose staff is now a staple on the red carpet — taking to the microphone and asking “Favorite four?” For Celebrity Passers-by – Users have grown by 9 million in the past year alone. To illustrate, at the end of January, Letterboxd had over 27 million users.

“We know that distributors look at what’s happening on Letterboxd to gauge the resonance of their films,” says Matthew Buchanan, CEO of Letterboxd, about the app’s impact on getting films to a younger audience. The CEO points out Charli xcx, a movie buff, Letterboxd user, and self-proclaimed A24 star The moment. “She uses the platform exactly the way she wants, which is what we encourage everyone to do. The community embraces her.” The moment“It might have something to do with that,” he adds.

A24 competitor Neon, run by Tom Quinn, is also interested in Letterbox. But what’s most important for Neon is reaching audiences by slowly releasing the title into theaters, as the group has done Emotional value or Secret agent. Elissa Federoff, head of distribution at Neon, points out that Generation Z is turning to watching their Oscar nominees. This helps lift all boats. The combined market share of specialty distributors Neon, A24, Focus Features and Searchlight was 7 percent of the domestic box office in 2025, compared to 4 percent the previous year.

Or take perhaps Hollywood’s most reliable genre: the mainstream horror picture. Paramount Screaming 7 It benefited from the move to weekends where it could be played in IMAX, where spectacle was a draw. The film focuses on Neve Campbell’s character as the mother of an older teenager played by Isabel May. “We also wanted to grow the international market, where the mother-daughter aspect had global relatability and a story that we thought could be relatable,” says Josh Goldstein, Paramount’s president of marketing and distribution.

The demographic shift in the rise of movie theaters is not limited to the United States. Tim Richards, founder and CEO of UK cinema chain Vue, adds: “What we are seeing now, and certainly supports all the market analysis that has been done across Europe and even in North America, is that… [young people] “They are back.”

“Generation Z is slowly growing into a safe bet,” says Fatima Gomer, CEO of Europa Cinemas, the largest network of cinema exhibitors dedicated to promoting European films. “For many years, Generation Z has been viewed by many film professionals or observers as the streaming and short-form content generation.”[but] Within the European Cinema Network, cinemas are winning back audiences, particularly young people – not only through targeted school screenings but also through specific film events. “For Gen Z, going to the movies is increasingly becoming a new kind of night out,” she adds.

A “night out” may have a new definition for the younger generation. Not news Young people drink alcohol and go to clubs less than their parents and grandparents. A 2023 survey by global research firm Gallup found that the proportion of adults under 35 who say they never drink alcohol fell by ten percentage points over two decades, to 62% in 2021-2023 from 72% in 2001-2003.

Experts are divided on why the decline has been so steep from one generation to the next, but Michael Kell, chief executive of the UK Night-Time Industry Association (NTIA), says that while the main proponents are financial constraints, safety and health concerns, it’s certainly not due to a lack of interest: “This whole false economy of, ‘Oh,’ [young] “People don’t go out because alcohol isn’t available or it’s not in their best interests,” he says. “It does not prevent them from socialising. The socio-cultural economy is still very important to them.

Although there is an element of social anxiety with many children growing up in lockdown, the desire to connect and feel immersed in an experience is stronger than ever. “For younger viewers, the movie theater experience is an affordable group night,” says Gummer, praising discounted tickets and regular screenings from major theater chains. “They return to movie theaters when they see that a particular film not only represents an event, but also signifies participation in a broader cultural conversation.”

This fear of missing out – also known as FOMO – could be another major motivator in young people’s en masse return to theatres. “There’s a sense of fandom, of being involved in film culture and not wanting to miss out on the conversation,” says James Connor of the UK Film Society. “Barbie and Oppenheimer He has done a lot of work in the film industry and enjoys films outside of franchises like Marvel and star wars. It brought people together in a way they might not normally have He wants Let’s come together because they don’t want to miss this moment.

A generation that grew up constantly connected to culture cannot handle not understanding what the Internet is obsessed with. Memes, gossip, the latest celebrity news – the knowledgeable profession is more lucrative than ever, and the film industry is benefiting.

“Social media is inescapable, the conversation is inescapable,” says Hannah Stokes, executive director of social media at Massive, a UK-based initiative designed to connect 16-30-year-olds to independent and British films through early previews, exclusive merchandise, and community-driven social experiences. “People want to see [films] “Early so they can lead the conversation,” she continues, adding that our being easily frightened by spoilers only increases the urgency of getting to the theater.

There has been a lot of hype on the Internet about Letterboxd Wuthering Heights Reviews, with a combination of zero and five-star reviews being recorded for Emerald Fennell’s third feature on its release day on February 13. Incidentally, Stokes has noticed an uptick in young fans wearing “Get Wet” merchandise and making Jacob Elordi videos (fan-made edits of movies or TV shows that go viral on social media) all over the time Wuthering Heights Take control of our feeds. Just last month, a 25-year-old X user went viral after telling people she was hired by HBO to cut trailers and promotional videos. She allegedly caught their attention after making a dossier Hot competition fancam, which received more than 78,000 likes and 4.4 million views.