It’s no secret that the past few years have been brutal for the movie theater business. Audiences haven’t been turning out the way they once did for big-budget releases, new superhero movies, and franchises. Not that long ago, it genuinely felt like the communal theatrical experience might be on its last legs. But four months into the 2026 movie calendar, and the mood around theaters feels different. For the first time in a while, there’s something that looks like real momentum, and a big part of that comes down to the massive box office success of Project Hail Mary and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
According to Page Six, the industry is now on track to surpass $9 billion at the domestic box office in 2026. That would mark the first time in nearly a decade that theaters have hit that milestone. It’s a meaningful shift after years of pandemic fallout, labor strikes, and the long tail of streaming-first strategies that changed how audiences watch movies.
