How Gen Z is Fueling the Theater Comeback and Box Office Hits
Gen Z is bringing back the movie theater! Streaming was supposed to kill the theater (and maybe it did for a while), but now we’re seeing Gen Z lead the movie revolution. YouTube directors, horror box office hits, fan edits online, and Letterboxd culture have taken over the movie scene. And now with AI, movie-making is a whole new game. So what is making Gen Z interested in new movies, what genres do they want to see, and how can movie studios (or independent YouTubers) build the next big box office hit for this gen of moviegoers? And how can regular brands tap into movie culture? All this and more in the Back to the Movies trend report.
Watch the webinar replay here.
Inside
- How Gen Z is changing movie culture and what movie studios need to know
- What motivates young consumers to see movie in the theater and what marketing influences them the most
- How regular brands can capitalize on the hype through pop-ups, merch, and more
Methodology
Report length: 55 pages, North America report is based on surveys of 1500 13-39-year-olds in the U.S. and Canada, fielded July and August 2026. Western Europe report is based on a survey of 2500 13-39-year-olds in the U.K., Italy, Spain, France, and Germany, fielded in July and August 2026
YPulse subscribers can read the full report and download the data on ypulse.com: Back to the Movies Trend Report.
