LOS ANGELES — Hollywood is ending 2024 on a high note, with a flurry of blockbuster releases driving a year-end box office surge that’s defying earlier projections. After a sluggish start to the year—fueled in part by studio strikes and delayed releases—the final quarter brought a welcome rebound for theaters across the country.

Led by sequels and family-friendly franchises, the North American box office is expected to finish the year just shy of $8.75 billion, a strong recovery after mid-year figures showed revenues trailing 2023 by over 25%.

The charge was spearheaded by films like Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Mufasa: The Lion King, and Moana 2, which drew massive holiday crowds. Universal’s gothic horror entry Nosferatu also surprised with a strong opening, adding genre diversity to an otherwise sequel-heavy lineup.

“The momentum we saw in the second half of the year proves audiences still crave the big-screen experience—especially when the content delivers,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.

Thanksgiving and Black Friday weekends proved to be pivotal, with AMC and Cinemark locations reporting foot traffic spikes of over 250%, according to data from Placer.ai. Holiday releases alone brought in hundreds of millions in a matter of days, reaffirming the season’s status as a box office anchor.

Still, the industry isn’t fully back to pre-pandemic levels. The 2024 box office remains about 23% below 2019’s peak. Yet the stronger-than-expected finish has studios optimistic heading into 2025, with a packed release calendar and growing audience confidence.

“We’re closing out the year with momentum,” Dergarabedian added. “The challenge now is to keep that going.”

By Staff Writer, Courtesy of Forbes | December 28, 2024 | Edited for WTFwire.com
Source: Business Insider, MarketWatch, and The Times UK