Australian cinemas are still recovering from financial setbacks but continue to pursue entertainment for movie lovers.
Screen Australia has released its statistics for cinema screenings and the gross box office for last year across the country, showing that the industry is steadily returning.
Cinema manager Josh Panayiotou said the industry is beginning to stabilise after years of disruption.
“2026 is meant to be the first year we sort of had things back to normal with the flow and effects from all that dropping off with writer strikes and COVID,” Mr Panayiotou said.
The Australian Gross Box Office in 2025 saw an increase of two per cent from the previous year, almost surpassing the $1 billion mark since 2019.
Mr Panayiotou said the family genre had increased in popularity over the year with The Minecraft Movie scoring the most revenue in the Australian Box Office.
“The family demographic is still a really good source of entertainment especially for school holidays, it’s a cheap affordable way for a family to get out,” Mr Panayiotou said.
Screen Producers Australia chief executive Matthew Deaner told The Sydney Morning Herald about his hopes for the box office coming into 2026.
“Blockbusters matter, but so does volume, variety and consistency,” he said.
“Sustainable box office performance comes from giving audiences regular reasons to go to the movies, not just one or two moments a year.”
The Australian cinema saw its highest income in 2016, with the Australian box office earning $1.259 billion comparing to 2025’s $970 million.
Screen Australia has seen that the younger generations have been more likely to attend cinema screenings.
Statistics have shown that 69.9 per cent of the 14-24 year age group answered yes to being to a cinema in 2024.
“I think it’s still something that people are going to enjoy and want to do. It’s a great source of out-of- home entertainment that is affordable for people,” Mr Panayiotou said.
“I think it’s going to continue to evolve and change with technology and everything that’s coming out.”
Writer strikes and COVID temporarily set the industry back, however current data suggests that younger demographics continue to have a strong engagement with the platform.
Additional reporting: Kalina Filceski
