CinemaCon Highlights Box Office Recovery and Challenges

Hollywood executives and theater owners convened in Las Vegas this week for CinemaCon, the annual trade show highlighting the industry's push to revive theatrical moviegoing amid signs of recovery and persistent challenges from streaming competition and studio mergers.

Attendance at U.S. and Canadian theaters has risen this year, with 154 million tickets sold so far, a nearly 16 percent increase from the same period last year, according to EntTelligence data. Domestic box office revenue is up about 23 percent year-to-date compared to 2025, driven by hits such as Amazon MGM Studios' "Project Hail Mary" and Universal Pictures' "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie," Comscore figures show. However, annual grosses remain roughly 20 percent below pre-pandemic levels, reflecting ongoing struggles from the COVID-19 shutdowns, labor strikes and the rise of streaming services.

The gathering occurs as Cinema United, a trade group representing 60,000 screens worldwide, launched a Filmmaker Leadership Council to address key issues like exclusive theatrical windows, the period films remain solely in cinemas before home release, and industry consolidation. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer chairs the...