Family-friendly films are driving a cinema spike this summer
Moana 2 and Wicked are fighting to become the biggest movie of the summer, as family-friendly films ruled the cinema this festive season.
According to data from CineTAM, over 13.36 million cinema tickets were sold between October and the end of December, a 13% leap from the same period in 2023.
Family-friendly films like Moana 2, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and Wicked saw both the 18 to 39 and the 25 to 54 demographics enjoy audience spikes of close to 20%, compared to the same period in 2023, when the box office was ruled by DC tentpole Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and rom-com Anyone But You.
Moana 2 is currently edging out Wicked as the biggest movie of the summer, having grossed $40.8 million at the box office so far – the eighth highest grossing animation of all time, with over 2.42 million tickets sold in the last three months of 2024.
Wicked has seen over 2.06 million admissions, taking almost $40 million at the box office, while Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has taken $15.7 million since its Boxing Day release two weeks ago.
The crowds have continued, with last weekend seeing over a million admissions, with audiences up 8% from the same weekend in 2024, with Hoyts predicting an overall 5% box office jump in 2025.
It looks like family films are driving this strong start, too, with Sonic the Hedgehog 3 pulling 230,000 viewers this past weekend, followed by Paddington in Peru, which drew 180,000 admissions — its $3 million in takings more than double the opening of the original Paddington from 2014. Mufasa: The Lion King completes the trifecta, with 163,000 tickets sold in its third weekend at cinemas.
“The success of Q4 and last weekend’s box office results by Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Paddington in Peru, and Mufasa: The Lion King, has created solid momentum heading into the new year and will continue to attract strong audiences throughout the remainder of the school holidays,” said Guy Burbidge, managing director of Val Morgan Cinema.
Burbidge notes the release of Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy on Valentine’s Day, A Minecraft Movie in April, the final instalment of Mission Impossible 8 in May, the third 28 Years Later film in mid-June, and then F1 at the end of June should see the year start strong.
“With Avatar 3 rounding out the year,” he continues, “it’s clear the slate promises to deliver a range of huge, bankable moments for brands to own.”
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Nathan Jolly is the Features Editor at Mumbrella. He joined the team in July, 2023.
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