In the span of nine months, many extremely popular movies have premiered in theaters, creating increasingly larger audiences and theaters are once again, full. Society is buzzing about all the new hit movies from Toy Story 5 to Obsession, with much excitement for more films to come.
Big names such as Tom Holland, Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, and Tom Hanks draw in large crowds, which is what movie producers are trying to achieve. Movies that include a household name typically draw people’s attention because the movie will be held up to the standard of the actor’s past performances–Holland as Spider Man, Hanks as Forrest Gump, and Ryan Gosling as Ken in Barbie. Hollywood stars are trustworthy and produce quality execution in viewers eyes, which makes the movie appealing for people to sit in a theater and watch the newly launched movie.
More than ever before, Gen Z has been showing up in theaters in larger numbers. According to Forbes.com, Gen Z are going to many more movies, “with 87% having seen a movie in the cinema in the last year compared to 58% of Baby Boomers.” Hollywood is having its best summer since the pandemic. In 2020, cinema-going plummeted because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but now the public is coming back together in perfect time for Hollywood to release a long list of big-budget, target rich cinema.
The movies released this year varied across many genres–horror, action, drama. The difference of genres cast an extremely wide net to reach all different types of audiences for more attendance in movie theaters. The variety also includes family-appealing movies that are drawn to movies for the whole family, increasing a more vast audience.
Some Leesville students have watched the various released movies and they have a few opinions.
Kayla LaMar, sophomore, said, “I really like ‘The Odyssey.’ I read the book first, so it helped me understand the movie more. I was confused at first, but I rate the movie a 9/10.” LaMar recommends “The Odyssey” because she said, “The movie’s fake, but it shows Greeks and Gods and also it has Tom Holland in it.” LaMar enjoyed the movie just as much as the book, which is one of the only books she would read over and over again.
Milissa Webster, senior, said, “‘Obsession’ fully captures how scary it is to be a woman and how men handle rejection.” Webster decided to view this movie in the theater. “Everyone was saying how scary the movie looks and I do love a good horror movie now and again.” Hearing from someone who enjoys a good movie in a theater fairly often offers a credible argument to go buy a ticket and check out the film.
Elena Pasquale, senior, reflected on her experience of the movie, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” — “It didn’t have that good of a plot, but I think it was necessary for the progression of the series. I go to the movies every few months or so,” and she wanted to go to this movie in particular. “Everyone was going to see it and everyone was excited.”
Social media and community advertisements definitely persuade viewers to go buy a ticket because they are bound to hear about the top movie being released.
Here are the top 10 most grossing movies of 2026 as of September 26, according to IMDb.com
- Spider-Man: Brand New Day – $2,479,827,325
- The Odyssey – $1,725,495,324
- Toy Story 5 – $1,146,073,398
- Michael – $1,016,068,388
- The Super Mario Galaxy Movie – $1,011,758,731
- The Devil Wears Prada 2 – $690,283,389
- Project Hail Mary – $684,234,722
- Pegasus 3 – $656,459,523
- Minions & Monsters – $513,739,735
- Obsession – $474,988,155
These 10 movies above are the highest grossing for multiple reasons. Gen Z and Gen Alpha are making quite an appearance in theaters with all the hottest movies in their feed, whether they hear about it through social media, peers, or their environment. Gen Z is “the ‘loneliest generation,’ cinema offers a unique opportunity for in-person interaction,” according to Forbes.com. As a teenager, everyone feels like they need to belong, so some find their place in social events, such as going to the movies.
Movie marketers have proved that customers are willing to pay more for a ticket that is in a premium format, since they cannot view it at home. I viewed the movie, The Odyssey, in the IMAX theater. It was definitely the best way to watch the movie and fully enjoy the film, since I was able to immerse myself for the 2 hours and 52 minutes that went by in a blink of an eye. According to Variety.com, “‘The Odyssey’ is already the highest-grossing Imax release of all time with $457 million globally.” For those who rarely go to a theater, when they do, they would like to enjoy the experience to the fullest. Sitting in an IMAX theater makes you feel like you are inside the movie.
2026 introduced a diverse demographic to the film business from families to sci-fi fanatics. Families can enjoy movies in theaters such as Toy Story 5 and Minions & Monsters, which bring the family together for an outing involving the whole family and keeping everyone entertained.
For those who enjoy a horror film from time to time, like Milissa Webster, they would be interested in buying a ticket to Obsession or the movie, Backrooms. And finally, for science fiction fans, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is perhaps the best option, followed by The Odyssey, or Project Hail Mary. There is definitely a movie out there for everyone this year in the film business.
Multi-generational nostalgia also draws in loyal crowds to come to theaters. For example, those who have been following the Spider Man series since Spider-Man: Homecoming that released in 2017, have been anxiously awaiting the fourth, and final movie of the series to premiere. The Devil Wears Prada 2 also brought back the followers of the original movie, The Devil Wears Prada, which made the movie so successful.
Conclusively, the extreme success of the newly released movies proves that 2026 is quite possibly the best cinematic run since 2020. So, if you have a chance to visit a theater this year, I highly suggest you buy the ticket. You never know when the next generational run of movies will be out and as successful as now.
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