Let’s All Go To The Movies By Kayla Doria Ward

By: Kayla Doria Ward 

Once upon a time, you could buy a movie ticket, large popcorn with a large soda, and maybe even a pack of candy for $20 to $25. In total! Modern ticket prices alone are climbing into the $20-$30 range, depending on the movie and theater. 

Many factors in the 2000s have led to a decrease in theater attendance. From rising ticket costs to streaming service wars. But behind the curtain of statistics and surveys, why is it still important to keep theaters alive? 

Ticket Sales and The Box Office 

In the early 2000s, movie giants such as Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and Pirates of the Caribbean dominated the box office. The average worldwide earnings of movies released from 2000 to 2010 are approximately $1,111,785,998.73. Avatar (2009) grossed $2,743,577,587, and Mission: Impossible II (2000) grossed the least at $546,388,108. Since Avatar, the only movie to surpass it worldwide is Avengers: Endgame (2019), which grossed $2,799,439,100.

Global and beloved franchises dominated theaters this decade. With a steady rise continuing until 2020. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Movie: Mugen Train (2020) grossed a worldwide total of $472,162,520. With only a handful of other releases that year coming close to that total. While box office revenue has rebounded since 2020, this rebound reflects higher ticket prices rather than higher attendance. Attendance today still remains roughly 20% to 25% below 2019 attendance. 

Who Is Still Going To Theaters? 

Just this year, a survey reported that about 87% of Gen Z saw at least one movie in theaters in the past 12 months, compared to only 58% of baby boomers. Upper-income Americans reported going to the movies at the highest rate, at 64%, compared with 57% of those in the middle-income bracket and 43% of lower-income adults. As a whole, in 2026, NRG (National Research Group) surveyed and found that 77% of Americans ages 12-74 saw at least one movie in a theater in the previous 12 months. 

While Gen Z seems to be the dominant demographic in prioritizing theaters, some well-known studios have started catering to directors and writers that Gen Z grew up watching or following. A24 found massive success with popular YouTubers Danny and Michael Philippou's Talk to Me 

(2022) and Kane Parsons’ Backrooms (2026). Focus Features found success with Curry Barker's Obsession (2026), a face behind the popular sketch YouTube channel “That’s A Bad Idea”.

Even though more and more young voices are getting to see their ideas on the big screen, the real villains (obviously) aren’t the new voices. It’s the rise of streaming services. 

The Rise and Fall Of Streaming 

Typically, Netflix is widely considered the first streaming giant to start the death of theaters. But most people don’t know that RealNetworks' RealPlayer walked, so Netflix could run. Launching in 1995, it allowed users to stream audio and video files. While RealPlayer wasn’t widely adopted due to technical constraints, it marked the first significant step toward on-demand media consumption. 

Netflix introduced a full streaming catalog on computers, TVs, and tablets in 2007. The service launched with 1,000 titles and was included in Netflix's $5.99-per-month physical DVD subscription tier. By 2008, Netflix expanded by launching its own app for devices such as Blu-ray players and gaming consoles. 

Hulu followed suit by launching in 2008, but elevated the streaming game by combining live TV and on-demand streaming. Appealing to consumers looking to cut the cable. Amazon Prime

Video launched in 2006 but expanded in the 2010s. Appealing to Prime members and adding value to subscriptions. 

Disney+ and Apple TV+ launched in 2019, followed by HBO Max in 2020. 2020 saw the highest subscriber growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Streaming services also introduced original shows and saw a rise in niche communities, such as anime and indie horror. Intriguing consumers to purchase subscriptions instead of movie tickets. Amazon Prime Video went as far as to have a category dedicated to in-theater movies that you could exclusively watch on Prime, days before it hit other streaming platforms. 

Ticket sales collapsed by 81% in 2020 due to theater closures. In 2025, moviegoers in the U.S. and Canada bought 769.2 million tickets. Less than half of the all-time peak of roughly 1.6 billion tickets sold in 2002. But the fall of these streaming giants peaked in 2022. The overwhelming number of options and price points soon led to “subscription fatigue” among consumers after networks like Peacock and Paramount+ hit the market. 

Why The Theaters Will Always Win

Streaming may have the upper hand when it comes to comfort and occasional low prices, but the movie theater experience can never be replicated by the average film viewer. 

Needless to say, the theaters' floor-to-ceiling screens, surround sound systems, and formats such as IMAX and Dolby Cinema make “luxury” viewing possible. The total silence and darkness of a theater are just as important to a viewer's experience. In a digital age, many have trouble focusing on anything other than fast dopamine hits from a phone. Making these distractions “banned” from a theater forces a viewer's focus. 

But above all else, people fail to recognize the social connection that going to the movies brings. One of my favorite memories of watching a movie in theaters is going to watch Barbie (2023) with a friend. America Ferrera’s monologue towards the end really connected with the whole theater. My friend and I sat there holding each other and sobbing next to other pairs and groups of girls. It was such a heavy and emotional moment. Sharing it with others is a feeling that can’t be replicated by an online forum or social media app. 

Closing Thoughts 

Everyone has memories of going to the movies from childhood to adulthood. It’s such a special and unique experience that can unite a group of strangers without any talking amongst the crowd. While streaming may fall or rise again in the future, the people will forever yearn for buttery popcorn in a dirty recliner. 

Sources 

Box Office Mojo. 2000 worldwide box office. IMDbPro. Retrieved September 1, 2026. https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/world/2000/ 

Variety. (2026, February 20). Half of Americans went to a movie theater in 2025. Variety. https://variety.com/2026/film/news/half-americans-went-to-movie-theater-2025-1236684921/ MakeUseOf. (2023, February 14). How and when did Netflix start? A brief history of the company. https://www.makeuseof.com/how-when-netflix-start-brief-company-history/ Shentel. (2025, January 16). A detailed look at the history of streaming services. https://www.shentel.com/en/news/2025/january/history-of-streaming-services