By India McCarty
It seems like the box office is back and better than ever, but as we head into the summer blockbuster season, theaters are wondering if the boom will last.
“Movie theaters are going to be very busy,” Adam Aron, the CEO of AMC Theatres, told Variety, pointing to upcoming tentpole movies like DUNE: PART THREE, THE ODYSSEY, and SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY.
2026 has already made a strong showing at the box office, with movies like THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE, WUTHERING HEIGHTS and ZOOTOPIA 2 bringing ticket sales up 23%.
“Audiences are voting with their wallets,” Jim Orr, head of domestic distribution at Universal Pictures, explained. “The films that have come along recently have been able to appeal to a broad range of people.”
Related: Universal to Extend Exclusive Theatrical Window. Why That’s Good News.
In response, studios are revamping things; for example, Universal recently announced they would be extending their theatrical release window to 45 days in 2027.
“Our windowing strategy has always been designed to evolve with the marketplace, but we firmly believe in the primacy of theatrical exclusivity and working closely with our exhibition partners to support a healthy, sustainable theatrical ecosystem,” Donna Langley, chair of NBCUniversal Entertainment, announced to the New York Times.
She continued, “Universal remains a theatrical-first studio. That’s proven by the breadth of our slate, our commitment to our filmmakers and the ongoing investments we make in the creative community.”
Meanwhile, at this year’s CinemaCon, Sony Pictures chairman Tom Rothman called himself “a lifelong defender of movie theaters,” encouraging theater owners to enforce theatrical release windows and praising them for making “wonderful investments” in upgrading theaters.
Tom Rothman, chairman and CEO, Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, and the first Hollywood studio chief to take the stage at #CinemaCon, came down hard on cinemas Monday, ticking off three key changes he thinks exhibition needs to make for the health of the industry.
“Enforce…
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) April 14, 2026
“I think all the studios — hopefully us included — have strong slates coming,” he continued. “So this year would be a great time to push for some longer-term improvements in the customers’ experience. And as I said, we will work with you on all these, because the Olympics have recently added another word to their motto…’together.’ We must hold up our end, and you yours, but together I firmly believe the theatrical business will prevail.”
With plenty of big blockbusters on the way, it looks like movie theaters and studios are poised to have a big summer!
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