By Gavin Boyle
The theater business is starting to grow, and experts point to younger generations seeking spaces to connect with each other in person as the reason why.
“What the research shows is they’re choosing movies as social experiences, as opposed to choosing it as something else to do,” said Blair Rich, chief marketing and commercial officer for Legendary Entertainment. “And that’s a notable change in terms of how we have to reach them, what they’re going to seek out in these experiences, the types of movies and entertainment we’re all part of making now.”
“It really shows the importance of speaking to an audience where they are. You can’t just decide something’s interesting and they will come,” she added. “This generation is wired completely differently. They they like different things. They have their own vocabulary, like every generation does. We have to speak to them in completely different ways.”
Related: Is the Fate of Movies in the Hands of Gen Z?
To cater to this desire to connect in person, many theaters are working to expand the experience, giving moviegoers opportunities to engage in other activities such as restaurants, bowling alleys or claw machines connected to the theater.
Meanwhile, as Gen Z, and even Gen Alpha, start to enter the workforce, they have more access to disposable income which they can spend on moviegoing.
“As the moviegoing landscape continues to evolve, understanding generational behaviors is critical to unlocking future growth,” said Jerry Hainline, an executive at Fandango. “Gen Z and millennials are redefining what it means to go to the movies by prioritizing premium experiences, social engagement and new forms of content. Meeting them where they are isn’t optional — it’s essential to the future of theatrical moviegoing.”
Studios should pay attention to the types of movies that Gen Z and Alpha are most interested in: those with family-friendly, uplifting plots.
“During the fourth quarter, our theater division benefitted from strong performances from family films and several blockbusters across genres that performed well in our markets,” Marcus Corporation CEO Gregory S. Marcus said during the company’s Q4 2025 earnings report. “Consumers continued to show demand for out-of-home entertainment experiences, with a wide variety of great movies bringing audiences to the big screen at Marcus Theatres during the holiday season. We are excited for a 2026 film slate that includes several family films and some of the biggest movie franchises.”
Thus, while the theater business is growing right now, it will only find success if Hollywood keeps greenlighting movies young people actually want to see.
Read Next: Family-Friendly Movies Are a Win for Theaters. Are We Surprised?
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