By Gavin Boyle
For decades, Hollywood believed that movies need an edge to be a hit, but the early success of PG movies this year may finally help the industry realize that family-friendly movies are the best content they can produce.
“There’s a stigma that PG is just for kids, but they appeal to everyone,” said senior Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian, per Variety. “It’s like comfort food. People know they won’t be bombarded with too much violence or language. It’s wholesome. There’s no shame in going to a PG movie if it’s good.”
The power of family-friendly media is a message Movieguide® has preached for years. In last year’s Report to the Entertainment Industry, Movieguide® revealed how in 2023 “the most family-friendly movies earned five times more money than the least family-friendly movies.”
In the 2025 Report to the Entertainment Industry, Movieguide® founder Dr. Ted Baehr said:
The findings of our 2025 Report to the Entertainment Industry show once again that movies with strong Christian, redemptive, biblical, and moral content and values did much better at the box office in 2024 than movies with excessive or graphic foul language, sex, nudity, violence, and substance abuse, or movies that rejected or mocked positive values. These movies also did much better overseas and on home video. That’s because most moviegoers including families with children and grandchildren, want to see inspiring stories that enrich their lives.
This year’s top two movies at the domestic box office so far have proven this true as A MINECRAFT MOVIE and LILO & STITCH achieved their high success by drawing older teenage and young adult audiences along with parents and kids. They lack the excessive content and foul language that would make them a PG-13 movie, and they maintain a strong story that is enjoyable for all audiences.
Related: Nate Bargatze Proves Clean Comedy Has a Huge Draw
“They aren’t kiddie movies, even though they are rated PG,” said Kevin Goetz, founder and CEO of audience research firm Screen Engine/ASI, per Variety. “There’s a multigenerational appeal. That’s a recipe for better box office.”
Family-friendly content continues to be crucial to entertainment even outside of movies. In 2024, a study revealed that streaming services should cater to kids, a critical demographic.
“Kids represent a unique demographic for the entertainment industry,” CNBC wrote. “Age-specific advertising laws mean companies can’t market directly to them in many cases, but their viewing habits — often favoring repetition of content — makes them exceptionally loyal consumers.”
Peter Csathy, founder and chair of advisory firm Creative Media, added, “Kids and family-friendly content is critically important to both streaming acquisition and retention. Franchise family-friendly brands are welcomed by exhausted parents looking for some down time as their kids get their screen time.”
Meanwhile, creating comedy that all ages can enjoy helped Nate Bargatze become the hottest comedian on the planet. This is a marked shift in that specific sector which, in the past, has been almost exclusively comprised of crude jokes.
All in all, family-friendly content is finally being recognized for the media powerhouse it has always been. Hopefully Hollywood will continue to take note and focus on creating this type of media over the excessive content it pushed for decades.
Read Next: Media Continues to Misdiagnose Box Office Success of Family-Friendly Movies
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