Will Gen Z be the generation to revive moviegoing?

Hollywood can breathe a sigh of relief: Generation Z is not only going to the movies, it's driving box office growth. During the pandemic, when theaters shut down and streaming became a dominant force in the media landscape, fears rose that this young cohort would shun the big screen as they matured into more engaged consumers. However, this generation, which ranges from around 14 to 29 years old, is one of the most active moviegoing demographics and attends more films per year than some older generations, according to data from Fandango. In 2025, members of Gen Z saw an average of seven movies in theaters — matching average viewership among millennials — while members of Generation X and baby boomers saw around six movies on average, Fandango found. "Gen Z is driving moviegoer trends today, and I think people are shocked," said Jason Dorsey, president and co-founder of The Center for Generational Kinetics and co-author of "Zconomy." "They're like, 'Oh, Gen Z doesn't want to leave their house.' That's not true. Gen Z absolutely wants to leave their house — probably more than you know." Gen Z accounted for nearly 40% of all movie audiences in North America in 2025, according to data from Comscore. As teens and 20-somethings become the dominant generation at the box office, they're also shaping the future of moviegoing — and studios and movie theaters are taking note. …