Gen Z Surpasses Millennials in Moviegoing – New Data from the US and What It Means for Global Cinema

Remember when going to the movies was an event? Buying tickets in advance, standing in line for popcorn, then discussing the film at work for three days. Today, it’s different. Streaming is squeezing traditional theaters, ticket prices are steep, and people have less free time. But, as it turns out, not for everyone.

A fresh study by the American company Fandango set out to see who actually goes to the movies these days and why. They surveyed 7,000 American adults. More than five thousand identified themselves as movie lovers — meaning they had been to the cinema at least once in the past year. And the results surprised even marketers. For UK and Canadian audiences, where cinema attendance is also recovering post-pandemic, these insights help theater chains understand which demographic to bet on moving forward.

It turns out that Gen Z (Zoomers) today doesn’t just go to the movies — they go more often than anyone else and spend more money. Moreover, their reasons are completely different from those of their older siblings in the Millennial generation. Let’s look at the numbers.

How Many Times Each Generation Went to the Cinema in the Past Year

Here are the figures. 87% of Gen Z watched at least one film in a theater over the past 12 months. For Millennials — 82%. For Gen X — 70%. For Baby Boomers — 58%. The gap between Zoomers and Boomers is nearly 30 percentage points. That’s a massive difference.

The frequency of visits tells a similar story. On average, Gen Z and Millennials go to the movies about seven times a year. Gen X — 6.1 times. Boomers — 5.7 times. That may seem like a small difference. But for theater chains, each additional visit per person translates into millions of dollars in box office revenue. Details of the study are published by Variety.

Why They Go — And Here’s Where They Diverge

The most interesting part came when respondents were asked about motivation. Millennials, according to the survey, see going to the movies as a way to escape daily routine. And that rings true. Mortgage, work, kids, an endless to-do list — a screening in a dark theater becomes a small form of therapy.

Gen Z sees it differently. For them, cinema is primarily a social activity. Meeting up with friends, getting out of the house (yes, they get tired of screens too), discussing the film right after the show rather than in a text chain two days later. Among Gen Z, key motivations also included a wide selection of films and simply wanting to get out of their four walls.

And what about older generations? Gen X attributes their declining attendance to ticket prices, a lack of interesting premieres, and the fact that at-home streaming quality is now nearly as good as in theaters. To be fair, they have a point.

What Gets in Everyone’s Way

Despite differences in age and motivation, the problems are the same across the board. People complain about three things. First — it’s hard to coordinate schedules with family or friends. Second — a lack of free time. Third — finding reasonably priced tickets is getting harder.

And here’s a worrying sign for the entire industry. Current cinema attendance is still 20% below pre-pandemic levels from 2019. One of the main reasons — fewer new releases. Hollywood still hasn’t fully recovered production after the writers’ and actors’ strikes, and streaming services have poached some premieres.

What It All Means: My Brief Take

If you strip away the numbers and look at the big picture, the conclusion is fairly simple. Today, cinemas rest on two pillars. First — Gen Z, who go for the social experience and the thrill. Second — Millennials, who go to escape reality. Both groups are currently saving the movie theater business from total collapse.

But there’s also a systemic problem. Gen X and Boomers are gradually falling away. And if they aren’t brought back — and the only way to bring them back is through pricing and quality content — then theaters risk becoming purely youth-oriented hangouts. That’s neither bad nor good. It’s just a different business.

Looking at these numbers, I personally feel mild optimism. Yes, attendance is lower than before COVID. But the fact that young people are still getting out of the house and paying for tickets — that’s a good sign. It means cinema as an experience isn’t dead yet. It’s just changed. Like everything else.