Cinema summer admissions up 9% on 2024

It was another big summer for Australian cinemas, with audiences embracing the big screen experience to enjoy a season full of cultural moments. From 28th November 2024 to 2nd February 2025, a total of 13.5 million admissions were delivered, marking a +9% increase compared to the previous year.

Cinema was the go-to choice for hard-to-reach audiences over the summer, with two key demographics experiencing significant growth. Admissions among the P18-39 youth audience and among families (parents with children under 16) were both up +8% YOY. This growth was fuelled by four major family franchises and one magical live-action musical.

The standout film of the summer was Moana 2, which delivered 3.07 million admissions, securing its spot as the third highest-grossing animated film of all time in Australia. This success builds on Disney’s Inside Out 2, which achieved a record-breaking performance as the highest-grossing animation ever, earlier in 2024.

Wicked followed closely behind as the second biggest film of the summer, with over 2.4 million admissions to date, making it the second highest-grossing live-action musical of all time.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has delivered 1.73 million admissions to date and has surpassed Sonic The Hedgehog 2’s box office earnings by +29% to become the highest-grossing film in the franchise.

Mufasa: The Lion King also had a strong run since releasing in late December with 1.48 million admissions so far, reaffirming the franchise’s enduring popularity.

New Year’s Day release Paddington in Peru has delivered 1.03 million admissions across its run so far, making it the highest-grossing film in the Paddington franchise—surpassing the original 2014 Paddington by +43%.

The strong slate has also helped contribute to the strongest January box office delivery since 2020.

Guy Burbidge Managing Director of Val Morgan Cinema, said: “We knew this summer school holidays would be big, and these record-breaking results prove that Australian’s love for cinema has never been stronger. The growth across key demographics is a clear indication of the demand—and it’s only going to get bigger with the depth of content lined up this year.”

The latest SMI report, released on Monday, further highlights the growing value advertisers place on Cinema advertising, with the report revealing a strong +8.8% increase in spend for CY2024 compared to the previous year.

Looking ahead, the 2025 slate is packed with youth and family films, with highly anticipated releases including A Minecraft Movie, Mission: Impossible 8, How To Train Your Dragon, 28 Years Later, and F1 all releasing by the end of June

Other huge franchise films that are set to blow up the box office over H2 include, Jurassic World: Rebirth, Superman, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Wicked: For Good, Zootopia 2, and the monumental Avatar: Fire and Ash, which is expected to be the biggest film of 2025.

Burbidge added: “There are plenty of opportunities for brands to connect with hard-to-reach audiences through Cinema in 2025, especially with the lack of major sporting events. Cinema delivers these audiences in spades, and if brands aren’t considering it in their plans, they’re missing a huge opportunity.”

See the full slate: Movies — Val Morgan

*Source: CineTAM 2024/2025, Standard Media Index