How the 2024 Box Office Rallied From a Dire First Half to an $8.7 Billion Year

The year 2024 was expected to be a step back for movie theaters in their effort to rebuild after the COVID-19 pandemic due to the impact of the Hollywood strikes. And while it was, the box office ended far closer to 2023 than expected.

Thanks to a strong second half, domestic annual grosses finished at a preliminary estimate of $8.7 billion, down 4% year-over-year from the $9.06 billion recorded in 2023 and well above the flat $8 billion that was initially projected by Gower Street Analytics at the start of 2024.