Cinema makes a huge comeback in Australia as ticket sales soar
Australians have flooded to the cinema this year, spending big on a string of blockbuster releases that could push ticket sales beyond $1 billion. Find out which movies were the most popular
READING LEVEL: GREEN
Going to the movies has made an epic comeback in Australia.
Riding high off the back of a string of blockbusters*, including the latest Spider-Man instalment which recorded the second biggest opening weekend on record, the Australian box office* has been forecast to break the $1 billion barrier in 2026 for the first time since the Covid pandemic.
Cinema Association Australasia executive director Cameron Mitchell said that as of August 9, the Australian box office for the year was 24 per cent higher than it was in August 2025.
“Year-to-date Australian box office has grossed* $785 million and is forecast to reach $1.1 billion for the full calendar year, with an estimated 60 million tickets being sold this year to an Australian cinema,” he said.
“The Australian box office over the past four months (April, May, June and July) exceeds $100 million in each month for the first time in history.”
The last time the Australian box office passed $1 billion was in 2019, when it pulled in $1.229 billion before the Covid pandemic hit.
Blockbusters have boosted the box office, led by Tom Holland’s return as the web slinger* – delivering a record-breaking Australian opening weekend, with audiences turning out in force for Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
The film grossed $30.4 million over the four-day Thursday to Sunday opening weekend, which was the second biggest opening weekend in Australia behind Avengers: Endgame in 2019, which made $34.1 million over the four days.
Since its July 30 release, Spider-Man has taken in $55.5 million.
Behind Spider-Man was the Michael Jackson biopic* Michael ($32.5 million); Toy Story 5 ($31.3 million); Devil Wears Prada 2 ($30.1 million) and The Odyssey ($27.9 million) which was released in the middle of July.
Mr Cameron said the Odyssey IMAX sessions were sold out in most Australian markets, while the Melbourne IMAX sessions were sold out for the next six weeks until September 23, with massive demand for additional sessions.
Managing director of Sony Pictures Releasing Australia Stephen Basil-Jones said Spider-Man was the standout movie for 2026.
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day has not only created brand new box office records but it underscores* the fact that going to see movies at the cinema is well and truly back,” he said.
“It delivered the biggest Saturday ever at the cinemas, the biggest Sunday ever at the cinemas and the biggest opening in Sony Pictures’ long, illustrious* 100-year history.
“This is a win for everyone … fans and audiences of Spider-Man are just loving the film, the cinemas that are playing it and the industry at large, which is making a big, bold announcement that cinema is back, stronger than ever.”
POLL
GLOSSARY
- blockbusters: large budget movies that prove very popular and make lots of money in ticket sales
- box office: traditionally, the box office was the ticket booth you purchased movie tickets from, but it has also come to mean the amount of money a film makes from ticket sales
- grossed: the total amount of money made from ticket sales before paying theatres, taxes and other costs associated with showing the film
- web slinger: a nickname for Spider-Man
- biopic: a biographical film
- underscores: emphasises
- illustrious: very famous and highly respected
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QUICK QUIZ
1. When was the last time the Australian box office broke the $1 billion mark?
2. Which movie has made the most in ticket sales so far this year?
3. How much did this film make in its opening weekend?
4. What is the name of the biopic that made the second highest amount in ticket sales?
5. Which movie is proving hard to get into at IMAX at the moment?
LISTEN TO THIS STORY
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Make a visual representation
Create a graph or infographic to visually represent some of the movie attendance information presented in this news story. Your graph or infographic should assist viewers to understand the data better than they could by just reading the figures. Ensure your work is neat, well-designed and includes appropriate labels.
Time: allow 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; Mathematics
2. Extension
Create a poster or write a plot line for a movie that you think could beat the opening weekends of Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Explain why you believe this movie will be popular with cinema-goers.
Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; Visual Arts
VCOP ACTIVITY
Read this!
A headline on an article – or a title on your text – should capture the attention of the audience, telling them to read this now. So choosing the perfect words for a headline or title is very important.
Create three new headlines for the events that took place in this article. Remember, what you write and how you write it will set the pace for the whole text, so make sure it matches.
Read out your headlines to a partner and discuss what the article will be about based on the headline you created. Discuss the tone and mood you set in just your few, short words. Does it do the article justice? Will it capture the audience’s attention the way you hoped? Would you want to read more?
Consider how a headline or title is similar to using short, sharp sentences throughout your text. They can be just as important as complex ones. Go through the last text you wrote and highlight any short, sharp sentences that capture the audience.