Here's the twist nobody saw coming: the generation that grew up with Netflix and TikTok is now propping up theatrical exhibition.
According to a new study from Variety, Gen Z audiences aren't just going to the movies—they're going more than older demographics, spending more per visit, and gravitating toward premium formats like IMAX and Dolby Cinema. They're also dropping more cash on concessions, which is music to exhibitors' ears.
This flies in the face of the conventional wisdom that young people killed theatrical. The narrative for years has been that Gen Z prefers watching movies on their phones, that they have no attention span, that they'd rather scroll social media than sit through a two-hour film.
Turns out, that was always condescending nonsense.
Young audiences do want the theatrical experience—but only if it's worth leaving the house for. They're not showing up for mid-budget dramas they can stream in six weeks. They're showing up for spectacle, for communal experiences, for movies that demand to be seen on the biggest screen possible.
That's why IMAX and premium formats are thriving. Gen Z doesn't see the point in paying $15 for a standard theater ticket when their TV at home is pretty good. But pay $20 for IMAX with immersive sound? That's an event, and events are worth paying for.
The concessions spending is particularly interesting. Older generations have been trained to sneak candy in or skip concessions entirely because of the markup. Gen Z apparently doesn't care—they're treating the whole experience as a package deal. Popcorn, soda, candy, the works.
What does this mean for exhibitors? Stop chasing older demographics with middling adult dramas. Program for young audiences. Embrace spectacle. Invest in premium formats. Make going to the movies feel like an experience worth the trip.
The data also suggests that Gen Z is more social about moviegoing—they go in groups, they treat it as a hangout, they share the experience on social media afterward. That's the kind of organic marketing studios and theaters should be leaning into.
The irony, of course, is that just as we're learning that young audiences will save theatrical exhibition, studios are pulling back on theatrical releases in favor of streaming. Gen Z is showing up, but there aren't enough big-screen experiences to show up for.
If exhibitors and studios can figure out how to program for this audience—spectacle-driven, premium-format-loving, concession-buying young moviegoers—there's actually a path forward for theatrical cinema.
In Hollywood, nobody knows anything—except that Gen Z might just know more than we gave them credit for.
