Summer Box Office Breaks All-Time Record With $4.67 Billion

By Rebecca Rubin

Rebecca Rubin

Senior Film and Media Reporter

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Need proof the movies are really, truly back? The summer box office was already the biggest since COVID upended the industry in 2020 — and now the season has become the highest-grossing of all time. Domestic ticket sales from May 1 through Labor Day on Sept. 7 stand at $4.76 billion, according to Rentrak. Revenues surpassed the long-held record set in 2013 with $4.755 billion, anchored by “Iron Man 3,” “Despicable Me 2” and “Man of Steel.”

This summer’s benchmark comes with two major caveats: Ticket sales from more than a decade ago weren’t adjusted for inflation, and popcorn season was slightly longer (running at 130 days compared to 123 days in 2013) because of Labor Day’s placement on the calendar. Still, it’s a significant milestone because it signals that after five years of uncertainty about the movie business, people have fallen back in love with the silver screen.

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