Gen Z is suddenly spending more time in one place they used to ignore

If you’ve caught a movie in the theater recently, you may have noticed the crowd leaned, well, decidedly younger.

Gen Z and millennials are driving a renaissance of sorts at movie theaters, taking in more movies each year and spending more money per outing than older generations, according to the results of an annual moviegoing trends and insights study released this month by Fandango. 

But Gen Z was a standout in a couple key ways: 87% of people born after 1997 said they had watched at least one movie in the theater in the past year, the highest share of any generation, and they were also the most likely to purchase tickets online or pre-order snacks, according to the survey of more than 7,000 moviegoers.

What makes going to the movies for Zoomers different is that it’s “a form of social gathering,” according to the Fandango report, with this generation preferring to head to the theaters with friends. And, in a throwback of sorts, 92% of Gen Zers reported that they paired a movie outing with going out to eat. 

By contrast, among Baby Boomers, who probably enjoyed many dinner-and-a-movie dates in their younger years, only 58% said they had seen at least one movie in the past year.

WHAT’S BRINGING GEN Z BACK TO THEATERS

While the types of movies that studios are churning out is also likely a driving factor for attendance, movie theaters may be attracting younger generations again amid a lack of interest in boozing and a steady erosion of so-called third spaces, Benedict and Hannah Townsend, hosts of the film and TV podcast Talk of the Townsends, told The Guardian. “As the internet becomes ever more pervasive, and in many ways ever more annoying, Gen Z are looking for experiences beyond the black mirror.” 

Indeed, the survey shows how strongly Gen Z value “the shared, communal aspect of the experience” of going to the movies, Jerramy Hainline, executive VP at Fandango, told Variety. “Theaters continue to play an important role as a social destination for younger audiences.”

Fandango didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from Fast Company.

But Gen Z does have a bit of catching up to do, as millennials slightly edged them out for the average number of movies they saw in theaters in 2025—at 7.2 versus 7.0. Overall, moviegoers across all generations reported seeing an average of 5.3 movies in theaters in 2026.

HOLLYWOOD’S HIGHS AND LOWS

While the resurgence in moviegoing among younger generations is likely welcomed news in Hollywood, it’s been a bit of a mixed bag there lately: In April alone, two major studios and a high-profile production company have announced layoffs totaling more than 1,000 jobs combined. And yet, building off the success of reigning leaders—The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Pegasus 3, and Project Hail Mary—and heading into the busy summer season, analysts are projecting that 2026 will be the highest-grossing year for global box office sales since 2019, according to Deadline. 

And the Fandango study found that 76% of moviegoers plan to hit the theaters this summer, with Toy Story 5 and Spider-Man: Brand New Day cited as the two most-anticipated films among moviegoers.

Still, studios should pay attention to what younger generations are doing as the moviegoing landscape continues to evolve and as younger generations redefine what an outing to the movie means by prioritizing premium experiences, social engagement and new forms of content, as Hainline told Variety. “Meeting them where they are isn’t optional—it’s essential to the future of theatrical moviegoing.”

View the full article