Number of movie releases in the U.S. & Canada 1995-2023, by genre

Between 1995 and early 2023, 16.35 thousand movies were released in Canada and the United States (including the unincorporated territories of Guam and Puerto Rico). Out of that total, about one third were dramas. Documentaries and comedies followed, each accounting for approximately 2.5 thousand of all films released within that period.

Quantity versus profitability

Despite placing just below the top four in terms of releases, adventure and action films recorded the highest box office revenues in the U.S. and Canada in the period. Altogether, these two genres grossed more drama, comedy, suspense, and horror combined. Following this trend on a global scale, the two most commercially successful movies of all time were "Avatar" (2009) and "Avengers: Endgame" (2019), each grossing around 2.8 billion dollars worldwide.

Movie releases: a slow recovery

Between 2020 and 2020, the number of movies released in the U.S. and Canada grew by more than 20 percent. Still, the 2021 result amounted to roughly half of the figure recorded in 2019, before the COVID-19 outbreak. The pandemic accelerated many trends within the realm of audiovisual consumption. One of them was that China became the leading box office market, leaving the U.S. and Canada at the second place in the global ranking, right above Japan.