Laura Carollo
Research expert covering cinema and film
Gen Z movie consumption in the United States - statistics & facts
Far from being a relic of the past, theaters have shown themselves capable of attracting new cinephiles. Perhaps surprisingly, Gen Z moviegoers are the ones flocking to the cinemas, more so than any other age group. They are also the generation whose cinema habits have been less impacted by the pandemic. What is motivating young people to opt for the big screen experience at a time when streaming video is more widespread than ever?
Gen Z are the most dynamic and promising age group for the film industry. As many of them are enjoying the cinema experience, they are also behind the newfound success of several franchises and genres. However, social networks and influencers are the main channels of information, to the detriment of more traditional marketing strategies.
What kind of moviegoers are Gen Z?
According to a survey held in the United States in 2022, more than half of Gen Z moviegoers went to the movies at least a few times a year, 17 percent among them several times a month or even week. As consumers are less likely to go to the movies the older they get, young cinemagoers are breathing new life into an industry that has not emerged unscathed from the pandemic. However, more than half of consumers still prefer to watch films at home via streaming platforms if given the choice. The availability, sometimes almost immediate, of films on VoD is one of the reasons most often cited. The range of films released in cinemas is also an obstacle for many young cinemagoers, with over half of them claiming to go to the cinema less often because they were less interested in the films on offer.What are Gen Z viewers watching?
Movie genres that appeal to younger audiences are more likely to do well at the box office. This is particularly true of one of 2024’s biggest box office hits “Inside Out 2”, whose success was mostly driven by its Gen Z (and female) audience, and not by children. The sequel to Disney’s animated classic quickly became the highest grossing animated movie of all time not long after its release in June 2024. On top of that, the horror genre remains one of their favorite genres, only dethroned by comedy. As of October 2022, about two-thirds Generation Z respondents in the United States had watched a horror movie in theaters in the year preceding the survey. Video game adaptations have proven to be very popular new additions with half of Gen Z being very interested in watching them.How to reach them?
Gen Z consumers consult social networks to keep updated on upcoming cinema releases. A large share of Gen Z respondents use social networks as their primary information source and way of discovering movies, ranking first above other channels such as word of mouth. While cinema-dedicated platforms such as Letterboxd are becoming increasingly popular among this age bracket, TikTok reigns supreme in terms of reach. Going viral on TikTok, where influencers and other creators can share memes or short videos of a movie, is one of the most effective methods to reach younger viewers.Gen Z are the most dynamic and promising age group for the film industry. As many of them are enjoying the cinema experience, they are also behind the newfound success of several franchises and genres. However, social networks and influencers are the main channels of information, to the detriment of more traditional marketing strategies.
