After a turbulent period for the Marked by the pandemic and the historic writers’ and actors’ strikes in 2023, the year 2024 has proven to be a crucial time for the film industry. However, even if the has shown signs of improvement, achieving projections slightly above expectations, the sector continues to face significant challenges.
The resumption of productions, delays in the release calendar and growing competition with streaming platforms are some of the factors shaping this complex scenario.
Despite the partial recovery, the sector is below the average of pre-pandemic years. In this context, 2024 was a year of transition, in which cinema sought to redefine its role and recover the .
The recovery of the sector and the signs of strikes
The year 2024 has brought great challenges for the film industry, especially regarding the consequences of the Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes in 2023. These strikes have had profound effects on the release calendar and productions, significantly marking the sector.
Impacts of strikes in Hollywood
Amanda Brandão, a film and television content creator, said the strike left many productions for later, which was evident in both the delay of long-awaited series and films. “The strike ended up leaving a lot of things for later. This was a much-needed movement in the industry, but this year the impact was clear. The series we were waiting for for a long time took a long time to come out [a segunda temporada de] The last of uswhich was supposed to take place this year, but was postponed to next year. Films have also been postponed for this reason.”
He also highlighted how the impact was reflected in the awards: “The impact was evident, even in the For example. The Emmys were very weak; there wasn’t a high-impact series or anything that caught the audience’s attention.”
In fact, the closure has slowed down production and delayed long-awaited releases. According to Gower Street, this slower pace contributed to the first year-on-year decline in the box office since the pandemic.
However, it is important to note that 2024’s global box office decline was not uniform. While international markets experienced growth, the domestic market (USA/Canada) was primarily responsible for the contraction, reflecting strong competition with streaming platforms and increased costs for the end consumer.
Resumption of the release calendar
Despite the setbacks, 2024 also marks the resumption of major productions. The inclusion of new titles in the release calendar has helped improve box office projections. With the rising costs and fragmentation of streaming, consumers are looking for alternatives that offer differentiated value, and cinema can capture this audience with a unique experience proposition.
For distributors, this movement is vital. In addition to boosting box office, it also helps attract audiences unaccustomed to the cinematic experience after years of streaming dominance.
Global markets: a diverse landscape
While the domestic market has faced challenges, international markets have stood out as pillars of the film industry’s recovery in 2024. These regions have contributed significantly to global box office growth, bringing new insights and strategies to the industry.
The role of international markets
International markets were key to the box office recovery in 2024. Excluding China (more on that later), these markets accounted for the majority of the gains, with a forecast of , higher than initial estimates. This reflects the renewed appetite for cinema in countries that have managed to control the effects of the pandemic more efficiently.
The importance of China on the global stage
China, in turn, is the only major market to show growth compared to 2023, with a projection of . Streaming platforms are betting on live events and sports, which can attract audiences accustomed to collective experiences, but this also opens up space for cinema to strengthen the emotional and community appeal of theaters.
These numbers reinforce the need for distributors to diversify their strategies, balancing global productions and regional content to capture audiences in different markets.
The cinema experience in a world dominated by streaming
With the cinema needed to reinvent itself to maintain its relevance. The experience of watching movies on the big screen has become a differentiator that needs to be explored to attract audiences to theaters.
The challenge of bringing the public back
Amanda Brandão underlined the importance of making cinema more accessible: “Cinema is increasingly elitist, but theaters have already understood this. This year we had initiatives like with many promotions to encourage the public. When there are these promotions the theaters fill up.”
Promotional events are an important step towards regaining your audience. However, the solution to It also involves offering experiences that can’t be replicated at home, such as high-tech rooms and audiovisual immersion.
Netflix and other platforms are diversifying their revenues, investing in offline events such as pop-up stores and theme parks based on their productions, a strategy that is starting to approach the immersive experience offered by cinema.
At the same time, platforms like They are diversifying their revenues and investing in offline events, such as pop-up shops and theme parks based on their productions. These initiatives demonstrate that streaming not only competes with, but also seeks to complement the cinematic experience, creating new possibilities for audiences and the industry.
Cinema and streaming: competitors or complementary?
While streaming fragments the content offering, cinema can position itself as a refuge for unique experiences. This complementarity is essential for the balance of the sector.
The focus on live events and exclusive previews are examples of how cinema can coexist with streaming, offering something that platforms still cannot fully replace.
Sequels and intellectual properties dominate 2024
The year 2024 was largely dominated by sequels and franchises, which occupied nine of the ten positions in the highest global box office charts. Titles like Inside out 2, Deadpool and Wolverine AND Despicable Me 4 attracted large crowds, while the only non-franchise film, Evilstill benefited from its strong connection to the Broadway musical and The Wizard of Oz.
Amanda Brandão highlighted the strength of sequels in 2024, but also stressed that new intellectual properties have shown strength. “It was also a strong year for new productions, with new scripts and ideas. An example is The substancewhich was the biggest success. It wasn’t a big bet for this year, but it ended up being one of the main films of the year.”
The 10 biggest box office grosses of 2024
- Inside out 2 –
- Deadpool and Wolverine –
- Despicable Me 4 –
- Wicked: Part One –
- Godzilla vs. Kong: The New Empire –
- Duna: second part –
- Beetle juice Beetle juice –
- Kung Fu Panda 4 –
- Twister –
- The substance –
Studios like Disney, Universal and Warner Bros. were responsible for most of the successes. Disney, for example, has led the way with impressive global box office receipts, including TO Inside out 2 AND TO Deadpool and Wolverine. Universal secured its place with Despicable Me 4 () and the success of Evil ().
Although the global box office exceeded initial projections – already conservative due to the difficulties faced in 2023 – the industry is still below pre-pandemic levels and showed a decline of 4.8% compared to the previous year.
Despite this dominance, the industry as a whole saw box office declines of 4.8% from 2023, according to Comscore data, and an even larger decline of 23% from pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Intellectual Properties consolidated shows highlight the strength of big brands and the challenges faced by original productions in finding space on screens.
The future of cinema: towards 2025
The expectation for 2025 is recovery and growth, with the arrival of postponed productions and new projects that promise to shake up the sector. This transition period represents a crucial opportunity to redefine the strategies of the film industry.
Expectations for next year
With major productions postponed until 2025, expectations for the future are high. The challenge will be to keep audiences engaged during this transition period.
Amanda Brandão concludes: “My expectation is that people will go to the cinema again and learn this experience again. It’s something very different and irreplaceable.”
The post Return to the screen? What 2024 revealed about the future of cinema appeared first on Olhar Digital.
Source: Olhar Digital
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
