Domestic ticket sales from May 1 through Labor Day reached $4.76 billion, according to Rentrak, edging past the 2013 benchmark of $4.755 billion. The milestone arrives five years after the pandemic upended theatrical distribution and signals that audiences have returned to theaters in force.

The calendar and the caveats

This year’s popcorn season ran 123 days, seven fewer than the 130-day stretch in 2013, and the figures are not adjusted for inflation. Even so, the result marks only the second summer since 2020 to surpass $4 billion, following 2023’s $4.09 billion “Barbenheimer” season. The last pre-pandemic summer, 2019, finished at $4.3 billion, while 2018 reached $4.42 billion.

Four months, four billion-dollar months

For the first time in history, each summer month cleared $1 billion: May at $1.07 billion, June at $1.08 billion, July at $1.18 billion and August at $1.27 billion. Those four months typically account for 40 percent of the full-year box office, making the consistency across the season notable.

Franchises and sleepers

Studios leaned on proven sequels, “Toy Story 5” and “The Devil Wears Prada 2”, while Gen Z-driven sleepers “Obsession” and “Backrooms” added unexpected lift. Sony’s “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” carried the heaviest weight, grossing $923 million domestically and $2.4 billion worldwide to date. Universal’s “The Odyssey” added $589 million in North America and $1.62 billion globally, with Imax contributing $486 million, or 30 percent of its total. The wins offset high-profile disappointments including Disney’s live-action “Moana,” Warner Bros. and DC’s “Supergirl” and Amazon MGM’s “Masters of the Universe.”

Holiday holdovers

Over the four-day Labor Day frame, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” led for a sixth consecutive weekend with $23.5 million and is on track to surpass “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” ($936 million domestic, unadjusted) as the highest-grossing domestic release ever. It already ranks third globally behind “Avatar” ($2.9 billion) and “Avengers: Endgame” ($2.7 billion). “The Odyssey” took second with $17.3 million in its eighth weekend, while “Coyote vs. Acme” held third with $15.8 million from 3,727 locations.

What the numbers suggest

“What makes this summer uniquely important and potentially pivotal is that, for many people, it may have been the season that reminded them just how much fun it is to go to the movies,” said Paul Dergarabedian, Rentrak’s head of marketplace trends. He argued the experience could seed a new generation of theatergoers and sustain momentum into the remaining slate.