Can Gen Z Save Hollywood?

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The common denominator? Zoomers, aka Gen Zers, whom some had written off as anti-moviegoing, since they were the first generation to bond 24/7 with an iPhone or other device. Yes, social media has them craving a collective experience, resulting in a rise in theatergoing among those born between 1997 and 2012. “Generation Z is ironically drawn to the classic analog experience of going to the movie theater,” says Comscore’s Paul Dergarabedian. “They are able to blend this traditional activity with their digital lives, using theater outings as fodder for social engagement.”

Gen Zers are becoming a larger share of the total moviegoing crowd. In 2025, they represented 39 percent of the audience in North America, up from 34 percent in 2019, per Comscore PostTrak exit polling data shared with The Hollywood Reporter. And leading theater trade organization Cinema United touted that Zoomer theater attendance grew by 25 percent the past 12 months.

Last year, Gen Zers ranged in age from 13 to 28; this year, they will hold even more clout by occupying an even larger share of the two most coveted age brackets in the film business: 18-24 and 25-34. And with Zoomers now occupying the 13-17 age bracket, PG-rated movies are back and studios are reconsidering the hard-won knowledge that PG films repelled millennials when they were 13- to 17-years-old. Gen Zers don’t feel that way, helping to explain why four of last year’s top movies were all rated PG (Zootopia 2, Lilo & Stitch, A Minecraft Movie and How to Train Your Dragon). And ticket purchases are pre-planned: 40 percent of Gen Z says they bought tickets in advance “within the last week,” up from 25 percent pre-pandemic, per PostTrak polling.

“There’s no question about it — Gen Z likes going to the movies, and they do so more often than older audiences,” says Ray Subers, head of film at leading research firm NRG, citing the demo’s trend toward IP like video game, anime and YouTuber brands as well as major animated movies they grew up on. “It’s critical to the industry’s future that studios prioritize these 21st century brands over older IP that mainly resonates with the 35-plus and 45-plus crowd. Gen Zers don’t want their parents’ franchises.”

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The demographic shift in theatergoing rise isn’t confined to the U.S. “What we’re seeing right now,” adds Tim Richards, founder and CEO of the U.K. cinema chain Vue, “and certainly it backs up all of the market analysis that’s been done across Europe and even in North America, is that [young people] have returned.”

“Gen Z is slowly growing to be a safe bet,” says Fatima Djoumer, CEO of Europa Cinemas, the largest network of cinema exhibitors dedicated to promoting European films. “For years, Gen Z was seen by many film professionals or observers as the ‘streaming and short-form content generation,'” she continues, “[but] within Europa Cinemas’ network, cinemas are regaining audiences, in particular young people — not only through targeted school screenings but also through specific film events. For Gen Z,” she adds, “moviegoing is increasingly becoming a new kind of night out.”

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