It takes a lot to get people to movie theaters these days — and it might get even harder to catch blockbusters on the big screen in the near future.

Or at least that’s what streaming giants like Netflix, which controversially acquired Warner Bros. Discovery in December, want you to think. The staggering $83 billion deal, which is still pending regulatory approval, all but confirmed the hastening demise of multiplexes. In discussing the merger, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos stated that, while his company plans on releasing Warner Bros. projects in theaters, he doesn’t think long, exclusive theatrical runs for movies “are that consumer-friendly.”

The tech executive may have a point. While CGI-laden blockbusters like the latest Avatar sequel can still bring in more than$1 billion at the box office, going to the movies isn’t what it used to be. Ticket sales have been on the decline for the past decade, and they still haven’t completely recovered after falling off a cliff during the Covid-19 pandemic. (The 2023 Hollywood strikes didn’t help.) With the dominance of streaming services, it seems reasonable to assume that consumers simply prefer to watch feature films from their couches, where they can look at TikTok or YouTube at the same time. 

But some recent research suggests that not everyone is avoiding the brick-and-mortar theater. Young people apparently can’t get enough of this century-old pastime. 

Last year, there was a 25 percent increase in theater attendance for members of Gen Z, according to the annual Strength of Theatrical Exhibition report from Cinema United, the world’s largest exhibition trade association. Likewise, the number of Gen Z moviegoers who visit theaters at least six times a year rose from 31 percent in 2024 to 41 percent last year. Our youngest cohort, Gen Alpha, is even reporting higher levels of interest in going to the multiplex, according to a 2025 survey by the National Research Group.........

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