Cinema records bumper summer season, admissions up 9%

Australian cinemas recorded 13.5 million admissions between 28 November 2024 and 2 February 2025, a 9% increase on the previous year.

The growth was driven by strong performances from family films, with admissions in that category up 8% year-on-year. Major contributors included Moana 2, Wicked, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Mufasa: The Lion King, and Paddington in Peru.

Moana 2 led the summer box office with 3.07 million admissions, becoming the third highest-grossing animated film of all time in Australia. Wicked followed with 2.4 million admissions, making it the second highest-grossing live-action musical in Australian box office history.

Paddington in Peru has now surpassed the original Paddington (2014), with 1.03 million admissions to date, while Sonic the Hedgehog 3 outperformed its predecessor by 29%, reaching 1.73 million admissions.

The strong release slate contributed to the highest January box office performance since 2020.

Val Morgan Cinema managing director Guy Burbidge said the results highlight continued audience demand for the big-screen experience.

"We knew this summer school holidays would be big, and these record-breaking results prove that Australians' love for cinema has never been stronger," he said.

Advertising investment in cinema has also risen, with the latest Guideline SMI report showing cinema was the standout performer in the final quarter, growing 6.1%, and leading all sectors in the first six months of the financial year with 10.3% growth.

Looking ahead, 2025 will see several major releases, including A Minecraft Movie, Mission: Impossible 8, How to Train Your Dragon, 28 Years Later, and F1 in the first half of the year. The second half is expected to be driven by Jurassic World: Rebirth, Superman, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Wicked: For Good, Zootopia 2, and Avatar: Fire and Ash.