{"id":345282,"date":"2025-12-31T20:51:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-31T20:51:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/345282\/"},"modified":"2025-12-31T20:51:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-31T20:51:10","slug":"was-this-year-the-beginning-of-the-end-for-theatrical-movies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/345282\/","title":{"rendered":"Was this year the beginning of the end for theatrical movies?"},"content":{"rendered":"

2025 may go down as a turning point for theatrical exhibition. While Netflix\u2019s much-discussed attempt to buy Warner Bros.<\/a> hasn\u2019t gone through (yet), this felt like the year many people truly fell out of love with going to the movies.<\/p>\n

The writing has been on the wall for some time. The pandemic fundamentally changed how audiences consume media, and the box office has yet to reclaim its pre-COVID heights. While some movies still did very well, 2025 was also defined by an unusually high number of major flops\u2014including from studios once considered bulletproof.<\/p>\n

Below is a breakdown of the biggest box office winners and losers of 2025.<\/p>\n

\"Red<\/p>\n

Box Office Loser: Marvel Studios<\/p>\n

2025 was a rough year for the formerly untouchable Marvel juggernaut.<\/p>\n

While none of the studio\u2019s releases misfired quite as badly as Ms. Marvel, both Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts failed to break even.<\/p>\n

Captain America: Brave New World grossed $415 million worldwide. While Disney maintains the budget was around $180 million, many industry insiders peg the true cost much higher due to extensive reshoots.<\/p>\n

Thunderbolts earned an underwhelming $382 million worldwide against a similarly reported $180 million budget, meaning Disney likely lost a significant sum once marketing costs were factored in.<\/p>\n

Marvel did fare somewhat better with Fantastic Four: First Steps, which made $521 million worldwide, but given a reported budget north of $200 million, profits were likely slim.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Box Office Winner: Warner Bros. and DC<\/p>\n

Going into 2025, many believed Warner Bros. co-chairs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy were on borrowed time due to the studio\u2019s risky slate. The failure of 2024\u2019s Joker: Folie \u00e0 Deux cast a long shadow, and things didn\u2019t improve early in the year when Mickey 17 flopped.<\/p>\n

Then came the rebound.<\/p>\n

Warner Bros. and its New Line Cinema shingle delivered one hit after another, including:<\/p>\n

A Minecraft Movie<\/p>\n

Sinners<\/p>\n

Final Destination: Bloodlines<\/p>\n

Weapons<\/p>\n

F1<\/p>\n

The Conjuring: Last Rites<\/p>\n

And yes\u2014DC\u2019s Superman, which earned $616 million worldwide.<\/p>\n

While Superman was far from a smash<\/a> (especially compared to Man of Steel, which performed much better when adjusted for inflation), it still outperformed anything Marvel released in 2025. Warner Bros. did take a loss on One Battle After Another, which is unlikely to turn a profit, but given the awards attention it\u2019s receiving, the studio probably isn\u2019t losing sleep over it.<\/p>\n

\"tron<\/p>\n

The Curious Case of Disney in 2025<\/p>\n

Disney\u2019s year was defined by extreme highs and lows.<\/p>\n

On the losing side:<\/p>\n

Snow White was a disastrous reboot<\/p>\n

Tron: Ares failed to connect<\/p>\n

Ella McCay fizzled<\/p>\n

Marvel continued to struggle<\/p>\n

Yet Disney also released some of the year\u2019s biggest hits, including:<\/p>\n

Lilo & Stitch<\/p>\n

Zootopia 2<\/p>\n

Avatar: Fire and Ash<\/p>\n

Love them or hate them, Disney still commands a massive share of the theatrical marketplace, even in a down year.<\/p>\n

\"In<\/p>\n

New Movie Stars Delivered Mixed Results<\/p>\n

Hollywood remains desperate for new stars as legends like Tom Cruise age out of their primes\u2014but 2025 showed just how unpredictable star power has become.<\/p>\n

Glen Powell, once seen as the next Cruise after Anyone But You and Twisters, had a disastrous year. His Hulu series Chad Powers earned poor reviews (although our critic really liked it<\/a>), while his big-budget Running Man remake became one of the year\u2019s biggest flops.<\/p>\n

Sydney Sweeney endured brutal publicity and suffered a major bomb with her boxing drama Christy, though she rebounded with The Housemaid, which performed solidly.<\/p>\n

Ana de Armas failed to ignite a franchise with Ballerina, which largely fell flat.<\/p>\n

Two actors, however, proved they still have genuine box office muscle:<\/p>\n

Michael B. Jordan: Sinners, featuring Jordan in a dual role, was one of the year\u2019s biggest hits. Since breaking out with Creed, he\u2019s rarely missed financially.<\/p>\n

Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet: Marty Supreme may have been the only prestige drama of 2025 to turn a profit, and his track record remains remarkably consistent.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Box Office Losers: Prestige Dramas<\/p>\n

2025 was brutal for star-driven prestige dramas, with almost all of them failing theatrically.<\/p>\n

The Smashing Machine became the biggest box office disaster of Dwayne Johnson\u2019s career.<\/p>\n

After the Hunt, starring Julia Roberts (who reportedly earned $20 million), grossed just $3.26 million domestically.<\/p>\n

Kiss of the Spider Woman, starring Jennifer Lopez, fared even worse, earning only $2 million.<\/p>\n

Even Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell couldn\u2019t turn A Big Bold Beautiful Journey into a hit.<\/p>\n

For adult-oriented prestige cinema, theatrical exhibition in 2025 was nearly a bloodbath.<\/p>\n

Final Thoughts: What Were the Biggest Box Office Stories of 2025?<\/p>\n

From Marvel\u2019s stumble to Warner Bros.\u2019 resurgence, Disney\u2019s whiplash year, and the near-collapse of prestige dramas, 2025 was one of the most volatile box office years in recent memory.<\/p>\n

What do you think were the biggest box office stories of the year?
Let us know in the comments.<\/p>\n

\"JoBlo<\/p>\n

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