For the third straight weekend since its massive debut, \u201cThe Super Mario Galaxy Movie\u201d has held on to the top spot at the box office. <\/p>\n
Nothing has been able to dethrone the animated hit. A barrage of poor critical reviews (\u201crock-stupid<\/a>,\u201d \u201cflat empty nothingness<\/a>,\u201d \u201ctorturous to sit through<\/a>\u201d) didn\u2019t slow ticket sales. Neither have newer releases \u2014 \u201cLee Cronin\u2019s The Mummy,\u201d \u201cBusboys\u201d and \u201cYou, Me and Tuscany\u201d \u2014 which all lag behind at the box office. <\/p>\n Only three weeks after its release, the \u201cMario\u201d sequel is already the highest-grossing film of the year, with over $355 million in ticket sales. Trailing behind are \u201cProject Hail Mary\u201d with $285 million and Pixar\u2019s \u201cHoppers\u201d with $161 million. <\/p>\n All three films share a common thread: They appeal to kids and families. The proof is in the pudding \u2014 if Hollywood wants to draw large audiences to theaters, it should produce films like \u201cProject Hail Mary\u201d that families can enjoy together. <\/p>\n Dear Hollywood, make movies with family appeal <\/p>\n Movie theater attendance plummeted<\/a> during the COVID-19 pandemic. While audiences have gradually returned to the big screen for new releases, annual domestic box-office sales remain roughly 20% below pre-pandemic levels, per ABC News<\/a>. <\/p>\n According to a Pew Research Center study<\/a> conducted in summer 2025, just over half (53%) of Americans say they attended a movie in theaters over the past year. Notably, 7% said they have never stepped foot inside a movie theater. <\/p>\n Hollywood is feeling the pressure as audience growth remains flat. Some industry heavyweights predict that going to the movies may eventually become a niche activity. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re looking at a huge transition. First, documentaries disappeared from cinemas. Now, dramas only get finite time and people wait to see it on streamers,\u201d Leonardo DiCaprio told The Times<\/a>. \u201cDo people still have the appetite? Or will cinemas become silos \u2014 like jazz bars?\u201d <\/p>\n Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet echoed concerns about declining theater attendance, a sentiment that drew controversy<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to be working in ballet or opera, or you know, things where it\u2019s like, \u2018Hey, keep this thing alive,\u2019 even though it\u2019s like, no one cares about this anymore,\u201d he said of declining theater attendance. <\/p>\n The appetite for movies in theaters is still alive, but a bulk of the films available just aren\u2019t appetizing to large audiences. <\/p>\n Ryan Gosling, the star of \u201cProject Hail Mary,\u201d said the film\u2019s success reaffirmed that studios must earn audiences\u2019 return to theaters with appealing films. <\/p>\n \u201cSix years ago, I got the manuscript,\u201d Gosling said, per Variety<\/a>. \u201c(It\u2019s) the most ambitious thing I\u2019ll ever make. … Six years later, we did it. Here we are, we\u2019re all back in theaters. It\u2019s not your job to keep them open, it\u2019s our job to make things that make it worth you coming out.\u201d<\/p>\n In 2025, the three highest-grossing global films were \u201cZootopia 2\u201d ($1.86 billion<\/a>), \u201cLilo & Stitch\u201d ($1.03 billion<\/a>) and \u201cA Minecraft Movie\u201d ($958 million<\/a>), all of them rated PG. <\/p>\n By contrast, of 2025\u2019s best picture Oscar nominees, seven of the 10 films were rated R, limiting their family appeal. Only one \u2014 \u201cSinners\u201d \u2014 managed to break into the year\u2019s top 10 highest-grossing films.<\/p>\n The gap highlights a broader trend in the industry \u2014 family-friendly films have become a key driver in theatrical success, fueled largely by young moviegoers, who drag their parents and other chaperones with them to kid-friendly showings.<\/p>\n