With one month down in the fall box office season, the worst of the expected theatrical drought is now behind us. But while this month should mark an improvement over last month — the worst September at the box office in 25 years — the film industry is still bracing for a 20% to 30% dip in October ticket sales compared to last year.
In fact, multiple distribution chiefs are projecting a cumulative gross around $435-$500 million, which would be the lowest October total since 2001 (excluding the pandemic shutdown in 2020).
And it’s a far cry from last October, when a trio of hits — Sony’s “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” MGM’s “No Time to Die” and Warner Bros.’