Kids movies became perhaps a little more adult, but definitely more lucrative in 2015, as the box office grosses of PG-rated films rose sharply.
The 45 films rated PG (parental guidance) by the Motion Picture Association of America have generated $2.1 billion, or 23 percent, of the 2015 domestic box office to date, according to Box Office Mojo. That’s a 19 percent increase over 2014, and was driven by the animated hits “Inside Out” ($356 million) and “Minions” ($336 million) and the live-action fairy tale “Cinderella” ($201 million).
Movies rated PG-13 were the highest grossing category, as they have been for years, with $4.6 billion in domestic earnings led by “Jurassic World” ($652 million), “Avengers: Age of Ultron” ($459 million) and “Furious 7” ($353 million).
The 117 films in that ratings group, the domain of superhero movies and most of the summer blockbusters, accounted for $4.6 billion, or 50.3 percent, of the domestic box office, roughly flat with last year. Seven of the year’s top-grossing movies came from this group, which also will include “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” which opens Friday.
Films with an R (restricted) rating took in $2.1 billion, or 23.5 percent, roughly the same as the PG releases did. While their grosses were roughly even, the 191 R-rated films — the most crowded category — took in an average of $11.2 million well below the $42 million that the PG-rated films delivered on average this year.
Movies rated G (general audiences) provided just 1.6 percent of the box office, a 10.4 percent drop driven by a drop from six to three in the number of films released. The top earning in the category was Fox’s “The Peanuts Movie” ($125 million).