I still remember the day my childhood theater shut down. Not enough people were attending the movie theater during and after COVID for the theater to return profit. In December 2022, not one but two theaters shut down in my hometown. With the emergence of streaming platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, and HBO, people no longer found a need to spend upwards of 10 dollars on a movie ticket when that’s how much they spend for their monthly fee that includes hundreds of movies. In addition, COVID’s shelter-in-place policy obviously made it so that no one could go to theaters because it was a health hazard. Even after the vaccine was implemented, it was as if people had gotten used to staying at home.
But the allure of popcorn and a large screen never left. As much as going to a movie theater is about the movie you are going to – it’s also about the experience. The smell of buttery popcorn, the surround sound, the people reacting to the movie around you – and with you. It’s about holding your pee to not miss any part of the movie. And so once Hollywood realized the need for “Movie Theater Movies,” they began to produce.
Barbie
This movie was one of the first that kickstarted the revival of movie-going. When Barbie came out in 2023, about nine million new or infrequent moviegoers saw this movie. This movie touched the hearts of many who grew up playing with Barbies.
Oppenheimer
In the same year as Barbie, Oppenheimer was released. Many people attended the movie theater to see this movie as well. This is where the term “Barbenheimer” came to play, as people jested which of the two very different movies were better.
Minions: Rise Of gru
This movie came out in 2022. An Internet trend encouraging young men to show up to the theater in full suits/ business attire added to the experience. All those in on the joke were able to appreciate the experience of viewing a movie surrounded by peers.
A Minecraft movie
“Chicken Jockey!” I went to this movie with my friends for the comedic value, but also to see a movie that touched a special place in my heart because I grew up playing this game. Interacting with the movie as it transpired and eating the Minecraft McDonald’s meals afterward added so much to the experience.
Dune
A large part of this movie was viewing it on a large screen. It was almost as if you had to see it in a theater, or you wouldn’t have seen it at its full capacity. In addition, the Dune popcorn bucket served as a marketing tactic for viewers to watch in theaters.
Five Nights at freddy’s
The FNAF movies brought many fanatics back to theaters, as their favorite video game was brought to motion picture. My friends made shirts to wear while watching it.
Wicked
Musical theater fans ran to the movies. “Defying Gravity” and other songs became very popular on TikTok. People even dressed up as Elphaba and Glinda to the theaters.
Marty Supreme
I remember seeing the marketing for “Marty Supreme Christmas Day” literally everywhere. Timothée Chalamet also appeared on Druski’s YouTube.
“Wuthering Heights”
I saw this movie in theaters recently due to the hype surrounding the movie. I saw so many posts of people saying how much they love going to theaters after this movie came out.
All in all, Hollywood’s use of marketing and connecting to our childhood memories has revived the movie theater industry. As of 2026, movie theaters are back in and seemingly here to stay.