Part 3/8:
The Decline in Box Office Numbers
The data paints a stark picture of Hollywood’s faltering performance. September 2023 marked the worst box office month in 25 years, grossing just $275 million domestically. This figure is historically low, especially considering recent years when theaters had been slowly recovering from the pandemic.
To put this into perspective, September’s gross is approximately half of the pre-pandemic totals seen in 2019 and even lower than the gross during the immediate post-9/11 period in 2001. Notably, the total box office for September falls significantly behind last year’s performance—by roughly 20%—and trails the pace set in 2019 by over 50%. These numbers indicate a dramatic drop in audience engagement.