A standout summer at Australian cinemas: admissions hit a high of 6.3 million – up +12% on prior year.
From blockbusters to family favourites and breakout hits, cinemas across Australia have something for everyone this summer, attracting strong audiences to the best of big-screen entertainment. Between 19 December and 11 January, 6.3 million admissions were delivered, up +12% on the same period last year.
The standout film of the summer is the third instalment in the Avatar franchise, Avatar: Fire & Ash, once again proving the power of the juggernaut cinematic event. Since its release on 19th December, the film has already delivered over 2.1 million admissions in Australia. At the global box office, the film has surpassed $1.2 billion.
Zootopia 2 has also crossed the $1 billion mark globally and is the second biggest film of the summer in Australia, with 2 million admissions since it released on 27th November.
Wicked: For Good is also having a solid run, delivering 1.5 million admissions to date.
The Housemaid, starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, has emerged as a breakout success with 688,000 admissions and $13.5 million at the box office – a result that has led to a sequel being greenlit.
Several other releases are contributing to cinema’s highly successful summer, including Anaconda, The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants and Song Sung Blue.
The quality and depth of the slate delivered strong growth across multiple hard-to-reach demographics. Youth admissions rose sharply, with P14–24 up +33% and P18–39 up +20%, while affluent NEOs (New Economic Order) recorded +16% growth.
CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) audiences saw admissions surging +102% YoY, driven by the release of Dhurandhar, which delivered 125,000 admissions.
Guy Burbidge, Managing Director of Val Morgan Cinema, commented, “It’s been another big summer at the box office, driven by diversity across the board, setting the stage for what will be a huge year in cinema across 2026.”
“The quality and depth of the content ahead is next level, with a mix of original storytelling and globally recognised IP set to attract audiences across every key demographic.
“We’re expecting one of the biggest family slates on record, led by titles including The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Toy Story 5, Minions 3 and Moana. Alongside this sits a lineup of major, globally loved franchises such as The Devil Wears Prada 2, The Mandalorian & Grogu, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Dune: Part Three, Avengers: Doomsday and Jumanji 3.”
He added “Original content also plays a significant part next year, with a lineup of highly anticipated releases including Wuthering Heights, Project Hail Mary, The Odyssey, Verity and Michael.
“There’s an abundance of opportunities for brands, no matter the audience they’re looking to target, and with a channel as high-quality as the content it showcases, cinema delivers attention and impact that few other mediums can match.”
See the upcoming slate: Movies — Val Morgan
Source: CineTAM 2025.