New York– As “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” Land in theaters, coloring stations, collectible popcorn containers and mascot Marios exist today to appeal to Hollywood’s most prized moviegoers: kids.
Universal Pictures expects the “Super Mario” sequel’s five-day opening to reach $186 million domestically and about $350 million worldwide by Sunday. That would easily make it the biggest hit of the year, and even surpass a pair of successes that were launched with young movie lovers in mind: Pixar’s “Hoppers” ($297 million worldwide) and Amazon MGM “Project Hail Mary” ($300.8 million).
This is not the beginning of a new trend but the culmination of a trend. In 2024, PG-rated films outgrossed any other rating for the first time in decades, with $3.18 billion in domestic ticket sales according to comScore. Five of the top six films worldwide were PG films: “Inside Out 2,” “Moana 2,” “Despicable Me 4,” “Wicked” and “Mufasa: The Lion King.”
Last year was no different. PG-rated films grossed $2.96 billion, once again surpassing longtime leader PG-13. Top draws globally were “Ne Zha 2,” “Zootopia 2,” “Lilo” & Stitch,” “A Minecraft Movie” and the PG-13-rated, but not exactly kid-friendly, “Avatar: Fire and Ash.”
Good news is hard to come by in Hollywood. contraction, recently with Paramount Skydance plans to purchase Warner Bros. Discovery, The concerns of an already worried industry have further increased. While ticket sales have increased so far in 2026, they are down more than 20% from pre-pandemic levels. In February, AMC, the country’s largest exhibitor, said it would continue closing underperforming theaters.
But despite a lot of talk about the threatened future of moviegoing, the future moviegoers – kids – are coming in droves.
“There’s a recognition that this is an important group of movie fans and we’re doing everything we can to make sure they have a wonderful experience,” says Michael O’Leary, president and chief executive of Cinemas United, the theater owners’ trade group.
General Alphas, those aged 12 and under, may also be the movies’ best hope. A study conducted last year by the National Research Group found that no generational group wanted to watch movies on the big screen rather than at home more than Gen Alpha.
“We’re encouraged by some research that indicates that young people are the fastest growing demographic of moviegoers,” says O’Leary. “We’re very focused on the fact that we have to create the next generation of movie fans.”
In 2023, “The Super Mario Movie,” Part of Universal’s collaboration with Nintendo and “Minions”-maker Illumination, it grossed $1.36 billion. Its sequel is likely to come close to that, and join the growing string of $1 billion kids movies. The most recent was The Walt Disney Company “Zootopia 2,” Which became the highest-grossing Hollywood animated film of all time with a gross of $1.87 billion.
Increasingly, the generation that grew up with smartphones, iPads, and Netflix is fronting today’s biggest blockbusters.
“What’s been true for a long time and probably still true today: Families want to be out,” says Jim Orr, distribution chief at Universal, which recently announced plans to expand its exclusive theatrical window from three weekends to five weekends. “They want to do things. They want to make memories.”
“Nobody talks about this: Do you remember the good times we had when we sat on the couch?”
And this year may be the most fun we’ve ever had for kids at the movies. There are 26 wide-release PG films proposed in 2026, 24 in 2025, and 18 in 2024.
It includes a summer lineup that is family-friendly on an almost week-to-week basis. Potential blockbusters include “Toy Story 5” (June 19), “Minions” & Monsters” (July 1) and the live-action “Moana” (July 10). Although not currently rated, “The Mandalorian & Grogu” (May 22) and “Supergirl” (June 26), not to mention “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” (July 31), will all target young moviegoers as well.
The PG surge comes years after most family movies turned to streaming during the pandemic, a shift that some feared at the time would become permanent.
“The family movie is back after being virtually extinct,” says Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at comScore. “The one genre that was really hit hardest by the pandemic was the family film.”
But children are increasingly being counted among a key category for theaters: habitual moviegoers. This is considered watching six or more movies in a year. And it’s not just little kids. According to NRG, 41% of Gen Z moviegoers went to the movies at least six times last year, up from 31% two years ago.
For moviegoers who have long feared movie theaters effectively turning into mini theme parks, the predominance of franchise blockbusters focused on kids is unlikely to assuage those concerns. Mid-budget, adult releases are becoming increasingly rare. Dramas and comedies have struggled to attract audiences. Family-friendly films occupy a larger share of theaters partly because adult films have become less popular.
But if it’s hard to get older moviegoers away from the couch, families are more eager. For them, the appeal of getting out of the house is as strong as ever, despite rising ticket costs or options on streaming services.
“In many cases, they’re going to the theater to get away from all the other screens that live in their lives,” O’Leary says. “When I was a kid, you went to the movies to some extent to escape something. So this is a new variation on that old theme.”
Dergarabedian has started calling PG the new PG-13. If slightly adult-leaning films once occupied the center of the multiplex, that area now belongs to the PG movie scene.
“The kids who are going to the movies today will be taking their kids tomorrow,” says Dergarabedian. “As long as people keep having kids, the future of the movie theater experience is assured.”
