Australian cinema admissions jump 12% over summer, led by Avatar

Australian cinemas have delivered a strong summer performance, with admissions reaching 6.3 million between 19 December and 11 January, up 12% year-on-year, according to new figures from Val Morgan Cinema.

The uplift has been driven by a mix of major global franchises, family favourites and breakout titles, reinforcing cinema’s role as a mass-reach channel during the peak holiday period.

The standout performer was Avatar: Fire & Ash, the third instalment in the franchise, which has delivered more than 2.1 million admissions locally since its release on 19 December. Globally, the film has surpassed $1.2 billion at the box office.

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Zootopia 2 has also crossed the $1 billion global mark and is the second biggest film of the Australian summer, recording 2 million admissions since launching in late November. Wicked: For Good has delivered a further 1.5 million admissions to date.

Outside the major franchises, The Housemaid, starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, has emerged as a breakout hit, delivering 688,000 admissions and $13.5 million at the Australian box office, prompting a sequel to be greenlit.

Additional releases contributing to the strong summer slate include Anaconda, The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants and Song Sung Blue.

The breadth of the release schedule translated into growth across hard-to-reach audiences. Youth admissions rose sharply, with P14–24 up 33% and P18–39 up 20%, while affluent NEO audiences recorded 16% growth.

Culturally and linguistically diverse audiences also surged, with CALD admissions up 102% year-on-year, driven in part by the release of Dhurandhar, which delivered 125,000 admissions.

Val Morgan Cinema managing director Guy Burbidge said the results set the tone for a strong year ahead.

“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,” Burbidge said.

He pointed to an upcoming slate anchored by family films including The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Toy Story 5, Minions 3 and Moana, alongside major franchises such as The Devil Wears Prada 2, The Mandalorian & Grogu, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Dune: Part Three, Avengers: Doomsday and Jumanji 3.

Original titles including Wuthering Heights, Project Hail Mary, The Odyssey, Verity and Michael are also expected to play a significant role in driving audiences.

“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,” Burbidge said.