We’re here to delve into the dynamic universe of films and cinema, an industry dictated by numbers and fine performances. This year saw remarkable roles portrayed by leading stars like Adrien Brody in ‘The Brutalist’, Timothée Chalamet and Elle Fanning sharing the screen in ‘A Complete Unknown’, and Kieran Culkin demonstrating his acting prowess in ‘A Real Pain’. Moreover, the talents of Fernanda Torres in ‘I’m Still Here’, Demi Moore in ‘The Substance’, and Colman Domingo in ‘Sing Sing’ were outstanding. Selena Gomez shone in ‘Emilia Perez’, Ralph Fiennes made a strong impact in ‘Conclave’, and Zendaya continued her journey in ‘Dune 2’.
Over the past year, the movie industry experienced varying degrees of success at the box office. The revenues foreshadowed by experts for 2025 is $37.68 billion, which is an increase from $26 billion in the year 2022, although it trails behind the peak of $42.3 billion achieved in 2019. Observing the revenue from the 20 highest-effort movies of 2024, a significant trend is observable: films that were either sequels or adaptations from existing novels, video games, and movies ruled the field.
Studio forecasts specify that approximately half to 70% of the leading films in 2025 will be based on or associated with pre-existing intellectual property. This insight demonstrates the film industry’s growing dependence on well-established storylines and characters. In contrast, the audience’s inclination towards movie watching modes has seen a shift. Data collected last year reveals that only 35% of Americans selected theaters for movie-watching over the comfort of their homes, witnessing a significant drop from the 58% recorded in 2019.
Shedding light on movie specifics, ‘A Real Pain’ claimed a spot with an 89-minute runtime. Comparatively, the ‘perfect’ film’s suggested duration is usually tethered around 92 minutes. The year 2024 conferred the global revenue champion trophy to ‘Inside Out 2’, amassing a monumental $1.7 billion. The opening weekend in the U.S. saw ‘Moana 2’ along with ‘Gladiator II’ and ‘Wicked’, which cumulatively led to the greatest Thanksgiving box office collections in history, with Moana 2 responsible for a hefty $221 million.
‘Wicked’ bags another accomplishment, recording the highest-ever US debut figures for a musical, amassing $114 million, showcasing the audience’s fascination with musical theater on film. Meanwhile, the love for musicals doesn’t necessarily extend to the spectators themselves, with 47% of Americans admitting they find singing along to music in movie theaters objectionable. The consensus also seems unanimous against public displays of affection in cinemas, with 52% voting against making out in theaters.
Attempting new narrative premises, five films, namely ‘Babygirl’, ‘The Idea of You’, ‘Lonely Planet’, ‘Between the Temples’, and ‘A Family Affair’, explored May-December love scenarios featuring elder women as the romances’ focal point. Nicole Kidman was the chosen lead for two out of these five narratives, indicating Hollywood’s progressing attitude towards older women in leading roles. Further reinforcing this, nine significant films saw women aged 50 or beyond as the primary stars.
Due to its contentious topic, Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Queer’ was left unseen by Turkish audiences after a nationwide ban for being ‘excessively inciting’. Meanwhile, Sean Baker’s ‘Anora’ set a record of its own with the use of the expletive ‘Fuck’ over 400 times. Reflecting on audience perspectives, a study reveals American teenagers, approximately 62% of them, believe movies and TV shows needn’t rely on explicit content to create compelling narratives.
Corroborating this sentiment, 36% of adults in America find that films inject an excessive number of sex scenes. Particularly amongst younger men, around 33%, they acknowledge that their interpretation of masculinity is partially influenced by what is portrayed in films and television shows, revealing the significant societal impact media holds.
Fascoinatingsly, the 2024 Cannes Film Festival saw a cumulative 105.5 minutes of standing ovations for films that debuted there. Pedro Almodóvar’s ‘The Room Next Door’ received a memorable 18-minute standing ovation at the 2024 Venice Film Festival, the longest the festival has experienced, expressing the impact the film had on its viewers.
The film ‘Emilia Pérez’ made significant strides in the 2024 awards season, earning a total of 13 Oscar nominations, the highest for the year. Only a select few films, including classics like ‘Mary Poppins’ and ‘Gone with the Wind’, have managed to secure this number of Oscar nominations, demonstrating how critical a milestone this is.
A record-breaking feat was accomplished by Timothée Chalamet at just 29 years old for his role in ‘A Complete Unknown’, becoming the youngest ever recipient of the best actor accolade in SAG Awards history. Should he secure an Oscar, he would overshadow the current youngest best actor leader, Adrien Brody, by 275 days, etching his name permanently in Academy Awards’ history.
A novel award, the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement accolade, demands a minimal collection of $150 million for a film to be considered. Of the 20 films that met the pre-requisite, ‘Wicked’ took the honor, after grossing a whopping $681.3 million by the awards day. Interestingly, ‘Dune: Part Two’, despite its non-nominations, had outperformed ‘Wicked’ with a global collection of $714 million by the same date.
As far as popularity goes, two iconic films hold sway over American hearts: ‘Toy Story’ (1995) and ‘Forrest Gump’ (1994), with 77% and 76% nod from the public respectively. These numbers prove their enduring appeal, showcasing cinema’s timeless power to create memorable experiences and characters that persist in audiences’ minds long after their initial release.