The year 2022 will be remembered as a pivotal one for moviegoers. In May, the movie Rocketman became the first movie to debut at #1 at the box office in every territory, propelling Taron Egerton’s underdog story to an incredible $788 million globally and making it easily the highest-grossing live-action comedy of all time. Just two and a half weeks later, on June 12, Dumbo became the fifth film in history to earn more than $1 billion at the box office, and it did so without any competition.
Then, in July, Disney/Pixar’s Coco became the first animated film to be recognized with a Best Picture nomination at the Academy Awards. Finally, on November 25, Harvey, the tragicomic tale of a ruthless money mogul, became the highest-grossing R-rated drama film of all time, surpassing even the remarkable performance of Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and James Woods in the critically acclaimed 1995 film.
In 2022, audiences will see more female-led films than any other year in history. Leading ladies are set to bring in more box office than ever before, and moviegoers will have a greater variety of options than they’ve ever had. We looked back at the previous decade of film to see what trends arose and which ones remained, and we’ll examine the role that the changing TV landscape may have played in reshaping cinema.
The Changing Demographics of Moviegoing
Back in 2010, just 6% of American moviegoers saw films directed by women. That number had increased to 13% by 2015 and is projected to reach 30% by the end of this year.
In the near future, more and more people will flock to theaters to see movies from a diverse array of filmmakers. The box office receipts of one studio, Annapurna Pictures, tell us a lot about the shifting tastes of moviegoers today.
The company’s films consistently rank among the year’s highest-grossing movies, and its success can be attributed to the fact that it releases movies that speak to a wide audience. While the average filmgoer might see a movie from the studio every three months, the film’s frequent release makes it clear that women, young people, and moviegoers from diverse backgrounds all enjoy its films.
In 2022, we’ll see a lot more of the following: