Summer Box Office 2025 data reveals cinema set to dominate GCC marketing landscape with record-breaking audience numbers and premium engagement.
Cinema endures as the most popular form of ‘away from home’ entertainment, providing scale and engagement in a brand-safe environment for advertisers. As the summer heat builds across the region, movie theaters are emerging as the “coolest” destination for both audiences and smart marketers.
The early indicators for summer 2025 are nothing short of spectacular. Mission Impossible UAE 2025 opening reached an impressive $3.6 million, securing the region’s position among the top 10 global markets and claiming the number one position locally.
Globally, the weekend of May 22-25 delivered extraordinary results. Disney’s Lilo & Stitch and Paramount’s Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning combined for a remarkable $545.7 million worldwide opening, setting the stage for an exceptional summer season. The momentum continued through their third week, with both films maintaining strong holds and adding an estimated $677 million globally, bringing their combined three-week total to approximately $1.22 billion – proving that quality content sustains audience engagement well beyond opening weekend.
The success extends beyond standard screenings. IMAX delivered franchise-best numbers for Mission: Impossible with $53.2 million globally through three weeks, while Lilo & Stitch drew families to premium large format presentations. This reinforces growing audience preference for enhanced experiences, with 77% of moviegoers now favoring IMAX, Dolby and other PLF Cinema formats according to the Fandango Moviegoing Trends & Insights Study Spring 2025 .
The reasons behind summer’s dominance are crystal clear in the latest consumer insights. According to the Fandango, an overwhelming 83% of all moviegoers are planning to beat the summer heat by heading to the theater. But it’s not just about escaping the heat—audiences are actively seeking diverse experiences, with 78% interested in seeing a variety of movie genres in theaters over the summer—up from 68% in the previous year, showing a growing interest in moviegoers actively wanting to diversify their cinematic experiences.
The appetite runs deep. 66% of all moviegoers are planning to see four or more movies in theaters across the upcoming summer period — with the numbers rising to 69% among Gen Z. This proves that it isn’t casual entertainment consumption; it’s committed engagement with the in-cinema medium.
Fandango Moviegoing Trends & Insights Study Spring 2025 findings are based on extensive research encompassing more than 5,000 moviegoer responses from primary North American markets, with trends reflecting broader international cinema consumption behaviors.
The summer lineup reads like a marketer’s dream slate of audience magnets, spanning blockbuster franchises, beloved reboots, and regional favorites:
Download our Q3 2025 ScreenTalk Movie Planner for the full list of movies releasing this summer and throughout Q3 2025.
With this exceptional lineup, premium audience engagement, and record-breaking early performance, summer 2025 is shaping up to deliver unprecedented opportunities for advertisers to connect with captivated audiences in the most immersive advertising environment available.
Looking beyond summer into the broader landscape of 2025, the theatrical pipeline has never been stronger. Hollywood Studios are unveiling roughly 110 movies this year, at least 15 more than they did in 2024—the highest number since 2020 and a 16% increase from the previous year, according to the National Association of Theatre Owners. For this region adding this with the ever-rising popularity of Arabic films and Asian movies and absence of any big sports event makes 2025 as the best year for cinema.
Summer Box Office 2025 delivers unprecedented opportunities with 83% of moviegoers heading to theaters, creating the largest captive audience for brand-safe advertising in the region.
Mission Impossible ($3.6M regional opening) and Disney’s Lilo & Stitch are the primary drivers, with their combined three-week $10.8 million performance.
The Motivate Val Morgan cinema advertising circuit demonstrated exceptional performance in 2024, delivering impressive 33 million admissions in our eight market presence.
Our circuit witnessed a dynamic mix of international blockbusters and regional productions, creating compelling opportunities for advertisers to reach engaged audiences.
Market Performance and Regional Insights
Within our circuit, ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ emerged as a dominant force across multiple markets – thanks to its excellent promotion in the region especially UAE by its lead actors Will Smith and Marin Lawrence, while family entertainment titles ‘Inside Out 2’ and ‘Despicable Me 4’ showed remarkable consistency in audience attraction. The strong performance of Arabic productions, particularly ‘Welad Rizk 3,’ highlighted the growing importance of regional content in our network.
Also 2024 is the year that marked yet another title that draws female audiences on a scale through Blake Livley’s ‘It Ends With Us.’
Our Saudi Arabia circuit continued to expand its influence, successfully balancing international releases with local content. The market’s enthusiasm for regional productions like ‘Gawaza Toxic’ and ‘Shabab El-Bomb’ demonstrated the evolving sophistication of our audience base.
In Egypt, our cinema network maintained its unique position, with local productions commanding significant audience attention. The success of films like ‘Welad Rizk 3,’ ‘Ex Merati,’ and ‘El Hareefa’ reinforced the strong connection between Egyptian cinema and our audiences.
The UAE circuit showcased our network’s diversity, successfully screening a multinational slate of content, from Hollywood blockbusters to acclaimed Indian productions like ‘Manjummel Boys’ and ‘The Goat Life.’
The analysis of top-performing films across the MENA region reveals a clear genre distribution pattern:
Action/Adventure (40%): Dominating the market with the largest share, represented by major releases like Bad Boys: Ride or Die and Gladiator II. This genre’s strong performance underscores the region’s continued appetite for high-stakes entertainment and spectacle-driven narratives.
Adventure/Family (33%): Securing a significant portion of the market with releases like Inside Out 2, Despicable Me 4, and Moana 2. The strong showing of this genre highlights the importance of family-oriented entertainment in the region’s cinema landscape.
Drama (13%): Particularly represented in Arabic cinema, with films like Welad Rizk 3 and various regional productions resonating strongly with local audiences.
Comedy (10%): Making its mark through both international and regional productions, demonstrating the universal appeal of humor across different cultural contexts.
Sci-Fi (5%): While representing a smaller share, films like Venom: The Last Dance and Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire maintained a dedicated audience base.
Check out our pick of Top 20 cinema ads as featured on Campaign Middle East.
Our network grew strategically in 2024 with key additions:
Our screens are set to showcase an impressive lineup in 2025, including:
This comprehensive analysis of Motivate Val Morgan cinema circuit performance in 2024 reflects our network’s ability to deliver diverse, high-quality content that resonates with audiences while providing powerful platforms for advertisers to reach engaged viewers.
According to Gower Street Analytics, the 2025 box office projections indicate global revenues reaching an 8% increase over 2024
Leading industry analytics firm Gower Street Analytics has released its latest forecast for the global cinema market, projecting box office revenues to reach $33 billion in 2025. Their forecast represents an encouraging 8% increase over 2024 estimates, signalling continued momentum in this entertainment sector.
The cinema industry demonstrated remarkable resilience, ultimately achieving approximately $30.5 billion in global revenues in 2024. This despite facing significant headwinds, primarily due to content pipeline disruptions stemming from the SAG-AFTRA strike. Initial forecasts had painted a concerning picture, with analysts predicting potential revenue declines of $5-8 billion and some even suggesting a possible regression to 2022 levels of $25.9 billion. However, the 2024 year-end numbers were far robust.
This impressive performance was largely driven by the strong reception of several major theatrical releases. The year gained momentum with the success of ‘Dune: Part Two,’ followed by a robust summer season featuring blockbusters such as ‘Inside Out 2,’ ‘Deadpool & Wolverine,’ and ‘It Ends With Us.’ The positive trajectory continued through year-end with anticipated releases including ‘Gladiator II,’ ‘Wicked,’ ‘Moana 2,’ and ‘Sonic 3.’
The Middle East market emerged as a particularly bright spot, successfully avoiding the content drought experienced in other international territories. This success can be attributed to the strong performance of regional Arabic-language productions such as ‘Lahazat Lazeeza,’ ‘El Hawa Sultan,’ and ‘Welad Rizk 3.’ The region further benefited from successful Asian cinema releases, including major Indian productions like ‘Pushpa: The Rule – Part 2’ and ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ ‘Manjummel Boys’ and more.
Looking ahead, the 2025 Gower Street Analytics’ detailed industry analysis reveals several key trends.
In the North American domestic market, projections indicate a 9% increase over 2024, with revenues expected to reach approximately $9.7 billion. This prediction was further validated by other film journalists such as Pamela McClintock, senior film writer at The Hollywood Reporter who predicted the North American domestic box office to reach $10 billion and more.
The international market, excluding China, is expected to generate approximately $16.8 billion, marking a 7% improvement over 2024 estimates.
The Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region continues to show promising recovery trends, with 2025 revenues projected at $9.1 billion. This forecast positions EMEA at 6% ahead of 2024, making it one of the fastest-recovering international markets in the global cinema landscape.
The projected global revenue of $33 billion would position the industry at just 14% below the average of the pre-pandemic years (2017-2019), when adjusted for historical currency rates.
Though actual performance will ultimately depend on various market factors, these projections from Gower Street Analytics provide valuable insights into the industry’s trajectory, and the strength of the upcoming theatrical slate. The data suggests a continuing and gradual return to pre-pandemic performance levels, with some regions showing particularly encouraging signs of recovery.
As the region’s leading cinema advertising company, Motivate Val Morgan’s internal analysis aligns with these positive industry projections. Avinash Udeshi, Chief Operating Officer of Motivate Val Morgan, shares this optimistic outlook: “We have achieved 33 million admissions across our cinema circuits in 2024 – measured through our cinema planning and reporting tools CinePlan and CineMeasure. According to the advanced analytics prediction from the system, we anticipate a 7% increase in cinema admissions in 2025.”
“This projection further reinforces the positive trajectory of the cinema industry in the region and underscores the growing opportunity for brands to engage with cinema audiences.” He added.
The 2025 theatrical calendar promises an exceptional slate of highly anticipated releases that could further boost these projections. From Hollywood blockbusters like ‘Superman, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’, and ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’, to Asian and Arabic titles such as ‘Dev (Hindi)’, ‘L2 Empuraan (Malayalam)’, ‘Sikander (Hindi)’, ‘Restart (Arabic)’ and many more blockbusters lined up throughout the year. Experience the excitement of what’s coming to theaters in 2025 by watching our exclusive sizzle reel here for a sneak peek of these upcoming cinematic spectacles.
Sources: Gower Street Analytics, Motivate Val Morgan CinePlan and CineMeasure, Saudi Ministry of Culture
Muvi Cinemas, Saudi Arabia’s homegrown cinema brand, has officially opened its twenty-second location at The Village Center in Jeddah. This milestone marks another step in the brand’s efforts to enhance the entertainment options available across the Kingdom.
The Village Center, a state-of-the-art retail development by Hamat Holding, represents a significant addition to Jeddah’s commercial landscape. Strategically positioned at the intersection of Al Haramain Road and Prince Talal bin Mansour Road in the prestigious Al Asalah district, this integrated lifestyle destination is designed to deliver exceptional value to both residents and visitors through its comprehensive retail and entertainment offerings.
The latest Muvi Cinemas venue demonstrates the company’s commitment to innovation and excellence through its advanced multiplex configuration, featuring 14 cutting-edge screens with a total capacity of 1,568 seats. The facility showcases the company’s premium viewing formats, including an immersive Xperience screen, three exclusive Suite theaters offering premium amenities, and ten standard screens equipped with the latest audiovisual technology. This expansion marks Muvi Cinemas’ sixth strategic location in the Jeddah metropolitan area.
This development brings Muvi Cinemas’ total operational portfolio to 204 screens across 22 locations, spanning nine key markets throughout Saudi Arabia, reinforcing the company’s position as a leading contributor to the Kingdom’s entertainment infrastructure.
@hamatco #موفي_سينما صارت الحين في #ذا_فيلج 🤩🔥🔥🍿🎥 #cinema #movie #jeddah ♬ original sound – هامات Hamat
The inauguration of Muvi Cinemas at The Village Center aligns with the company’s strategic commitment to Vision 2030, contributing significantly to the enhancement of lifestyle and entertainment options within the Kingdom while driving economic diversification and growth.
For brand partnerships and advertising opportunities at Muvi Cinemas – The Village Center, Jeddah, please contact our sales team.
Sources: Hamat, MVM CinePlan and CineMeasure.
PanaNatural, in partnership with Digitas UAE and Motivate Val Morgan (MVM), launched a cinema campaign to promote PanaNatural cough syrup across the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar starting November 7, 2024.
This latest campaign marks Panadol’s return to cinema advertising following their viral “Art of Release” cinema activation in 2022. The “Art of Release” cinema campaign was a transformative experience that utilized AI technology to visualize personalized pain relief moments, setting a new standard in pharmaceutical marketing.
Under the banner of its innovative campaign, “Your Ticket to Cough Relief,” PanaNatural strategically aligned with the highly anticipated release of Gladiator 2 to engage cinema audiences. The campaign aimed to address seasonal health concerns by promoting PanaNatural as an effective solution for managing coughs during the winter months, ensuring moviegoers could enjoy an uninterrupted cinematic experience.
The on screen component featured a 15-sec PanaNatural Commercial – Booked through Motivate Val Morgan’s by admissions route at select screens of VOX, Reel, and Cinepolis cinemas in the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar.
To strengthen brand engagement in the UAE, PanaNatural launched an off-screen activation in collaboration with VOX Cinemas at City Centre Mirdif and City Centre Deira during the Gladiator 2 screenings. The activation was held at City Centre Mirdif from November 29 to December 1, 2024, and commenced at City Centre Deira on December 13, 2024.
Each gift bag distributed as part of the campaign included a notebook, wet tissues, and a coupon offering moviegoers an exclusive 25% discount on PanaNatural cough syrup, redeemable at BinSina Pharmacy, Boots, and Supercare Pharmacy locations.
Boost your brand’s visibility with a customized cinema campaign that includes on-screen ads and engaging off-screen activations.
Contact us to explore similar advertising opportunities across our cinema network in the GCC, Egypt, and Lebanon.
