Cineplex, Canada’s largest theatre chain, reported that both its revenue and profits fell in the fourth quarter of 2025 due to a decline in attendance. Even with a handful of very popular Hollywood releases during the quarter, most notably ZOOTOPIA 2 and AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH, a year-over-year decline was set on course by historically low grosses during October. Cineplex is the first major exhibitor to report its Q4 earnings, but its results will likely foreshadow those of other major North American circuits such as AMC, Regal, and Cinemark.
Cineplex eked out a quarterly profit for the period of $369,000, down from $3.3 million in Q4 of 2024. Revenue declined by 2%, from $340.9 million to $334.8 million, largely in line with the 1.8% decline in attendance. On the bright side, revenue per patron increased in both ticket sales and concession purchases
Cineplex’s report pointed to an increase in revenues for both anime and Bollywood titles, which helped mitigate the effects of a very slow October. Cineplex intended to “lean on” the increasing interest in international titles to attract new customers to their venues. Cineplex CEO Ellis Jacob said, “Before COVID, we used to do 2 percent to 2.5 percent in international (titles). Now we’re over 10 percent.”
The Bollywood film DHURANDHAR was the circuit’s fifth highest-grossing film of the fourth quarter, which was not the case at other North American circuits. Jacob suggested that interest in international films should continue to grow in 2026. Moreover, the overall box office is expected to grow by 8%-15% in North America, which will provide an additional boost to Cineplex’s fortunes.
