Gen Alpha is the latest generation of up-and-comers whose birth years fall between 2013 and 2025. With its oldest members being 12 years old, the conventional wisdom says that this group is irretrievably tied to their phones and other mobile devices.
However, a surprising result from a survey conducted by the entertainment researchers at NRG indicates that the kids may be more interested in going out to the movies than their older family members.
59% of the Gen Alpha responders to the survey said that they would rather watch movies in a theatre over seeing them at home. This compares with 48% of Gen Z (people born from 1997-2012), 45% of Millennials (1981-1996), and Gen X (1965-1980).
This year, the two highest-grossing movies in North American theatres have been Warner Bros.’ A MINECRAFT MOVIE and Disney’s LILO & STITCH, both of which were PG-rated and intended to appeal to younger audiences. When a person has grown up with the expectation of ubiquitous, on-demand access to any movie or other content, a trip to the movies with family or friends is viewed as a special and memorable experience.
The top five franchises for Gen Alpha were all video games, led by “Roblox,” “Minecraft,” “Fortnite,” “Grand Theft Auto”, and “Pokémon”. “The Avengers” came in sixth place, followed by “Super Mario Bros.” in seventh, “Spider-Man” in eighth, “Lego” in ninth, and “Madden NFL” as #10. Maybe the young ones will lead the way to a new, enthusiastic, and well-attended cinematic experience.
See also: Where Hollywood’s Biggest Film Franchises Stand: Marvel’s Diminished, DC’s Rising, and Everyone Is Excited About James Bond (Variety)
