Dismal October Box Office Plunges to 27-Year Low

According to the latest industry data, the 2025 October box office is on track to be the lowest in 27 years, amounting to just $440 million. This represents an 8% decline from the $478 million generated in October 2024. The biggest October on record was in 2018, when major releases like Venom, A Star Is Born, and Halloween combined to earn $832.8 million.

The dismal performance this October is largely attributed to the Halloween holiday falling on a Friday, which has dampened weekend ticket sales. The horror genre, typically a strong performer around Halloween, is struggling, with the third weekend of Black Phone 2 leading all titles with just $7.6 million. Additionally, the final game of the World Series between the LA Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays is expected to further impact moviegoing on Saturday.

While some distributors had hoped for a boost in business on Saturday, the overall weekend is shaping up to be one of the weakest of the year, with only around $49 million in total ticket sales. The situation is a far cry from the post-pandemic recovery seen in 2021, when a stacked October lineup including Dune, No Time to Die, and Venom 2 generated $645 million.