Cineplex saw its fourth quarter profits and revenue fall on lower theater attendance.
The Canadian exhibition giant reported a profit of $369,000, down from $3.3 million a year earlier, as its revenue for the three months to Dec. 31, 2025 fell nearly 2 percent to $334.8 million, against $340.9 million in the same period of 2024. That revenue fall came as theatre attendance dropped 1.8 percent to 10.1 million patrons, against a year 11.1 million cinema-goers in its circuit.
The big Hollywood titles for Cineplex during the key holiday season included Avatar: Fire And Ash and Zootopia 2, but box office for the Canadian exhibitor was dragged down by a weak opening to the quarter in October.
That had Cineplex leaning on international movie titles like Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Infinity Castle and higher ticket prices for premium screen formats to bump up its overall box office for the fourth quarter. “This underscores how alternative and international content remains key differentiators for Cineplex and position us well for 2026, which includes a number of highly anticipated international releases,” Cineplex CEO Ellis Jacob told analysts during a morning call.
Jacob later told The Hollywood Reporter that international titles are now part of his company’s diversification strategy to offset the highs and lows of Hollywood box office that has long included an increasing array of out-of-home entertainment locations to drive incremental revenues.
“Prior to COVID, we used to do 2 percent to 2.5 percent international (titles). Now we’re over 10 percent,” Jacob said. He pointed to the Hindi-language film Dhurandhar that made it into Cineplex’s top-five performing films during the latest quarter.
And Jacob predicted big box office for Ranveer Singh’s sequel, Dhurandhar 2, which is set for a March 19, 2026 release during the Eid festival. Also upcoming on Cineplex screens is the two-part, Hindi-language epic Ramayana, from director Nitesh Tiwari and set for an Nov. 2026 release during the Diwali festival. Other international titles bound for Cineplex screens include the epic martial arts film Blades of the Guardians and Scare Out, the Chinese crime-drama spy thriller.
The Cineplex chief said data from the company’s Scene loyalty program helps target the right theaters and showtimes to reach diverse and multicultural audiences across Canada. “Six years ago, we’d never have placed some of these films. We put them in now and they do really well for us,” Jacob explained.
He also forecast improved box office in 2026 for Cineplex from a stronger Hollywood movie slate, compared to 2025, which should lead to a pause in theater closures across its Canadian circuit after its venue count fell slightly in 2024 and 2025.
“With the industry predicting box office increases from eight to 15 percent over 2025, and with our international content and our distribution business, we should be well engaged in getting reasonable strong numbers for 2026,” Jacob told analysts.
During the latest quarter, box office revenue per patron rose to $13.87, against a year-earlier $13.26, while concession revenue per patron edged higher to $9.92, compared to a year-earlier $9.41.
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