US box office beats pre-pandemic numbers in 2023

The U.S. box office pulled in more than $9 billion during 2023, Comscore announced Tuesday.

This marks the highest box office numbers seen in the United States since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, or a 300% jump from 2020.

Analysts cite the summer’s “Barbenheimer” phenomenon, which saw “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” earn nearly $1 billion domestically together, as a driving force behind 2023’s box office success. 

However, the year’s figures remain $2 billion shy of pre-pandemic box office numbers.