Box Office Numbers Showing A Brutal Downturn

TV & Film

Nov 1

A character in red Tron armor standing in front of a light cycle — Image Source: IGN Pakistan

October 2025 saw a historically low box office. The total was around $425 million, which is the worst it has been in years, not counting 2020. The last time the October box office saw numbers this low was in 1997, when it earned around $385.2 million. In the past, October was a time for indies and experimental films as well as Halloween-themed releases, but this year saw meager pickings and an audience either unable or unwilling to show up in cinemas. October offered audiences Tron: Aries, which was the top earner at $63.5 million domestically, and The Smashing Machine starring Dwayne Johnson. It earned $11.4 million domestically and $19.7 million globally. Mortal Kombat II was originally slated for an October release but was pushed back to May, leaving the slot wide open with nothing really to fill it.

Despite the historically low numbers, this month’s box office had a couple of unexpected heroes. Taylor Swift’s The Official Release Party of a Showgirl, marketed as a cinematic experience, earned $34.2 million during the weekend of October 3-5. The feature-length anime film Chainsaw Man: The Movie exceeded expectations with $18 million earned during the Oct. 24-25 weekend. Another anime film, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, did well. Although October was bad, November and December appear to have a few heavy hitters to avoid a historically low year. Among them are Wicked: For Good, Zootopia 2, Predator Badlands, The Running Man, Avatar: Fire and Ash, and the next SpongeBob movie.