Mission: Impossible Blew $600M, Still Can't Break Even Like It’s 1998
KEY POINTS
- •Alamo Drafthouse COO Michael Sherrill said the movie industry flatlined for two straight years, dipping below $9 billion box office.
- •'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning' made $598 million but wasn’t profitable due to huge production costs in 2025.
- •Streaming surged with Netflix’s record earnings and free services like YouTube boosting viewership by 53%, reducing theater attendance.
In 2025, the box office 'flatlined' again, dropping below $9B for two years straight, per Alamo Drafthouse’s COO Michael Sherrill, because apparently, people prefer streaming and phone scrolling over popcorn and drama. The year’s megahit was 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,' which made $598 million, yet Hollywood reports it wasn’t profitable thanks to 'ballooning production costs,' because nothing says blockbuster like a black hole budget. Meanwhile, Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett starred in 'Black Bag,' a slick spy thriller that raked in just $44 million, possibly because adults apparently don’t go to theaters much anymore—Gen Z and Gen Alpha are stealing the popcorn limelight. Indie darling 'Sorry, Baby' struggled to a modest $3 million despite a $1.5 million budget, while the hilarious 'Splitsville' tanked with a similar take but a laugh riot reputation. Even Marvel’s 'Thunderbolts*' flopped at $382 million, proving billion-dollar superhero movies are so 2010s. Streaming surged, Netflix hit record earnings, and free services like YouTube boosted views by 53%, painting the bleak 2025 movie box office as an endangered species. Plus, the heroic Ryan Coogler film 'Sinners' grossed $360 million on $90 million but was disparaged after analysts tripped over 'making money back' math, overshadowing Coogler’s ingenious 'rights until 2050' win—proof Hollywood cares about numbers more than stories. So, 2025 was a wild ride where quality thrived but dollars crawled, making 'flop' the new normal and studios cry into their streaming wars.
Share the Story
2025’s box office looks like a retirement party for theaters while Netflix throws the afterparty no one asked for. Spoiler: $600 million Mission: Impossible did impossible math and still lost money.
Watching superhero movies crash harder than your Wi-Fi during a Zoom call makes me wonder if Marvel’s secret weapon is villainous budgeting.
Congrats to 'Black Bag' for proving adults won’t pay to get spied on while Gen Z sneaks out with popcorn and TikTok.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 12/31/2025 | Author: Gabbi Shaw
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