Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos’ 2025 remark that moviegoing had become an “outmoded idea” for most people is facing a striking counterpoint from the global box office. Eight films released after his comments have reportedly crossed $1 billion worldwide, highlighting the continued appeal of event-driven theatrical releases.
Sarandos’ Comments Spark Debate Over the Future of Cinemas
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos sparked debate at the TIME100 Summit in New York in April 2025 when he described going to movie theaters as an “outmoded idea” for most consumers. His argument reflected a major shift in entertainment habits, with streaming services allowing audiences to watch films conveniently at home. Sarandos did acknowledge that the theatrical experience remained important to some moviegoers. Since those comments, however, global box-office results have provided a powerful reminder that cinemas can still attract enormous audiences when the right movies arrive.
Billion-Dollar Movies Keep Audiences Coming Back
The theatrical momentum became clear with Lilo & Stitch, which reportedly finished with more than $1.03 billion worldwide. Zootopia 2 followed with around $1.87 billion globally, demonstrating the strength of family-oriented animation on the big screen. James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash added another major theatrical success, collecting around $1.49 billion worldwide. Together, these releases showed that established franchises, recognizable characters and visually ambitious productions could still persuade millions of viewers to leave home and buy cinema tickets.
2026 Extends the Global Box Office Winning Streak
That momentum reportedly continued into 2026. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie became the year’s first film to cross $1 billion worldwide, reaching the milestone during its tenth weekend and pushing the Mario movie franchise beyond $2 billion in combined global ticket sales. Michael Jackson biopic Michael also reportedly surpassed $1 billion, becoming the highest-grossing music biopic and the first biographical film to reach the milestone. Pixar’s Toy Story 5 subsequently joined the billion-dollar club, reinforcing the enduring commercial power of established animated franchises.
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey also reportedly exceeded $1 billion worldwide, becoming the filmmaker’s biggest global box-office release and delivering strong business for premium formats such as IMAX. Meanwhile, Spider-Man: Brand New Day emerged as the latest blockbuster, reportedly racing to approximately $1.67 billion worldwide within just 10 days and becoming 2026’s biggest film at that stage.
Streaming Is Strong, but Theaters Are Far From Finished
These results do not suggest that streaming is disappearing or that audiences are abandoning home entertainment. Netflix and other platforms have fundamentally changed movie consumption, and convenience remains a powerful advantage. What the billion-dollar theatrical run demonstrates instead is that cinemas and streaming can serve different audience needs. Spectacle, beloved characters, major franchises and films presented as cultural events can still create urgency that home viewing struggles to reproduce. The movie theater business is clearly evolving, but repeated billion-dollar releases suggest that calling the theatrical experience outdated may be premature.
