Hollywood has once again cheated death. The first seven-plus months of 2026 have revived the industry’s faith — not just in movies but in the act of going to the theater. Global ticket sales have increased 15% from a year earlier and are on pace for their best annual total since 2019. Five movies have eclipsed $1 billion, with Spider-Man: Brand New Day almost clearing that on opening weekend. With new installments of Dune and Avengers coming, that group could swell to seven — the second-most on record. Bloomberg News Media & Entertainment Managing Editor Lucas Shaw brings us the latest from Hollywood.

<p>Hollywood has once again cheated death. The first seven-plus months of 2026 have revived the industry&rsquo;s faith &mdash; not just in movies but in the act of going to the theater. Global ticket sales have increased 15% from a year earlier and are on pace for their best annual total since 2019. Five movies have eclipsed $1 billion, with Spider-Man: Brand New Day almost clearing that on opening weekend. With new installments of Dune and Avengers coming, that group could swell to seven &mdash; the second-most on record. Bloomberg News Media &amp; Entertainment Managing Editor Lucas Shaw brings us the latest from Hollywood.</p>

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<p>Listen for reporting from the magazine that helps global leaders stay ahead. Hosts Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec cover the changing world of money, power and technology.&nbsp;You can watch and listen to Businessweek LIVE on YouTube, weekdays from 2PM to 5PM ET:&nbsp;<a href="http://bit.ly/3vTiACF">http://bit.ly/3vTiACF</a>.&nbsp;</p>

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Hollywood Box Offices Are Back

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