Kids and tweens are going to keep the theatrical experience alive, according to a new report from the National Research Group in the US.

Despite the summer box office coming up short on some projections, the under-13 audience was a common denominator in many of the year’s biggest theatrical success stories—whether it was the meme-fueled screenings of A Minecraft Movie or KPop Demon Hunters scoring a surprise number-one finish domestically last weekend.  

To take a closer look at this increasingly important customer segment, NRG surveyed 6,100 moviegoers of all ages in May/June 2025. Here are some key takeaways from its new Gen Alpha Saves the Box Office? report:

1. Generational difference: Roughly 59% of Gen Alphas prefer watching movies in theaters. And interestingly, this is higher than most of their older cohorts—Gen Z (48%), Millennials (45%) and Gen Z (46%). The report says this is likely because Gen Alpha is growing up in a streaming-dominated world, so they see very little novelty in watching content on demand.

2. Community connection: Nearly 55% of Gen Alphas expressed a preference for going to the movies with a large group of friends—a lot more than Gen Z (40%) and Millennials (31%). Kids frame theaters as more of a social destination where they can experience things like laughing together with a big crowd or taking group selfies in front of movie posters. These opportunities serve as “essential rituals that bring together friends, siblings and classmates,” the study says.

KPop Demon Hunters (Netflix)

3. Participatory fandom: NRG highlights how IPs that offer co-creation and engagement are most likely to land well with Gen Alphas. Leaning into the ironic—quirky inside jokes and self-aware memes, like those popularized by franchises such as Despicable Me—can also create a sense of belonging among these fans, who want to be in on the joke with a community of other people.

4. Top franchises: Roblox, Minecraft and Fortnite are the top social franchises among Gen Alphas (meaning the ones their “friends are talking about” the most)—which is unsurprising given that they’re so interactive and community-based in nature. And gaming/play brands also featured in the top 10, with classic favorites like Pokémon, Spider-Man, Avengers, Super Mario and LEGO making the cut.

5. Unique live elements: The report says theaters must adapt to give Gen Alpha moviegoers more interesting experiences that they can’t have at home. For example, this group expressed an interest in immersive screenings (65%) and themed dining experiences (51%) that eventize the experience of watching a movie and maximize FOMO. Not surprisingly, roughly a third of Alphas also showed interest in sing-along screenings (29%), much higher than all of the older age groups.