By 
To “take on the mantle” means to assume the responsibilities, role, or position of importance, often as a successor to someone who held it before, like inheriting a leadership role or a significant duty. The phrase comes from the biblical story where Elisha took on Elijah’s “mantle” (his cloak) to carry on his work.
Gen-Z are informally known as Zoomers, and is the demographic cohort succeeding Millennials and preceding Generation Alpha, typically born from 1997 to 2012. This generation has required additional, exceptional resilience training to enter the workplace and survive. I am not making that up.
So, initially, they might not be the generation that is turned to with an expectation of them really taking something on, but it appears they are doing it. They really could be saving cinema.
As we elderly boomers, Gen-Z and early millennials sink deeper into our cynical misery, we are abandoning modern cinema. We hate watch most new things. We assume everything is going to suck, and then grin to ourselves as our own confirmation bias takes care of that downstream.
We revel in being unable to take any joy from most of modern entertainment. We used to go to the movies twice a week in high summer season, now we see barely going twice a year as a badge of miserable, middle-aged honor. Let cinema die, and get off our lawn!
Far from being the generation that put the final nail in the coffin of cinema, through streaming and micro-entertainment delivered through hand-held screens, it turns out that Gen-Z are doing it. They are now the assumers of the cinematic cloak.
A report by the world’s largest exhibition trade association, Cinema United, (as reported on Dark Horizons) has looked at the data behind the box office returns, and has uncovered that cinema attendance by Gen Z moviegoers grew by 25% in the past twelve months, and this is the highest increase of any age group.
Gen Z audiences averaged 6.1 visits a year, up from 4.9 last year. 41% of Gen Z audiences went to movies at least six times or more in the year.
Their requirements are uncovered as more immersive moviegoing through bigger screens and better sound. They also want better food.
Wait a minute… they sound just like us before we got so miserable!
Other interesting stats are that 77% of Americans saw at least one film in the cinema in 2025, and those who saw more than six were up by 8%, with cinema loyalty programs seeing a jump in use of 15%.
So, we must now talk to our younger kin. Educate them. Less K-Pop Demon Hunters and more Clint Eastwood, perhaps? Maybe this Christmas we should all make a solemn pledge to sit down with a younger relative and watch a decent movie with them, so we can start to help them demand more from their entertainment? If we have to, we can start with Raiders Of The Lost Ark. That works every damn time.
The post Are Gen-Z Taking On Cinema Mantle? appeared first on Last Movie Outpost.
