Cineplex CEO confident in 2026 movie lineup as Q4 profits drop

TORONTO – Cineplex Inc. CEO Ellis Jacob says he’s optimistic about this year’s film slate, after a weak October box office helped lead the Toronto-based theatre chain to a profit decline in the fourth quarter.

The 2026 lineup features “incredible brand recognition,” Jacob told analysts during a fourth-quarter earnings call on Wednesday.

The upcoming titles include “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” “Toy Story 5,” a live-action remake of Moana, and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” — all slated for spring or summer releases.

Another Marvel Studios release, “Avengers: Doomsday,” is set to come out at the end of this year.

“These releases position 2026 as a year with significant strength and greater depth than 2025,” Jacob said.

The comments came as Cineplex reported weak fourth-quarter results, as its profit dropped nearly 90 per cent to $369,000, from $3.3 million the same time a year ago. Its revenue edged lower, totalling $334.8 million for the quarter, down from $340.9 million a year earlier.

Cineplex, which has theatres throughout Canada, said its profit amounted to a penny per diluted share for the quarter ended Dec. 31 compared with a profit of five cents per diluted share in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Jacob said the fourth-quarter results were driven lower primarily because of the weakest October since 2020. The November and December releases helped its bottom line.

The quarter’s performance was led by James Cameron’s third instalment in the Avatar franchise, “Avatar: Fire and Ash.” “Wicked: For Good” and Disney’s “Zootopia 2” also brought in moviegoers.

International movies represented 11.2 per cent of total box office revenue in the fourth quarter, the highest share in Cineplex’s history, the company said.

“This underscores how alternative and international content remain key differentiators for Cineplex,” Jacob said.

The company’s international lineup for this year includes Chinese movies, “Blades of the Guardians” and “Scare Out,” both tied to the Lunar New Year, as well as “Ramayana: Part 1” later this year, tied to the Indian festival, Diwali.

Looking at last year, Jacob said 2025 saw a “diverse set of quality films,” which included titles such as “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” and “A Minecraft Movie.” However, the releases fell short of expectations.

“Despite this breadth of success, no film surpassed $500 million at the domestic box office, the first time this has occurred since 2016,” Jacob said.

“We do not expect this anomaly to occur again,” he added.

Theatre attendance totalled 10.1 million last quarter, down from 11.1 million a year ago.

Box office revenue per patron was $13.87, up from $13.26 a year earlier, while concession revenue per patron rose to $9.92, up from $9.41 in the last three months of 2024.

Last month, the Federal Court of Appeal upheld the Competition Tribunal’s 2024 decision against the company on drip pricing — a practice when customers are drawn into a purchase without full disclosure of the final cost.

Cineplex began including a $1.50 booking fee in June 2022 for many customers not enrolled in its CineClub subscription and Scene Plus loyalty programs, which saw the fee waived and dropped to $1, respectively.

The Competition Bureau, which triggered the case in 2023, said the practice amounted to drip pricing, and levied a $39 million fine against the theatre company.

“We respectfully disagree with the Federal Court of Appeal’s decision,” Jacob said. He added the company continues to stand by its belief that the online booking fee has always complied with the law.

The company is planning to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada, Jacob said.

On Wednesday, Cineplex also announced the retirement of Robert Bruce from its board of directors. Former Scotiabank executive Sean McGuckin will replace Bruce on the board.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 11, 2026.

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