LOS ANGELES – In a year of impressive box office numbers and critical acclaim, no single studio dominated all categories across the film industry. Rotten Tomatoes, known for its Tomatometer and Audience Scores, has analyzed a year’s worth of data to uncover some interesting trends.
Universal Studios came out on top in terms of box office success, earning over $2.5 billion. Films like “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” and “Oppenheimer” contributed to their victory, along with hits like “Fast X,” “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” “Trolls Band Together,” “M3GAN,” and “The Exorcist: Believer.” Christopher Nolan’s film and Illumination’s animated video game adaptation alone made over $2.313 billion, surpassing the combined worldwide grosses of any other studio.
On the other hand, Walt Disney Studios had the highest box office average, with films like “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” and “The Little Mermaid.” Despite a challenging year, the familiarity of Disney movies attracted a large audience.
When it comes to critical acclaim, A24 stood out with the highest Tomatometer average of 86%. Known for delivering consistent quality, A24 had a lineup of critically acclaimed films, including “Talk To Me” and Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla.”
Paramount earned the highest audience score average with 92%. Audiences gravitated towards sequels and reboots, with films like “Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie,” “Scream VI,” “Mission: Impossible,” and “Transformers” receiving high ratings.
The highest-grossing weekend domestically occurred from July 21-23, with a total of $310,950,739. This impressive result was due to the release of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” which collectively grossed over $310 million.
A24 also led in the category of most certified fresh movies, with nine films receiving critical acclaim. Films like “Past Lives,” “Talk To Me,” and “You Hurt My Feelings” wowed both critics and audiences.
Lionsgate achieved the highest Tomatometer score from an individual wide release with “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.” The film scored 99% and garnered critical acclaim for its faithful adaptation of Judy Blume’s beloved 1970 YA novel.
In terms of audience scores, “Sound of Freedom” and “Jesus Revolution” stood out with impressive 99% ratings. Fans were passionate about these films, surpassing the ratings of popular releases like “Air,” “Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant,” and “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.”
In the category of highest per-theater average, Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City” took the lead. Focus Features/Universal Pictures’ limited release had not only the best per-theater average of the year but also the best six-theater launch in recent history.
Disney’s “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” had the widest release, hitting 4,600 theaters in late June. This launch marked the seventh-widest start by a film in history.
Finally, Issa Rae was crowned as the highest-grossing actor, thanks to her roles in “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” “Barbie,” and “American Fiction.”
These impressive numbers and achievements highlight the diversity and success of the film industry in 2023, with no single studio or actor dominating all categories.