Cinema frenzy: Over 150,000 Israelis break a years-long record
The PLANET chain reports its strongest weekend since the COVID-19 pandemic, with an unprecedented surge in ticket demand and historic attendance figures in premium halls nationwide.
The Israeli cinema chain PLANET has reported its most successful weekend of 2026, marking its strongest performance since 2019, before the pandemic.
Over the four-day weekend, more than 150,000 viewers visited the chain's cinemas, more than double the average weekend attendance in recent years. The surge was driven by two of the summer's biggest blockbusters, "Spider-Man: A New Day" and "The Odyssey," alongside a sharp increase in demand for advanced viewing formats.
Within just four days, "Spider-Man: A New Day" entered the list of the five most-watched films in Israel in 2026. Demand for premium formats continued to break records, with SCREENX, IMAX, and 4DX halls accounting for 22% of total ticket sales, compared to approximately 15% on an average weekend.
IMAX Rishon LeZion (photo: Eyal Tagar)
Records were also shattered within the special formats. SCREENX recorded its best weekend in PLANET's history since the format's introduction in Israel, showing a 121% increase compared to its previous opening record. Meanwhile, "Spider-Man: A New Day" became the most successful superhero film ever in the 4DX format in Israel. The PLANET Rishon LeZion complex emerged as the chain's leading location over the weekend.
PLANET is the only cinema chain in Israel offering three advanced viewing formats: IMAX, featuring a massive screen and powerful sound; 4DX, with motion seats and wind, water, and smoke effects; and SCREENX, a hall with three screens creating a 270-degree panoramic experience.
The trend in Israel reflects a global recovery in the cinema industry. The Regal Global Entertainment group, of which PLANET is a part, also recorded one of its strongest weekends since 2019. The results were part of an exceptional global performance for Regal Global, which saw the highest weekend revenue in the company's history, with combined earnings exceeding $160 million from ticket, food, and beverage sales worldwide.
According to Yaakov Borover, manager of the PLANET chain in Israel:
"Over 150,000 viewers in four days is much more than just a successful weekend. It testifies that the Israeli audience continues to choose the cinema as a leisure experience. When big blockbusters arrive alongside an advanced viewing experience, the audience votes with their feet. The data from this past weekend, alongside the records broken in special formats, reinforces a trend we have been seeing for some time: more and more viewers are looking for a cinema experience that cannot be replicated at home."
