Number of movie releases in the U.S. & Canada 1995-2024, by genre

Between 1995 and 2024, more than 17 thousand movies were released in Canada and the United States (including the unincorporated territories of Guam and Puerto Rico). Out of that total, about one third were dramas. Documentaries and comedies followed, each accounting for approximately 2.6 thousand of all films released within that period.

Quantity versus profitability

Despite placing just below the top four in terms of releases, adventure and action films recorded the highest box office revenues in the U.S. and Canada in the period. Altogether, these two genres grossed more drama, comedy, suspense, and horror combined. Following this trend on a global scale, the two most commercially successful movies of all time were "Avatar" (2009) and "Avengers: Endgame" (2019), each grossing around 2.8 billion dollars worldwide.

Movie releases: a slow recovery

While the number of movies releases has been steadily increasing after the pandemic, the 2023 result amounted to roughly half of the figure recorded in 2019, before the COVID-19 outbreak. In 2023 alone, the movie studio Universal released 20 movies in total - the highest among the movie distributors considered - followed by Sony with 17 movies.