The Lack of the ‘Third Space’: How Cinema Filled the Void in 2026
The lack of the “third space” has been plaguing society for several decades. The necessity for a space outside of the home and workplace has been discussed recently on online discourses. The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted prior third spaces due to social isolation and the rapid growth of technology. More than half a decade after the pandemic, society has found new ways to interact with one another and continues searching for the next third space. This year, the movie industry had a huge impact on popular culture and experienced newfound success that has been missing for the past five years.
As of October 21, there have been a total of five movies breaking $1 billion dollars in box office revenue. This is a record that has not been seen since the 2019 box office, which resulted in nine movies crossing the $1 billion dollars goal. This year could potentially add a few more movies this year with the release of Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Messiah. While there has been an influx of movies having limited theatrical windows or only being released on streaming platforms due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year has shown that there is still space for the movie industry and its ability to have an impact on culture and society.
This summer, several major blockbuster movies were released such as Michael and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. These movies had a major impact on popular culture, specifically the former title. Released over a decade after his death, Michael explored the childhood of the “King of Pop” and his early career adventures. The movie had a huge impact on Michael Jackson’s estate and legacy as his music experienced a huge boost. On the music platform, Spotify, Jackson’s monthly listeners saw a 121% increase from months prior. On social media platforms, thousands posted videos replicating Jackson’s famous music videos such as “Thriller” and “Beat It.” Spider-Man: Brand New Day has shown that superhero movies still have a significant effect on our culture. The film involves themes of isolation which many viewers dealing with the effects of social distancing could relate to and open up conversation about the pandemic. It has also crossed over $2.5 billion dollars and is within the top three highest grossing films of all time, showing that superhero fatigue is overstated and that the industry can still produce pre-2020 success.
In 2026, there was a trend in the success of original movies. Breakout hits like Obsession saw tremendous success despite its limited budget and provided strength to the evolving horror genre. This film is the highest grossing original film, finishing its box office run with over $500 million. Movies like The Sheep Detectives and The End of Oak Street saw both critical acclaim and had decent box office success.
On top of original film successes, many beloved franchises added another chapter into their stories. Pixar released Toy Story 5 which had a huge box office success and resonated with diverse audiences. This year saw the return of Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway reprising their roles in The Devil Wears Prada 2 which performed well at the box office.
With the plethora of streaming platforms offered, the movie industry has taken a huge blow due to several factors including economic issues, health constraints, and the accessibility of streaming services. In prior years, there has been a universal decline in the box office market, including franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Many wondered if the death of cinemas would occur due to these effects. However, this year has shown that cinemas are still a main aspect of society and culture. These films create massive online discourse and create trends connecting viewers across the world. Films like The Odyssey have seen trends of those recreating the iconic looks such as Agamemnon’s helmet and his “aura farming.” The film created online discourse of the portrayal of women by director Christopher Nolan and the inaccurate depictions of the classic epic.
The 2026 cinema landscape has shown that people still care for and crave movies along with the hope and escapism they present. Theatres have often been a space for those to release their anxieties of the outside world and embark on an unknown adventure and join characters on a journey of self-discovery. Cinema can create a community both in person and within the virtual world as people can join together and discuss these movies. This can fill the “third space” that society is currently lacking by inviting social collaboration and diverse perspectives on various topics. People can retreat to these spaces after dealing with any outside world perspectives and find serenity. Having movies entirely on streaming services diminishes the positive effects of this third space and continues to widen the gap in society’s socialization failures.
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