TEHRAN — Iranian cinemas are heading into the fall season with a new slate of releases after attendance fell by more than 7.6 million in the first six months of 1405 that began on March 20 compared with the same period last year.
The decline comes despite an increase in nominal box-office revenue, driven largely by higher ticket prices. Measured by the number of people actually buying tickets, however, Iran’s cinema market has contracted significantly in recent years, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Twenty-two films were released during the first half of 2026, generating combined ticket sales of $2.89 million (664.4 billion tomans) and attracting about 5.2 million moviegoers, according to figures cited by ISNA.
The 40-day war, economic conditions and the public mood all affected cinema attendance during the period. But because some of those circumstances, including the war, were also present during the previous year, the year-on-year comparison also points to the performance and composition of the films released this year as an important factor in the decline.
During the first six months of 2025, about 33 films generated $4.44 million (1.021 trillion tomans) and sold 12.813 million tickets. That figure represented almost half of the total number of cinema admissions recorded for the whole of 2025.
The comparison amounts to a decline of approximately 7.6 million moviegoers in the first half of this year. Last year’s leading performers during the same period included The Old Bachelor, The Man with Glasses and Saddam. The figures suggest that a stronger supply of films capable of attracting broad audiences might have produced a different result this year.
Cinema owners, producers and distributors have repeatedly called for the release of films that remain unreleased, including The Killer and the Savage and Shishlik. They have argued that bringing such titles to theaters could help reconnect audiences with cinema at a time when even regular moviegoers have shown less willingness to attend.
Those releases did not materialize, leaving the industry looking to the second half of the year and a number of star-driven films to revive the box office. Some projections cited by ISNA suggest that annual attendance could ultimately fall by more than 10 million.
Muhammad Ghanbari, manager of Megamall Cinema Complex, said cultural industries are among the first sectors affected under circumstances such as the 40-day war.
Speaking to ISNA, Ghanbari said many producers were reluctant to release their films after cinemas reopened on April 10 because conditions had not returned to normal.
He said Tehran, Another View had a modest positive impact on the market, although its performance was insufficient to cover cinema operating costs. The release schedule was subsequently affected by special programming and the month of Muharram.
The arrival of The Death Bath and The Pool then gave the box office a significant boost, Ghanbari said. Comedy stage productions presented in cinema venues also helped operators offset part of their costs.
More recently, Savior Ship, Escort (Guardian) and Khanom Valede have brought some audiences back to theaters, improving the economics of cinema operations during September, he said. Attendance, however, remains below previous levels.
Ghanbari said the second half of the year could bring stronger attendance as a more varied lineup of social films and comedies reaches theaters, including The Idol, Ordibehesht, Boursieh (Scholarship) and Unsentenced. 
Ghanbari also addressed the debate over cinema ticket prices, stating that ticket prices have not risen as rapidly as costs in sectors such as personal care and food.
The current cinema ticket price is 180,000 tomans, or about $0.78, before value-added tax, he said. In his view, peak-hour tickets should reach 500,000 tomans, or about $2.17, under current operating conditions.
He acknowledged that such an increase would be difficult for many families, but suggested that a ticket currently priced at 200,000 tomans including value-added tax could rise to 300,000 tomans, or about $1.30, with half-price tickets at 150,000 tomans, or roughly 65 cents.
Cinema operators are facing rising costs for utilities, electricity, equipment and maintenance, Ghanbari said. Replacing a projector, for example, can cost at least 1 billion tomans, or about $4,348.
At the same time, he said ticket prices cannot rise to a level that prevents audiences from attending. If strong social films, comedies and children’s movies reach theaters and improve occupancy, he argued, cinemas can continue operating under the current conditions.
The latest figures from Iran’s Cinema Management and Box Office Sales System (Samfa), covering films screened through Sept. 22, show a sharply concentrated market.
Only two films attracted more than 1 million moviegoers during the period. The Death Bath, directed by Kazem Daneshi, led the market with 1,258,791 admissions and $760,000 (174.8 billion tomans) in box-office revenue.
The Pool, directed by Soroush