A beloved 20-year-old romance movie just had a theatrical re-release, and it managed to become a box office hit for a second time. Theatrical re-releases are nothing new, and older films have historically been a way for studios to make money as audiences flock to the cinema to see some of their favorite movies a second, third, or even fourth time. However, the trend has been somewhat less consistent in recent decades with the rise of home video and eventually the advent of streaming.

Theatrical movies have been struggling across the board in the 2020s, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to score a hit. Though there are always major exceptions, the decline of movie theaters has been a topic of discussion within the industry, and a comprehensive solution doesn’t seem to be coming any time soon. However, recent theatrical re-releases have been scoring big, and it could be that older films could be the solution to Hollywood’s box office woes.

Pride & Prejudice (2005) Had A Successful Anniversary Re-Release

The 20-Year-Old Movie Still Dazzles

Arriving back in theaters for its 20th anniversary, 2005’s adaptation of Pride & Prejudice opened at number six for the busy Easter weekend (via Box Office Mojo). Across its entire 11-day run in theaters, it actually managed to peak at number 3, and went on to score nearly $6 million total. This adds up to about 15% of the total domestic gross during its initial run back in 2005, an unprecedented success for modern theatrical re-releases.

The Keira Knightley vehicle wasn’t the only 20-year-old movie back in theaters for the month of April, and Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith also returned to the big screen for another run. Like Pride & Prejudice, Revenge of the Sith was a box office success during its 2005 theatrical run, but Box Office Mojo reports it managed to pull in over $50 million during its theatrical re-release. The Star Wars film never left the top 4, and beat out new releases like The Accountant 2. However, the $50 million was still only a fraction of its nearly $1 billion in 2005.

Our Take On The Success Of Recent Re-Releases

A Positive Trend That Could Help Sinking Box Office Numbers

The way audiences interact with cinema has changed dramatically in the 20 years since the releases of Pride & Prejudice and Revenge of the Sith, and that change has impacted movie theaters the most. I see the recent box office success of classic movies as an opportunity for the industry to rebound in a way that gets people to go back to the theater to watch movies again. While most re-releases probably won’t match the two aforementioned films, strategic re-releases could be successful.

Though some cost goes into putting older movies back into theaters, it’s a generally cost-effective way to make money that could help fund more ambitious movies that might not be hits at the cinema. The middle-budget movie has fallen to the wayside in favor of mᴀssive tentpoles and low-budget films that are certain to earn money. That makes the success of Pride & Prejudice all the more ironic, since it’s a movie that likely wouldn’t get made today except for under very specific circumstances.