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Film Lengths Surge: Blockbusters Now Average 114 Minutes

4/3/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Average length of wide-release films rose from 106 minutes in the early 2000s to 114 minutes today, per Stephen Follows.
Blockbusters, especially action films, now average longer runtimes, with action movies at 128 minutes.
The share of films under 90 minutes dropped from 13% in the 1980s to 7% now.
Director Denis Villeneuve notes younger audiences prefer longer, substantive content.

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Story summary

Average length of wide-release films rose from 106 minutes in the early 2000s to 114 minutes today, per Stephen Follows.
Blockbusters, especially action films, now average longer runtimes, with action movies at 128 minutes.
The share of films under 90 minutes dropped from 13% in the 1980s to 7% now.
Director Denis Villeneuve notes younger audiences prefer longer, substantive content.