Big cinema chain operators like Hoyts have tended to rely on sure-fire, big-name blockbusters and superhero movies to drive ticket sales at cinemas across New Zealand and Australia.

This year - to some extent - has been no exception, with Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey set to overtake Toy Story 5 as the biggest movie of the year in New Zealand, according to Hoyts Group chief executive Damien Keogh.

Box office sales this year would be the best since Covid, Keogh believes.

But something unusual has also happened at the box office this year - blockbusters are not the only story driving up sales.

Two horror films, Backrooms and Obsession, made by younger independent filmmakers who cut their teeth on YouTube have also had a big impact.

It was something Keogh admitted caught the industry by surprise.

"There were a couple of, I guess, movies that weren't really on our radar. One called Obsession, which has done over $3 million at the New Zealand box office, and another one called Backrooms. So, basically by someone who built a following on YouTube. That Gen Z audience is discovering content online and then when there is a cinema version of it, they're turning up to the cinema to watch it."

It was a trend Keogh hoped would continue, as younger generations looked for more social connection.

"This younger generation, who is probably locked in their bedroom looking at their phones for an inordinate amount of time, not surprisingly, are craving a bit of social interaction and the cinema provides that immersive experience with the big screen, it is a social environment with people of their own age."

The Hoyts Group - which has been operating cinemas for more than 100 years - runs about 62 theatres across Australia and New Zealand, with about 500 screens and 57,000 seats across its network.

It is the number one cinema chain in Australia. In New Zealand it currently sits behind Event Cinemas in the number two spot.

But Hoyts is planning to increase its investment in New Zealand as it looks to improve its cinema experience and range of offerings here, including IMAX with Laser.

IMAX with Laser is a special film projection technology that aims to provide an enhanced visual and audio experience for movie-goers on extra-large screens.

It is having a moment, with The Odyssey filmed with IMAX cameras to make the most of that bigger-screen experience.

Event Cinemas currently operates the only two IMAX theatres in New Zealand, in Wellington and Auckland.

But Hoyts recently partnered with the US owner of IMAX to roll out four IMAX with Laser cinemas in Australia and is planning to bring IMAX to its offering in New Zealand, although Keogh was not yet ready to say where.

Keogh said directors like Nolan and big studios were investing in IMAX technology and consumers wanted to see the movies in IMAX if they could.

"Without going into specifics, we certainly will have an IMAX presence in New Zealand within the next 12 months."

But it is not just IMAX technology. Hoyts is also planning to add 12 new ScreenX auditoriums to its network across Australia and New Zealand.

ScreenX is another new technology that provides 270-degree experience for viewers by using projectors on side walls as well as the main screen.

Along with the new technology offerings, Hoyts will also upgrade existing cinema complexes in Riccarton in Christchurch, Te Awa in Hamilton and Sylvia Park in Auckland.

"The ones we're targeting, there's Sylvia Park in Auckland, which currently is the third biggest cinema in the country. We think once we renovate, it's got a chance to get to number one."

The last few years have not been easy for the cinema business, with Covid-19, a writers' strike and the rise of TV streaming platforms like Netflix hitting demand.

However, Keogh believed the sector was finding its footing again.

"I guess we're kind of the best way to describe it is we're getting back to a normal release pattern that we did have pre-Covid. And when the movies are there, the customers are there."

He was also optimistic that whatever happened with the cost-of-living crisis and the wider economy, people would keep coming to the movies.

"One thing that cinema has been renowned for over a long period, and Hoyts has been around since 1908, is we're mildly counter cyclical, that we are an affordable experience when times get tough."