The month of January is largely referred to as a “dump month” for movies. Films are dumped into theaters around this time that are nothing more than afterthoughts in the minds of the studios. 

Films that were received poorly at early test screenings, or films that don’t have much mass appeal, are released in January largely due to low movie theater attendance. This forces January releases into an uphill battle to make money.

According to Box Office Mojo, the highest grossing film in January’s history is 2014’s “American Sniper.” The film made just over $350 million. In comparison, the month of June has historically had 11 different films reach the $350 million mark.

Conveniently, June is the first month of summer. There is a reason the term “summer blockbuster” is such a common saying in pop culture. Films draw bigger audiences in the summertime. When school is out, kids and young adults nationwide have much more time to go to the movies which prompts studios to release their big moneymaker films during that time.  

January, on the other hand, brings kids back to school and adults back to work after the holiday break. This translates to less time for people to go to the movies. 

It all boils down to what matters most to the studios that are producing these films and releasing them into theaters. For the most part, they want to make as much money as possible, just like any business. However, they also want recognition for releasing high-quality material, and the entity that gives them that recognition is the Oscars. The Oscars is regarded as the most prestigious award ceremony for the film industry. It is held every year in either late February or early March, six weeks after the announcement of the nominees. 

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences decides the nominations in 24 different awards categories. This process does have a cut-off date. To be eligible for an Oscar nomination, the film must be released by Dec. 31. Any film released past that date won’t be eligible until the following Oscars ceremony the next year. For that reason, studios make sure to release their movies that have “Oscar buzz” later in the year before the cutoff date, which increases the chances of the film still being fresh in the minds of the voters before awards season. 

It’s because of this that the month of January struggles with profiting in films. Not many people are going to theaters during this time due to school and work, and the prestigious films have already been released to ensure eligibility for awards season. 

Something will have to drastically change for January to ever become a profitable time period for film. It’s the way the industry has worked for decades with no signs of a revolution down the road to induce change. When the business model works for the people at the top, it’s all the more likely to stay the same. For that reason, January is and will continue to be the “dump month” for film.