There’s a reason the movie theater suddenly sounds like the perfect place to spend a sweltering afternoon.

Sure, the popcorn helps. But the real star of summer might be the blast of cold air waiting just inside the doors.

In fact, you can thank air conditioning for creating the summer blockbuster in the first place.

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The invention of air conditioning

When engineer Willis Carrier developed modern air conditioning in 1902, it was to help a Brooklyn printing company that struggled with humidity ruining the paper. 

People enjoying cool air? That was simply an unexpected bonus.

By 1925, the Rivoli Theatre in New York City's Times Square became one of the first theaters to install Carrier's system.

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At the time, movie theaters were notoriously uncomfortable during the summer, making it traditionally the worst season for box office business.

Air conditioning flipped that script almost overnight.

How theaters changed the game

People began flocking to theaters as much for the cool air as for the films themselves. 

Studios quickly caught on.

If audiences were already heading to theaters to escape the weather, why not release the biggest movies of the year when demand was highest?

That simple shift eventually became one of Hollywood's most profitable traditions: the summer blockbuster.

Heat is still filling theaters

The connection between scorching temperatures and movie attendance hasn't disappeared.

As large parts of the world endure another exceptionally hot summer, movie theater chains are reporting increased attendance.

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We've seen this before. During the intense U.S. heat wave in 2023, AMC Theatres reported its biggest single-week admissions revenue since the company was founded in 1920.

Researchers studying movie attendance even found that an unusually hot opening weekend can double a film's total audience over the following five weekends.

More than entertainment

While escaping into a superhero movie or comedy sounds like a fun way to beat the heat, the benefits go beyond leisure.

Heat is the deadliest weather-related hazard in the United States, killing more people in an average year than hurricanes, tornadoes or floods.

And not everyone has air conditioning at home.

For millions of people, public air-conditioned spaces become an important safety resource during dangerous heat waves.

Which is why more than a century after the first air-conditioned theater welcomed sweaty New Yorkers through its doors, people are still spending their summer days stepping inside and enjoying the cool air.