Skip to content

Condition: Post with Page_List

Listen
Search
Please enter at least 3 characters.

Latest Stories

Why We Call Movies 'Blockbusters'

The term BLOCKBUSTER actually originated during World War 2.

Movie In A Theater
Movie In A Theater
(Getty Images)

Have you ever wondered why hit movies are referred to as "blockbusters"?

According to MentalFloss.com, the term goes back to World War 2. It was a type of bomb that was so powerful it could decimate a city block.


The name caught on, and people started using it to describe anything explosive or extravagant.

At first, "blockbuster" was used to describe films that were "bold or noteworthy."  In 1943, "Time" magazine said critics were calling the movie "Mission to Moscow", quote, "as explosive as a blockbuster."

But pretty soon it became synonymous with box office success.  In the 1950s, a producer named Max E. Youngstein had defined a blockbuster as any movie that grossed over $2 million.

The term BLOCKBUSTER actually originated during World War 2.