2027 Could Break The Decade’s Billion Dollar Movie Record

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It’s still too early to say for sure what 2027 will bring for movies, but it’s possible we could see a record number of films earning over a billion dollars. The box office throughout the 2020s has been inconsistent as it continues to bounce back from the pandemic. While billion-dollar movies were common in the previous decade, reaching that level of success has been harder for new releases lately.

Just to highlight this trend, in 2025 only four films earned over $1 billion in theaters: Ne Zha 2, Zootopia 2, the live-action Lilo & Stitch, and Avatar: Fire and Ash (released in December 2025, but reaching $1 billion in January 2026). While 2026 looks promising with potential blockbusters like The Mandalorian and Grogu and Avengers: Doomsday, 2027 is expected to see a significant increase, with five films likely to surpass the $1 billion mark, and two more strong contenders.

Five Movies Are Likely to Make $1 Billion or More in 2027 (With Two More Hopefuls)

As a movie fan, I’m already getting excited about 2027! It looks like it’s going to be an incredible year for blockbusters. What’s really interesting is that all the movies expected to earn over a billion dollars are continuations of existing franchises. Looking at how well those past films did, reaching that billion-dollar milestone seems totally within reach. We’ve got two massive superhero movies coming from both Marvel and DC, and a bunch of family-friendly films that I think will appeal to everyone, young and old.

  • Avengers: Secret Wars
  • The Batman: Part II
  • Frozen 3
  • Shrek 5
  • Untitled A Minecraft Movie sequel

The success of Avengers: Doomsday will be a key indicator of whether Secret Wars can reach $1 billion at the box office, but most signs point to it happening. While recent Marvel projects haven’t always performed well, these films will feature the return of popular actors like Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans, and will resolve ongoing storylines. In terms of scope and impact, they’re more similar to Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, both of which earned over $2 billion globally.

The second Batman movie is scheduled for release in 2027, and it’s expected to perform better than the first one, which earned $772 million worldwide. There was some doubt before the 2022 film about whether Robert Pattinson would be a convincing Batman and if this new version could compare to Christopher Nolan’s acclaimed Dark Knight trilogy. However, now that audiences have seen and enjoyed The Batman, the sequel is likely to attract even bigger crowds.

Several family films have the potential to earn over $1 billion in the next couple of years. The previous Frozen movies both achieved this, making a billion-dollar box office for Frozen 3 seem likely. With the original fans now grown up, the film will appeal to multiple generations. Shrek 5 has a similar broad appeal, and while no Shrek film has yet reached $1 billion, Shrek 2 came very close. After a long break, bringing the characters back together could give it the boost it needs. The Minecraft Movie nearly reached the milestone in 2025, earning over $950 million, and a sequel could easily push it over $1 billion in 2027.

While several films are likely to cross the $1 billion mark at the box office, two have a good chance but aren’t guaranteed: Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse and The Legend of Zelda. The previous Spider-Verse movies were well-received, but earned around $400 million and $690 million worldwide, respectively. If the third film continues this upward trend, it could approach $1 billion. The Legend of Zelda has a large and dedicated fanbase, suggesting it could replicate the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Whether it actually does remains to be seen.

2027’s Highest-Grossing Movies Will Continue a Worrying Trend

While 2027 is predicted to surpass the box office records of the 2020s, the films driving that success highlight a concerning pattern in Hollywood. Most of the biggest hits are continuations of existing franchises, and it’s becoming harder for truly original movies to stand out. Though sequels are always popular, audiences might eventually tire of them, potentially causing even well-established franchises to lose momentum. This likely won’t affect 2027’s numbers, but could create problems for the movie industry in the long run.

Even If These Movies Make $1 Billion, 2027 Won’t Reach the Box Office Heights of 2019

Even if 2027 has five movies earn over $1 billion, it still won’t compare to 2019. That year, a remarkable nine films reached that milestone, making the recent decline in box office numbers even more noticeable. According to Box Office Mojo, here are the films that made 2019 such a successful year for cinema:

  • Avengers: Endgame
  • The Lion King
  • Frozen 2
  • Spider-Man: Far From Home
  • Captain Marvel
  • Joker
  • Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker
  • Toy Story 4
  • Aladdin

If the next Spider-Verse movie and a new Legend of Zelda film are successful, 2027 could see box office numbers nearing those of 2019. Even without those hits, a strong year for blockbusters would indicate a positive trend for the film industry. While full recovery will take time, the outlook is encouraging. 2026 may not have as many potential blockbusters, but 2027, or even this year, could mark significant progress.

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2026-01-25 22:43