Moviegoing has changed a lot since the COVID-19 pandemic began. A clear sign of this is the number of films that earn over $1 billion at the box office. In 2019, a record nine movies reached that milestone – including big franchise endings like Avengers: Endgame, animated sequels like Frozen II, and even the drama Joker. However, between 2021 and 2025, only eleven films have hit $1 billion, although upcoming releases like Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire and Ash might change that. Essentially, fewer movies are achieving that level of box office success now.
Looking ahead to 2026, we might see a return to how things were before the pandemic disrupted the movie industry. Several major films are planned, including Avengers: Doomsday, The Mandalorian & Grogu, and Dune: Part Three. There’s a real possibility that the number of films earning over $1 billion at the box office could increase dramatically during the six-week summer movie season, starting with the release of well-known franchises.
Next Summer Could Be Huge for the Box Office
Disney will release Toy Story 5 on June 19, 2026, continuing the popular Pixar series. Although the Lightyear spinoff didn’t perform well, the main Toy Story movies are consistently successful – Toy Story 3 and Toy Story 4 both made over $1 billion worldwide, suggesting the new film will do the same. Pixar has faced challenges since focusing more on Disney+ releases – Elio was another box office disappointment – but their sequels remain strong performers. Inside Out 2 was the highest-grossing film of 2024, earning $1.69 billion. Given Toy Story‘s appeal to audiences of all ages, Toy Story 5 is expected to be a major success.
Next summer will bring more than just Toy Story 5 to theaters. Minions 3 is scheduled to arrive during the popular Fourth of July weekend. The Despicable Me franchise, which began in 2010, has been incredibly successful. Two of its films—including the first Minions movie from 2015—earned over $1 billion worldwide, and several others came close, making over $900 million. If audiences still enjoy the Minions’ playful antics, Minions 3 is expected to be a big success. Given the series’ history, it could easily surpass $1 billion, but even if it makes over $900 million, Universal Pictures will likely be thrilled.
2025 was a challenging year for Disney at the box office overall, though the live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch was a major success, earning over $1 billion. Disney hopes to repeat that success with the upcoming live-action Moana, which releases July 10, 2026. The animated Moana 2 already proved incredibly popular, bringing in over $1 billion last year and establishing a highly profitable franchise. Given the positive reception to Lilo & Stitch, a similar outcome for Moana seems likely. Because Moana is a remake of a more recent animated film, it’s expected to resonate strongly with audiences – more so than the Snow White remake, which has broader appeal but less existing brand recognition with contemporary viewers.
Marvel is poised for a significant comeback after a challenging year at the box office – it was the first time since 2011 that no Marvel Cinematic Universe film ranked among the year’s top 10 highest-grossing movies worldwide. This turnaround is expected to begin with the release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31, 2026, months before the next Avengers film. Although it will compete with the already-released The Odyssey, Spider-Man is a popular enough hero to overcome any changes in moviegoing habits. Previous solo Spider-Man films, like Far From Home and No Way Home (both earning over $1 billion), have consistently been successful. Starring Tom Holland alongside a strong supporting cast including Jon Bernthal as the Punisher, Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk, and Sadie Sink in an undisclosed role, Brand New Day is generating considerable buzz and could potentially reach the $1 billion mark globally.
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2025-12-08 21:42