Steven Spielberg Narrowly Avoided Losing His Box Office Crown to A Rival Sci-Fi King (& 2026 Will Extend His Reign)

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James Cameron has directed four movies that each earned over $1 billion worldwide, leading many to think of him as the king of the box office. He’s even directed three films that surpassed $2 billion globally. However, surprisingly, Steven Spielberg actually holds the record for the highest-grossing director of all time. Spielberg’s 37 films have earned a combined $10.723 billion worldwide (according to The Numbers). Cameron is close behind, with his 15 films totaling $10.035 billion.

The competition is tight, and James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash could have broken Steven Spielberg’s box office record if it had performed as well as the original Avatar films. While Fire and Ash has earned a significant $1.323 billion so far, it’s behind the first two Avatar movies, both of which made over $2 billion. Had Fire and Ash reached that level, Cameron would have surpassed Spielberg. Currently, Spielberg is expected to maintain his lead, though Cameron still has a chance to eventually take the top spot.

Steven Spielberg’s Box Office Lead Will Grow Thanks to Disclosure Day

Even though Steven Spielberg will be eighty later this year, he’s still very busy directing large-scale films. His upcoming movie could be another classic, and it’s generating a lot of excitement as part of a strong year for science fiction. Called Disclosure Day, the film appears to be about UFOs, a subject Spielberg has explored before, but with a fresh approach. The first trailer for the movie was both impressive and unsettling, hinting at a thrilling and mysterious story.

With the release of Disclosure Day in June, Steven Spielberg is likely to extend his lead over James Cameron in terms of overall film success. It remains to be seen just how significant that increase will be. Although Spielberg is still a highly respected director, his films don’t consistently draw the massive crowds they once did. He was once known for blockbusters like Jaws, E.T., and Jurassic Park that shattered box office records. Since his last Indiana Jones movie in 2008, only one of his nine films – Ready Player One, which earned $607.8 million – has surpassed $500 million worldwide.

With $373.9 million, The Adventures of Tintin and $275.2 million with Lincoln, Steven Spielberg hasn’t seen any other films reach the $200 million mark in almost twenty years. This is partly because his more recent films have been different in scope than his earlier blockbusters like Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. He’s focused on smaller, more dramatic stories such as Bridge of Spies ($165.4 million), War Horse ($177.5 million), and The Post ($193.7 million), which aimed for critical acclaim rather than huge box office numbers. Even though these films had lower budgets, they were still commercially successful. His postKingdom of the Crystal Skull work also includes films like The BFG* ($199.6 million), which didn’t quite connect with audiences. It seems Spielberg’s reputation alone isn’t always enough to guarantee a big turnout at the cinema anymore.

Universal Pictures is promoting Disclosure Day as a major summer blockbuster, signaling they expect it to perform well in theaters. Unlike historical films, its science fiction genre generally attracts a wider audience. It’s likely to earn more than Steven Spielberg’s recent films, The Fabelmans and West Side Story, but success isn’t guaranteed. With shorter theatrical releases and the rise of streaming, people can now easily wait to watch movies at home. It’s becoming harder for original films – those not based on existing franchises – to succeed in theaters, so Disclosure Day will need strong positive reviews and create a sense of urgency to get people to see it in cinemas quickly.

How James Cameron Can Beat Steven Spielberg’s Box Office Record

James Cameron, like Steven Spielberg, is still actively directing films in his 70s. Having already made three Avatar movies, he’s planning two more, along with other projects. Unless he retires unexpectedly, Cameron is likely to eventually surpass Spielberg in total box office earnings. Even one more Avatar film could be enough to do it. While Avatar: The Seed Bearer (also known as Fire and Ash) didn’t perform quite as well as previous installments, Avatar 4 is expected to easily earn over $1 billion, bringing Cameron’s career total to over $11 billion. Spielberg’s total will also likely exceed $11 billion once his latest film, Disclosure Day, finishes its run in theaters – potentially reaching over $11.3 billion if it performs similarly to Ready Player One. This sets the stage for a close race to see who ultimately has the higher lifetime box office revenue.

Currently, the planned release date for Avatar 4 is 2029, but it’s uncertain if that will actually happen. Leading up to the premiere of Fire and Ash, James Cameron openly discussed the future of the Avatar series, suggesting Avatar 4 might be delayed while he finds a more efficient way to make these large-scale films. The speed at which the next movie is made seems to depend on how much money Fire and Ash earns. While $1.3 billion is a huge success for most films, Avatar needs to perform at a much higher level. Because Fire and Ash didn’t reach the same box office numbers as previous Avatar films, Cameron might wait to develop a new plan, potentially allowing Steven Spielberg to keep his box office record for a few more years. There’s even a possibility Avatar 4 won’t be made at all, although Disney likely wants to continue the franchise after Fire and Ash earned $1 billion.

Even if Avatar 4 is approved, James Cameron might not be the one directing it. He’s considered the possibility of handing the reins to another director, recognizing that he might not be able to direct both Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 for various reasons. It’s important to note that Cameron hasn’t announced any plans to step down as director. However, if he decides to take a break from directing large-scale sci-fi films and Disney still wants to release Avatar 4 by 2029, another director could end up taking over the project.

James Cameron has a history of turning ambitious films into massive hits, like he did with a lengthy romance and disaster movie in the past. This means he might surpass Steven Spielberg’s box office record even without relying solely on the Avatar films. He’s indicated he has other projects he wants to pursue and plans to take a less direct role in future Avatar movies. While Avatar 4 is in pre-production, Cameron could focus on films like Ghosts of Hiroshima – and that project might be the one to push him past Spielberg. He’ll likely need a fifth film to earn over $1 billion, especially considering the potential impact of Disclosure Day, but history shows you shouldn’t underestimate James Cameron’s success at the box office.

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2026-01-25 21:43