The 3 Movies That Could Still Make $1 Billion at the Box Office in 2025 (#1 Will Be the Biggest by Far)

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As a movie fan, I’ve noticed 2025 has been surprisingly lacking in blockbuster hits. We haven’t seen many films cross that huge $1 billion mark worldwide. All the big superhero movies – Superman, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Captain America: Brave New World, and Thunderbolts – didn’t even get close. Jurassic World Rebirth did well with $868.6 million, but it was the first Jurassic World film to miss the billion-dollar target. A Minecraft Movie almost made it with $957.9 million, but it fell a little short. Actually, through the first ten months of the year, only two movies reached $1 billion: Lilo & Stitch and Ne Zha 2. Ne Zha 2 was mostly popular overseas, earning only $23.3 million here domestically.

It’s very likely we’ll see even more big movie releases before the end of the year – possibly three, four, or even five, especially if you count films opening in December. So, which ones have the biggest chance of success? Let’s take a look.

3) Wicked: For Good

With just one week until Wicked: For Good—the conclusion to John M. Chu’s movie adaptation of the popular musical—arrives in theaters, current box office predictions are looking fairly reliable. Experts currently estimate the film will open with between $130 million and $155 million domestically, which would surpass the $112.5 million opening of another 2024 release, even at the lower end of that range.

There’s a strong indication this new film will perform well over time, much like the original Wicked did. The first Wicked movie earned over $756 million worldwide – more than four times its opening weekend revenue, including $283.4 million internationally. With Wicked: For Good being released less than a year after the original, audiences still remember and enjoy it. Importantly, the first film wasn’t just a box office hit; it was also critically acclaimed and received numerous awards.

The movie remains popular thanks to digital rentals and streaming on platforms like Peacock and Prime Video, keeping it fresh in people’s minds. This means there’s a strong audience eager to see the sequel in theaters. While increasing the first movie’s worldwide earnings by $250 million is ambitious, it’s definitely achievable. The marketing campaign, which prominently features Dorothy and her iconic companions – the Tin Man, Scarecrow, and Cowardly Lion – is a smart move. Any link to the original The Wizard of Oz will undoubtedly boost interest and attendance.

Stream Wicked on Prime Video.

2) Zootopia 2

I’m so excited for Zootopia 2! With the release just two weeks away, people are starting to predict how well it will do when it comes out over Thanksgiving. The current guess is around $125 million for its first five days, which would be an amazing start and suggest it could do really well throughout December. I’m hoping it lives up to the hype!

The long wait – almost ten years – between the new Zootopia movie and the first one does raise some questions. However, there’s good reason to be optimistic. The original Zootopia performed exceptionally well over time, even for an animated film, which generally benefit from continued viewership as families can’t always see it immediately upon release. Its success stemmed from the fact that it was a thoughtful film with themes that resonated more with adults than kids, making it appealing to a wide audience. The fact that Disney didn’t rush a sequel into production is actually a positive indicator.

Stream Zootopia on Disney+.

1) Avatar: Fire and Ash

James Cameron’s Avatar was a massive hit when it came out in 2009, earning almost $3 billion worldwide. Thirteen years later, Avatar: The Way of Water arrived in theaters and made just over $2.34 billion. This proved that despite the long wait, people were still eager to return to the world of Pandora and the Na’vi. While the sequel didn’t quite reach the same level of cultural impact as the original – some of the initial excitement had faded, and special effects had improved in other movies over the decade – it clearly showed there was still strong interest in the franchise.

It remains to be seen how successful Avatar: Fire and Ash will be. Unlike the first Avatar, there hasn’t been a long build-up of excitement, and The Way of Water didn’t resonate with audiences quite as strongly as the original – though the first film was popular, it wasn’t a massive hit. A lot is at stake, as two more Avatar movies are planned. However, even if Fire and Ash earns 20% less than The Way of Water, it’s still projected to gross around $1.88 billion. Given its estimated $250 million budget, that would be a significant success for the series and guarantee the production of the fourth and fifth installments.

Stream Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water on Disney+.

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2025-11-14 00:15