Global box office will reach $35bn in 2026, the highest grossing global year since 2019, according to estimates from UK-based film data and insights specialist Gower Street Analytics.
This would mark a second consecutive year of global box office growth, up 5% against current estimates for 2025.
However, at current exchange rates, the 2026 estimate would remain 12% behind the average of the last three pre-pandemic years (2017-2019).
“We predict 2026 will be the highest grossing global year since 2019 ($42.3bn), topping the current high of 2023 ($33.9bn),” said Gower Street’s chief analyst Thomas Beranek, who led the work on the 2026 projection. “Especially in the markets driven by Hollywood product, we expect the most significant growth.”
For 2026, the North American market is projected to finish 11% up on 2025 at approximately $9.9bn. This is down 14% against the 2017-2019 average.
Major films set for release in 2026 include Disney’s Avengers: Doomsday, Sony’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Disney’s Toy Story 5, Warner Bros’ Dune: Part Three, Universal’s The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Universal’s Minions 3, Sony’s Jumanji sequel, Paramount’s Scream 7, Universal’s Fockers In-Law and Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping.
There’s also Lionsgate/Universal’s musical biopic Michael, Disney’s live-action version of Moana, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey and Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day, both for Universal.
The international market (excluding China) is predicted to finish 5% ahead of 2025 at approximately $18bn. This is down 11% against the 2017-2019 average, at current exchange rates.
Within this, the predictions for the three key regions are
- EMEA: $10.05bn (up 7% on the 2025 estimate but down 9% on the 2017-2019 average)
- Asia Pacific (exc. China): $5.3bn (same as 2025 estimate but down 15% on 2017-2019 average)
- Latin America: $2.65bn (up 9% on 2025 estimate but down 5% on 2017-2019 average)
China is estimated at $7.1bn, down 4% on the 2025 estimate; however, due to the limited release calendar at this stage Gower Street says it “remains the hardest market to predict” and cited 2025 as “a year of ups and downs which generated both the biggest local title of all- time (Ne Zha 2) and the number two import title ever (Zootopia 2), but which also suffered long periods of weaker performance”.
Chinese animation Ne Zha 2 became the first film ever to gross $1bn in a single market after its February release in China, then going on to cross the $2bn mark globally, while Disney’s Zootopia 2 has grossed an estimated $447m in the territory (as of December 12). It is the second-highest-grossing Hollywood release of all time in China behind Disney’s Avengers: Endgame.
Gower Street noted that its 2026 projection is likely to change, with a number of untitled studio releases currently in the calendar.
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