Disney Officially Dominates 2024 BO!!

After what could be described as a moderately challenging (or totally disastrous) 2023 for The Walt Disney Company, The (Disney) Empire Strikes Back to reclaim its crown as the King of the Box Office, officially becoming the #1 studio domestically and internationally in 2024, thanks to an astonishing $5.46 billion global box office haul (made up of $2.23 billion domestic and $3.23 billion international) In doing so, Disney has become the first studio to surpass $5 billion worldwide since 2019, which is another sign that box office totals are returning to pre-pandemic norms.

2024 was a banner year for “The House that Walt Built,” and it delivered three of the top four movies of the year, which also included two $1 billion-plus blockbusters. The number also helped make Disney the number one studio at the box office for the eighth time in nine years. The biggest win of the year was Pixar’s Inside Out 2, which has rewritten the record books as the #1 animated film of all time globally with $1.7 billion in box office earnings ($653 million domestic, $1.05 billion international). Not only did the sequel earn the highest-grossing PG rating ever, surpassing Incredibles 2, but it also became the eighth highest-grossing film of all time globally and the eleventh domestically.

Meanwhile, Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine shattered records as the #1 R-rated film of all time globally, grossing $1.34 billion ($637 million domestic, $701 million international). The movie, which starred the omnipresent Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, also claimed the title for the highest domestic opening of 2024 with $211 million, making it the sixth-largest opening in history. Rounding out the year’s top releases was the studio’s animated sequel, Moana 2. Released at Thanksgiving, the hugely anticipated sequel achieved the highest-grossing five-day opening ever, with $225 million domestically, and has amassed $906 million globally so far. It also broke the record for the highest opening for Walt Disney Animation Studios, and it’s on track to cross the $1 billion mark.

Outside the blockbusters, there were other success stories. Mufasa: The Lion King, which has been in theaters for 2 weeks has just crossed $365 million globally. Timothée Chalamet‘s A Complete Unknown has earned $29 million since its late December release, while 20th Century Studios added hits like Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes ($398 million), Alien: Romulus ($351 million), and The First Omen ($54 million). Even smaller titles performed well, with limited releases like Kinds of Kindness ($16.4 million) and A Real Pain ($9.3 million) finding audiences in more niche marketplaces.

What’s Next for Disney in 2025?

On the face of it, Disney might actually have a bigger 2025 going by what’s next. Marvel‘s slate is packed compared to 2024, with Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps all due to open by July, while on the animated front there will be a sequel to Zootopia, and Elio from Pixar is also on the slate. Other major titles include live-action adaptations of Snow White and Lilo & Stitch, as well as new installments in blockbuster franchises like Avatar: Fire and Ash, Tron: Ares, Freakier Friday, and Predator: Badlands.