In 2024, the domestic box office primarily driven by sequels, recorded a substantial revenue of $8.56 billion.
In 2024, the domestic box office earned a disappointing $8.56 billion, representing a -4% drop compared to the 2023 ticket sales. Despite this decrease, the situation could have been much worse. As June approaches, sales were running a staggering -27.5% behind the previous year, partly due to a string of underperforming films. Interestingly, 2024 marked the first time in 19 years that the summer movie season didn't kick off with a sequel or superhero movie. However, the tide turned mid-June with the launch of Pixar's Inside Out 2, which turned out to be the highest-grossing film of the year.
According to Comscore, 2024 was the first time the domestic box office fell below $10 billion since 2019, the full year before the pandemic. Between 2015 and 2019, the box office was constantly above $11 billion, with the peak being $11.89 billion in 2018.
The post-pandemic year of 2023 was the most successful year, grossing $8.91 billion. One of the factors contributing to the decline in ticket sales in the first five months of 2024 was the two Hollywood strikes in 2023 that closed down studios. The aftermath resulted in delays of scheduled movie releases, leading to a weak start to 2024.
As Comscore's senior media analyst, Paul Dergarabedian, pointed out, "2024 wasn't your typical year. There was no traditional roadmap to follow from start to finish. The fact that we're even here is a testament that audiences truly enjoy going to the movies, but they need a clear path to reach their destination."
Top Grossing Domestic Films: In contrast to 2023, which featured popular original releases such as the year's top-grossing film, Barbie ($636.2 million), and the seven-time Oscar winner, Oppenheimer ($326.1 million), nine out of ten of the top-grossing films in 2024 were sequels. The highest-grossing film of 2024 was Disney's Inside Out 2 ($653.0 million), followed by Disney's Deadpool & Wolverine ($636.8 million).
Aside from Disney, other films in the top ten were: Moana 2 ($404.0 million), Despicable Me 4 ($361.0 million), Beetlejuice Beetlejuice ($294.1 million), Dune: Part Two ($282.1 million), Twisters ($267.8 million), Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire ($196.4 million), and Kung Fu Panda 4 ($193.6 million). The only film that was not a sequel was Wicked, which ranked third domestically with $432.9 million and also became the top-grossing film based on a Broadway musical globally, earning $648.5 million.
Movie Ratings: Family films continued to be popular in 2024. According to Comscore, family movies with a "PG" rating grossed $2.9 billion domestically, with Inside Out 2 being the highest-grossing animated movie to date. As a result, PG films accounted for nearly $3 billion and 33% of all ticket sales. Movies rated "PG-13" accounted for 30% of the domestic box office totals, while the highest-grossing R-rated film, Disney's Deadpool & Wolverine, became the highest-grossing R-rated movie ever.
By Studio: Domestically, Disney was the leading studio in 2024, with three of the four highest-grossing films of the year, namely Inside Out 2, Deadpool & Wolverine, and Moana 2. Since the pandemic year of 2020, Disney is the only studio to surpass $2 billion in box office earnings, which it achieved in both 2022 and 2024. For the entire year, Disney's 30 film releases generated $2.2 billion in ticket sales, representing a 17% increase from the previous year.
Universal followed closely behind, with 31 releases earning $1.88 billion in 2024, a 3% decline from the previous year. The studio's three highest-grossing films of the year, Wicked, Despicable Me 4, and Twisters, all ranked among the top ten highest-grossing films of the year.
Warner Bros ranked third with $1.16 billion in earnings, a 17% decrease from the previous year. Similar to Disney and Universal, the top three highest-grossing films from Warner Bros, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Dune: Part Two, and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, all ranked among the top ten highest-grossing films of the year.
Sony ranked fourth with $1 billion in earnings, maintaining its position from the previous year. Sony's top-grossing film was the sequel, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, earning $193.5 million. Paramount came in fifth with $879.5 million, a 5% increase from the previous year. Paramount's top-grossing film of the year was the sequel, Gladiator II, with $164.5 million.
2025 Cinematic Offerings: Peeking into 2025, cinema enthusiasts can anticipate 33 sequels, revivals, or reinventions. Taking the summer stage, films lined up for wide exhibition comprise titles such as Superman: Resurgence, Mission: Impossible - Final Countdown, Thunderbolts, and The Fantastic Four: Initial Strides. Furthermore, Jurassic World: Rebirthing is also set to make an appearance.
Moreover, new entrants bearing familiar titles are expected to grace the silver screen, including Karate Kid: Epics, Lilo & Stitch (live-action remake), Freakier Friday Revisited, The Naked Gun Returns, and Avatar: Ash and Flame. Captain America: New World Order is another addition to the list. Undoubtedly, there will be a myriad of original titles and exclusive platform releases. For a comprehensive calendar of 2025 movie premieres, refer to this link.
In 2025, the National Association of Theatre Owners estimates at least 110 films scheduled to debut across over 2,000 screening venues, marking an augmentation from approximately 95 in 2024. The film industry forecasts a domestic box office revenue of around $9 billion in 2025, which would set the record since 2019.
In the lineup for 2025, movie enthusiasts can expect 33 sequels, revivals, or reinventions, including 'Superman: Resurgence' and 'Mission: Impossible - Final Countdown'. Interestingly, Disney has announced 'Inside Out 2' as a 2025 release, likely aiming for another successful box office run. Besides these sequels, there are also new adaptations such as a live-action 'Lilo & Stitch' and a 'Freakier Friday Revisited'.
The PG-13 rated 'Captain America: New World Order' is another anticipated film, potentially joining the group of PG-13 films that accounted for 30% of the domestic box office totals in 2024. With over 2,000 screening venues scheduled to debut at least 110 films in 2025, the film industry is projecting a domestic box office revenue of around $9 billion, aiming to surpass the pre-pandemic high of 2019.
'G movies' fans can look forward to the release of 'Karate Kid: Epics', which joins the roster of 'g' rated films like 'Wicked' and 'Moana 2' that played a significant role in the box office totals in 2024. Additionally, the announcement of 'Deadpool & Wolverine 2' is exciting news for fans of R-rated movies, as 'Deadpool & Wolverine' held the title of the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time in 2024.
In the realm of movie sequels, 2025 will see the continuation of popular franchises such as 'Mission: Impossible', 'Captain America', and 'Avatar'. Moreover, the summer of 2025 will be exciting with releases like 'Superman: Resurgence', 'Thunderbolts', 'The Fantastic Four: Initial Strides', and 'Jurassic World: Rebirthing'. Overall, 2025 looks to be a year filled with exciting movie sequels, revivals, and original releases, keeping the movie industry buzzing.
