Disney Crosses $2 Billion at the Box Office for Second Time in 5 Years

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As a cinephile with over three decades of movie-going experiences under my belt, I must say that this year, 2024, has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride for cinema enthusiasts like me. The box office race between studios has always been intriguing, but Disney’s triumphant return to form after a somewhat shaky 2023 has truly been the highlight of this year.

In 2024, Disney achieved a remarkable milestone at the box office by surpassing $2 billion in ticket sales, making them the sole studio to reach this figure. After a challenging year in 2023 with films like The Marvels, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, and Haunted Mansion experiencing significant losses, Disney staged an impressive recovery. Key contributors to this success were Inside Out 2, Deadpool & Wolverine, Moana 2, along with 20th Century Studios productions such as Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and Alien: Romulus, which helped Disney reach this significant box office milestone as 2024 draws to a close.

According to Deadline, Disney is the sole major film studio to surpass $2 billion at the domestic box office. This remarkable feat comes from contributions made by Walt Disney Pictures, 20th Century Studios, and Searchlight Pictures. This marks the seventh time Disney has accomplished this milestone since 2010. Additionally, it’s the second instance in which Disney has achieved this threshold since 2019, following the closure of movie theaters due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Disney reached $2 billion again in 2022, with releases such as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love & Thunder, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Avatar: The Way of Water.

2024 has been a remarkable year for Disney, with “Inside Out 2” setting new records as the highest-grossing film of the year domestically, earning $652 million, and also becoming the highest-grossing animated movie ever made. It currently ranks as the eleventh-highest-grossing movie overall (not adjusted for inflation). Just behind it in twelfth place is “Deadpool & Wolverine” with $636 million. “Moana 2” has only been out for a month and has already grossed $339 million domestically, making it the fifth-highest-grossing film of the year. Add to that the earnings of “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” ($171 million), “Alien: Romulus” ($105 million), and anticipated holiday releases like “Mufasa: The Lion King” and “A Complete Unknown”, Disney’s profits are poised for further growth.

Disney Isn’t the Only Studio Having a Banner Year at the Box Office

2024 is proving to be an impressive box office year for studios beyond just Disney. Universal Pictures boasts four films in the top 10 domestic chart, including Wicked, Despicable Me 4, Twisters, and Kung Fu Panda 4 at positions three, four, seven, and 10. Warner Bros. Pictures also has a strong presence with Dune: Part Two, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire in the top 10, yet it’s worth noting that their release Joker: Folie à Deux was one of the biggest disappointments of the year. In contrast, Disney doesn’t seem to have any significant flops in 2024 thus far, a marked improvement compared to 2023.

2025 seems to be a critical year for Disney, as I ponder if they can maintain the energy and enthusiasm their upcoming releases will surely stir. Titles like “Captain America: Brave New World,” “Lilo & Stitch,” “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” and “Predator: Badlands” are certainly attention-grabbing, but it’s uncertain if they can match the fervor generated by anticipated sequels such as “Inside Out 2,” “Deadpool & Wolverine,” or “Moana 2.” There’s also a question mark over original Pixar films like “Snow White” and “Elio.” Disney is taking risks with other releases too, such as “Thunderbolts,” “Freakier Friday,” and “Tron: Ares.

In the year 2025, it seems that Disney’s most secure wager could be the releases of “Zootopia 2” and “Avatar: Fire and Ash.” Given the impressive performance of the original Avatar movies, if “Fire and Ash” manages to match its predecessors’ success, then Disney is likely to have no trouble surpassing $2 billion at the box office in 2025.

Disney’s next film, Mufasa: The Lion King, hits theaters on Dec. 20.

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2024-12-18 22:04