subject: Box Office 2025: What’s The Final Verdict? [print this page]
What a year 2025 was, from the box office perspective, at least. From initial year-opening predictions that were, let’s say, slightly overconfident, to an unexpected mid-year rally that almost put them back on the table again, it was an unpredictable, but generally solid, year for theatrical releases. We have Brandon Blake, one of the top entertainment attorney Los Angeles with Blake & Wang P.A., to put it all together with a final 2025 box office round-up.
The global box office for last year is estimated as closing at $33.5B. That’s a 12% uptick since 2024. However, it’s not quite that simple. After all, we also saw a single Chinese production account for a massive $2B of those takings. Taking that out of the mix, we see an 8% growth. Certainly better than the 11% decrease of 2024! We’re currently looking at $17.2B in global takings without China, and $24.6B with it included.
If we had to sum the year up? Optimistic, but uncertain. Fortunately, we are going forward into a new year where the slate and pipeline for releases is looking a lot steadier - in fact, this will be the first year that can truly be seen as free from the impact of the 2024 dual strikes.
Breaking Away from 2019 Benchmarks
Additionally, it’s probably time to step away from coveting 2019 numbers for a box office that has changed completely since the pandemic-induced closures impacted the industry. Not only was 2019 actually a record year for the box office (at that point), but it’s also a holdover from a completely different entertainment industry. For starters, one that was free of streaming as the go-to model. And, more importantly, one in which consumer habits were totally different.
That said, we may, very cautiously, be looking at the $10B year experts have been pushing since 2023 this year, or at least close to it. The domestic 2026 box office is currently being predicted as having the potential for $9.8B, but we know what previous years have made of hasty predictions. All the same, it’s something to look forward to- a steady, easier year with a strong and reliable slate to keep audience interest high.
But back to 2025. We saw Warner Bros have great success with a new breakout IP in A Minecraft Movie, but the bulk of success went to tried-and-true franchises, as we saw with the live-action Lilo & Stitch, Zootopia 2, and even the next installment for the Avatar franchise, which gave the end of the year a fantastic boost. Disney itself crossed the $6B line globally, while more familiar franchises (think Mission: Impossible and Jurassic Park) also saw strong success.
China re-emerged as a venue for Hollywood properties, and still managed to be Hollywood’s top overseas market, with its own Ne Zha 2 performing at unprecedented levels to become the biggest movie of the year and the fifth-best performing movie of all time.
While instability around movie windowing is still very much in play, we have the potential for a steadier and more reliable 2026 ahead, and a year that went surprisingly well for theatrical releases, all things considered.
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