A quick poll for our readers.
It’s no secret that since the pandemic, Hollywood hasn’t been able to hit pre-2020 numbers at the box office — and that’s despite the price of a movie ticket rising over the last few years.
Every single year in the 2010s, the domestic box office reached $10 billion, peaking at $11.6 billion in 2018. In 2023, 2024, and 2025, numbers hovered slightly over the $8 billion mark — a significant drop that has had many worried about the state of movies.
However, on paper, 2026 looks very promising, and it’s quite possible that Hollywood will get its footing back in a big way.
We currently have eight films with the potential to hit $1 billion worldwide this year: “Avengers: Doomsday,” “The Odyssey,” “Minions 3,” “Michael,” “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” “Toy Story 4,” “Moana,” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.”
Then there are the surprises. “The Devil Wears Prada 2” is showing major signs of becoming a blockbuster hit for 20th Century — the last trailer, released over the weekend, much like the teaser, yet again went viral, nabbing 220 views across all platforms and becoming the 8th most-viewed trailer ever in the span of 24 hours. Keep an eye on this one.
Oh, and then there are the films that will flirt with a billion, but probably not hit that milestone: “Dune: Part Three,” “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping,” and “Jumanji 3.”
There’s also a Star Wars movie also coming out, “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” which is an IP that a few years back would have been a guaranteed $1 billion. But due to a handful of reasons, it’s now a major question mark. It could either be a massive hit, flop hard, or deliver moderately successful numbers. We just don’t know.
Suffice it to say, there will be no shortage of hits this year, and Hollywood seems destined for the kind of comeback it’s been desperately in need of since 2020. Of course, all of these films, save for “The Odyssey,” are IP, but if that’s what it takes to get asses back into seats, then so be it — we all want the theatrical experience to feel relevant again, and 2026 might just bring it back to the cultural forefront.