The final tally for the 2024 domesticbox officestill falls short of 2023, but it managed to come in ahead of expectations. Ever since 2020, when theaters were shut down for most of the year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the box office has struggled to return to the incredible heights it achieved in 2018 and 2019. However, there have been several notable wins within the past year, such as theoversized successes ofInside Out 2,Deadpool & Wolverine, andMoana 2.
Now,Deadlinereports thatthe 2024 domestic box office has closed out with an estimated $8.72 billion. This is 3% behind 2023’s final $9 billion gross, but it is well ahead of the initial expectations of $8 billion, partially thanks to an incredibly lucrative holiday period from Thanksgiving through Christmas. It’s noted that, back before the start of the summer movie season in May, the box office was lagging 20% behind 2023; a great deal of ground was made up in the back half of the year.
What This Means For The Domestic Box Office
Things Are (Gradually) Improving
Due to a variety of factors, including the 2023 Hollywood strikes, the first few months of 2024 lacked major releases, as many movies were pushed back to later in the year, or even to 2025. In addition to that, the year sawa number of high-profile movies disappoint or, in the worst cases, flop entirely. These includedFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga, Madame Web,Kraven the Hunter, andJoker: Folie à Deux.The latter three movies in particular contributed to an ongoing conversation over whether superhero fatigue has broken down what was once the most financially successful genre.
10 Biggest Box Office Flops Of 2024
Despite a range of expectations, these movies dramatically flopped in 2024, potentially losing their studios hundreds of millions of dollars.
However, Marvel Studios’Deadpool & Wolverineproved there was still life for superhero movies in July when it scored the year’s best opening weekend with a record $211.4 million. As a whole,2024 featured a few history-making stats, including the biggest Thanksgiving ever, a feat made possible by the incredible performances ofMoana 2, Wicked, andGladiator 2. The full top 10 list for the year, with figures as of January 1 (viaThe Numbers), is below:
1
$653 million
2
$636.7 million
3
$429.3 million
4
$400 million
5
$361 million
6
$294.1 million
7
$282.1 million
8
$267.8 million
9
$196.4 million
10
Kung Fu Panda 4
$193.6 million
All told, 2024’s domestic box office confirms thatmoviegoing habits are generally on the upswing, and that established properties remain Hollywood’s lifeblood for the time being. At various moments throughout the year, some pundits expressed concern for the future of theaters, but as 2024 came close to 2023’s post-pandemic best total, and well ahead of 2022 ($7.4 billion) and 2021 ($4.5 billion), there is cause for optimism.
Our Take On The State Of The Domestic Box Office
2025 Could Be Bigger Than 2024 AND 2023
2024 had plenty of ups and downs at the box office, and it’s all but certain 2025 will as well. Just as often as franchises produce successful sequels, prequels, and everything in between, they’ve also been known to falter. Nothing is a guarantee at this point, but2024 has shown that even when titles disappoint, records can still be broken.
Looking ahead to 2025, there are several strong box office contenders,such asThe Fantastic Four: First Steps,Superman, andWicked: For Good. That’s not even touching upon James Cameron’s follow-up to two of the highest-grossing movies of all time,Avatar: Fire and Ash, which is slated for release in December. There is a strong chance 2025 could become the biggest year at thebox officesince the COVID-19 pandemic, and the foundation for its success has been laid with 2024’s resilient lineup.
