The 2026 box office records its best numbers since 2019; the best post-pandemic year is projected

The giant has awakened.

Cinema has experienced brutal changes since the COVID pandemic massively closed theaters around the world in the first quarter of 2020.

This caused a chain reaction that large and small complexes around the world continue to face today.

With the closure of theaters, both studios and the audience were forced to try other ways of releasing and consuming film projects. With people confined at home and the cinema with closed doors, streaming took advantage of the opportunity.

By the time the pandemic began to subside, and the reopening of cinemas began – in the spring-summer of 2021 in the northern hemisphere – the behavior of the public had already been modified. Now people had adapted to consuming movies at home. In addition to this, the cost of a movie ticket and food had suffered a significant increase, which not everyone was able to pay.

Even so, the cinema started up again, facing million-dollar losses as a result of the massive closure.

It is worth noting that, prior to the closure, the global box office had registered a cipher record for revenues exceeding $42.5 billion in 2019. That year was, and continues to be, the highest-grossing year in the history of cinema, with 9 films that exceeded $1 billion in revenue at the global box office.

For context, 2019 was the year of big releases like Avengers: Endgamewhose global box office was $2.79 billion, becoming the second highest-grossing film in history, the live-action The Lion King with $1,662 million dollars, the animated sequel Frozen II with $1,453 million dollars, Spider-Man: Far From Home with $1,132 million dollars, Joker with $1,078 million dollars, making history as the first R-rated film to exceed one billion at the global box office, the closing of the Skywalker trilogy, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker with $1,077 million, and another animated sequel, Toy Story 4 with $1,073 million. It is also remembered as the year of the release of the acclaimed Parasiteand horror deliveries Midsummer, IT: Chapter Two, Ready Or Not, y Us. 2019 was also the year in which the epic HBO series concluded, Game of Throneswith a controversial ending that divided everyone.

From a financial point of view, from 2021 to 2024, cinema has had ups and downs. And although In 2023, income had the best numbers since 2019, recording a global box office of $33.9 billiona worrying stagnation was observed in 2024 and 2025.

Things are giving a significant positive turn in the first quarter of 2026. In this recently begun month of May, the box office is experiencing a strong resurgence, while Projections indicate that this would be the highest grossing year since 2019anticipating that it will be the year in which the industry comes closest to that benchmark, acting as a “year of important recovery”, and surpassing what was achieved in 2023.

Revenue in the national box office in the first quarter of 2026 reached a post-pandemic high of $1.77 billion, with highly notable box office releases such as Project Hail Mary, Scream 7, Send Help, Hoppers, Wuthering Heights, GOAT, Pegasus 3, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, The Drama, Michael, The Devil Wears Prada 2.

A SEQUEL THAT ARRIVES 20 YEARS LATER, EXCEEDS A MARVEL PROJECT

Continuing with the comparisons between 2026 and previous years, we bring you a little data for those who enjoy keeping a record or monitoring in detail.

A sequel that comes twenty years after the original film, The Devil Wears Prada 2released in theaters last Friday, May 1, 2026, with a premiere box office that has exceeded all expectations, raising a domestic box office of $77 million dollarsa international box office of $156.6 million dollarsy a total global premiere of $233.6 million dollars!

In comparison, Thunderbolts*the Marvel film, released in theaters in the same period of May 2, 2025, had a premiere in the domestic box office of $74.3 million dollarsand one Global opening box office total of $162 million.

At $233.6 million from the global premiere of The Devil Wears Prada 2we add what was done by Michael, the biopic about Michael Jackson, which in two weeks already has $424 million worldwide, with the animated sequel The Super Mario Galaxy Movie reaching $897 million, and Project Hail Mary reaching $638 million. All of these films mentioned are in theaters right now. By the way, The Devil Wears Prada 2was crowned the best live-action premiere of 2026 at the global box office ($233.6 million). That's all.

The future of cinema in 2026 continues to look very promising. There are still the premieres of high-profile projects such as:

Mortal Kombat II, The Mandalorian & Grogu, Masters of the Universe, Disclosure Day, Scary Movie 6, Toy Story 5, Supergirl, Moana, The Odyssey, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Digger, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, Dune: Part Three, Avengers: Doomsdayetc., and horror projects like Obsession, Passenger, Backrooms, Leviticus, Evil Dead 2, Insidious: Out of the Further, Resident Evilamong others.

BOX OFFICE PERFORMANCE IN 2026 VS 2023–2025

• 2026 increased its lead over 2025 despite the premiere of Thunderbolts* last year. It is expected to continue outperforming the competition through Memorial Day weekend, which in 2025 saw the releases of Lilo & Stitch y Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoningand this year it will be the turn of The Mandalorian and Groguand the horror thriller Passenger. A week later it will be the turn of Backrooms y I Love Boosters.
• 2024 It was a difficult period for the spring with the box office failures of Furious y The Fall Guy. The five highest-grossing releases in the global box office were: Inside Out 2 ($1,690 mdd), Deadpool & Wolverine ($1,330 mdd), Moana 2 ($1,050 mdd), Despicable Me 4 ($972 mdd), y Dune: Part Two ($715 mdd).
• 2023 had a slow week before the premiere of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and several successes during the rest of May and June. The year with the best box office so far, since 2019 pre-pandemic, recorded the best box offices with the releases of Barbie ($1.44 billion dollars), followed by The Super Mario Bros. Movie ($1.36 billion dollars), and Oppenheimer ($955 million dollars). Other box office hits were the aforementioned Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3y Fast X.

And from a very personal point of view, while it is true that home theater is a comfortable option, it will never be comparable to the experience in theaters. See you in the theaters.