Blue aliens, a family of superheroes, and a city full of talking animals helped propel the Walt Disney Company to the top of the domestic box office in 2025.
Full-year ticket sales across the United States and Canada rose roughly 4% from 2024, reaching $9.05 billion. Disney captured the largest share with $2.49 billion in ticket sales, representing 27.5% of the total, according to Comscore data.
Its closest competitors were Warner Bros. Discovery, with $1.9 billion (21%), and Universal, which earned $1.7 billion (19.7%). Combined, these three studios controlled nearly 70% of the domestic box office market. No other studio surpassed $1 billion in domestic ticket sales or accounted for more than 7% of the total.
“[Warner Bros., Disney, and Universal] have the advantage of multiple successful sub-brands — such as Marvel under Disney, New Line under Warner Bros., and Illumination under Universal — which allow them to dominate overall box office share and market presence,” said Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Comscore.
Disney’s 2025 Hits Were Driven by Popular IP
Disney’s success in 2025 was largely fueled by its established intellectual properties. Four of its films ranked among the top 10 highest-grossing domestic releases: the live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch, a sequel to 2016’s Zootopia, Marvel’s Fantastic Four: First Steps, and the third installment of Avatar.
“Most years, the box office is dominated by known IP and non-original content, which benefit from built-in brand recognition that gives them a marketing and revenue advantage,” Dergarabedian explained.
Indeed, nine of the 10 biggest domestic hits in 2025 were based on existing IP, with Warner Bros.’ Sinners being the only original title to break into the top tier.
Looking Ahead: 2026 Promises More Blockbusters
The trend toward established franchises is set to continue in 2026, especially for Disney. The studio’s upcoming releases include its first Star Wars theatrical film since 2019, The Mandalorian and Grogu, Toy Story 5 in June, a live-action Moana in July, and the highly anticipated Avengers: Doomsday in December.
Disney will also see merchandise revenue from a new Spider-Man film, part of a partnership with Sony that keeps most box office profits with Sony while integrating the character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Other studios are gearing up with major releases as well: Warner Bros. has Supergirl and Dune: Part Three, Universal offers Minions 3, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and The Odyssey, Lionsgate brings Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, and Sony continues the Jumanji series with its third installment.
“As we look into 2026, optimism is high,” said Shawn Robbins, director of analytics at Fandango and founder of Box Office Theory. “The slate is packed with top-tier franchises, both fan-driven and family-oriented, alongside filmmaker-driven tentpoles. There’s also room for standout performers in horror, comedy, indie, and other genres.”
With this lineup, Disney reigned over the 2025 box office — here’s what could help it stay on top in 2026.
