We begin 2026 at The Numbers Business Report by looking back at 2025 at the box office. The latest edition recaps the successes, misses, and everything in between of the last year.
2025 was defined by live-action adaptations of established IP, with some unexpected over-performers, but no movies reaching true breakout status. Audiences continued to favor familiar properties, with nine of the top ten domestic box office titles based on video games, comics/superheroes, fiction books, or franchise continuations.
The top-grossing domestic release was A Minecraft Movie, which stacked up $424.09 million and exceeded all projections. Fueled by the game’s massive built-in fanbase, the film became a social media phenomenon, highlighting the market power of young, highly-engaged audiences. These viewers weren’t just buying tickets; they were showing up for a shared cultural moment, embracing viral memes and in-theater antics.
Cruising close behind in second place was Lilo & Stitch, another PG-rated, IP-driven hit, which finished the year with $423.78m domestically, just $308,925 shy of the top spot.
Despite the dominance of established IP, 2025 marked the first year since 2017, excluding the pandemic-affected 2020, in which no film surpassed $500m domestically. It also (2020-excepted) saw the lowest box office earnings from the highest-grossing film of the year since 2014 (see table below).
Sinners was the sole original film in the top ten, emerging as this year’s standout success. The film secured seventh place overall with $280m domestically, driven by genre-blending storytelling and strong performances. Its impact extended beyond box office returns, making awards history with 16 Oscar nominations.
With Sinners, among others listed below, Warner Bros. exemplified the importance of the major studios including original ideas in their slate. WB emerged as one of the year’s biggest winners, finishing second among distributors while achieving the most growth in comparison to last year, earning $713m more than in 2024.
In this month’s Report, we also look at the top 10 distributors for the year and break down where their revenue came from, accounting for studio division like 20th Century Studios and Focus Features. We also look at the genres, production methods, creative types and ratings that are driving growth (or holding the market back). On top of that, we highlight Timothée Chalamet as the top domestic and global star of 2025.
The data doesn’t end there. Read the report for our full, in-depth coverage.
Also in this edition…
We have our final pre-release predictions for all of February’s wide releases, including “Wuthering Heights” and Scream 7 (among many others), along with our full 2026 predictions.
Our domestic and international release schedules cover all films being released domestically over the next month, and all major international releases in 15 territories, organized by date and by movie.
For the home market, we have a monthly update on the theatrical window for new releases, including trend analysis. We’ve also added information on what films are available or coming soon to streaming services.
On the talent front, we include Bankability values for the top 250 creative talents in the business, expanding our unique perspective on the people in front of, and behind the camera.
To take our prediction analysis further, alongside The Business Report, we are now publishing a six-week market theatrical forecast every week. That has day-by-day predictions for all movies in the top 10 and the expected market size over the next 42 days. Subscribers also receive print and digital editions of the Report, and optional forecast spreadsheets and Bankability reports. Click here to subscribe.
Contact The Numbers Business Report team