By Draven Copeland, Alumni Editor-in-Chief
Over the last century, movie theaters have become a cultural staple worldwide. From the buttery smell of popcorn, to the way overpriced snacks and drinks, to the chats with friends and family before and after the movie, the theater-going experience is something that offers a unique form of escapism and brings people from all walks of life to come together to enjoy a night out. While we can all watch our favorite movies from the comfort of our homes or the portable screens we take with us everywhere, there’s something about the oversized screen and the community we take part in for each screening, from the packed mid-day showtimes to the nearly empty late-night watches.
Although it’s a “third-space” that anyone can enjoy – the variety of movies for any interest showing each year hasn’t gotten too diluted quite yet – the rising prices for tickets, the perceived decrease in movie quality across the board, and the rejection of movie theater etiquette makes it harder and harder to justify going out when it’s easier with each passing day to wait for it to come to whatever streaming service we’re already spending monthly on. Especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, which gave us the worst two years for the box office in the last decade (2020-2021), the question of whether franchise movie theaters would stick around has haunted cinema lovers everywhere.
Thanks to the year-to-date box office gross in the big 2026 – over $6.7 billion thus far, already over $2 billion more than the entire year of 2021 – the answer to that question might not be as dreary as it might’ve seemed. This triumphant return to cinema isn’t just thanks to franchise blockbusters either, as we’ve seen relatively unknown directors break box-office records with their directorial debuts, including another original horror film breaking into the box-office top 10 this year after Ryan Coogler’s Sinners broke that mold spectacularly last year.
So, get your popcorn and your favorite theater snack – I wouldn’t sleep on M&M’s, personally – and let me take you on a ride through the biggest hits of the year so far, and what movies might continue the trend through the rest of the year!
Project Hail Mary – March 20th
If you haven’t heard about Ryan Gosling’s most recent leading act, you’ve either been living under noise-cancelling headphones or have absolutely zero interest in science fiction. Either way, you’re definitely not going to find many people to relate to in that department, because this hilarious and heartfelt intergalactic journey raked in $334 million in its domestic theatrical run, currently maintaining its spot as #6 in the top 10 box office grosses of the year.
Breaking in the year with such a huge release boded well for the future; although I was hesitant to be excited for the year in cinema at the time it released, there was no doubt that Project Hail Mary would be remembered as a staple in sci-fi pop culture whether the year went over well or not. Based on Andy Weir’s best-selling novel of the same name, the film not only brought people out to the theaters, but also got audiences interested in reading the original material, making it a win for both cinema and modern literature. I’m not one to automatically praise a film just because it’s popular – as a matter of fact, I’m generally even more critical in that case – but this is one that really lives up to the hype and has even been listed by Variety as a strong Oscar contender.
Michael – April 10th
Another huge hit before summertime, Michael Jackson’s eponymous biography made waves for fans and haters of the artist alike, raking in $373 million domestically and currently sitting as the fifth highest-grossing film of the year. It’s no surprise, considering that Jackson is still to this day the best-selling solo artist of all time and, with his nephew Jaafar Jackson giving his debut performance in the lead role, the hype surrounding this film even before its release was incredible.
While I personally didn’t love this movie – a confession that might get me crucified by the artist’s biggest defenders – there’s no denying the effect it had on both movie ticket and music sales. Similarly to Project Hail Mary’s effect on book sales, Michael brought Jackson’s music back to the leaderboards as many of his singles and albums charted on Hot 100s and streaming charts. It’s been listed by Variety as yet another Oscar contender as well, and I’d be personally shocked if it isn’t nominated somewhere in the Academy Awards.
Obsession – May 15th
The film that inspired me to write about the box office, Curry Barker’s theatrical debut isn’t just my favorite horror film of the decade; it’s a record-breaking, career-defining hit the likes of which hasn’t been seen in the horror genre ever before. Making over $263 million domestically and $495 million worldwide, it currently sits as the seventh highest grossing film of the year and is the highest grossing film of all time to be made with less than $1 million; the previous film to hold the record was 1973’s Enter the Dragon which was made for an $100,000 bigger budget and had Bruce Lee as a major selling point.
Starring newcomers Inde Navarette and Michael Johnston, and based on a completely original story written by Barker, Obsession will be talked about for years to come, both as a defining entry into modern horror canon and as a marvel of indie filmmaking. Besides revitalizing audience interest in original horror storytelling (along with last year’s Sinners), this film also scored Barker the writing/directing reins of the upcoming Texas Chainsaw Massacre film, catapulting him from a YouTube sketch comedy creator to a Hollywood sensation.
Backrooms – May 29th
Based on the “Backrooms” internet sensation that spawned video games and, most importantly, Kane Parson’s popular YouTube series on the concept, this is another theatrical debut in the horror genre charting incredibly high in the box office, directed and co-scored by Parsons himself. Buzz has surrounded the film primarily for its success in bringing a simple Creepypasta concept to the big screen, but what’s even more impressive is the fact that Parsons became the youngest director ever to debut at number one in the box office, both domestically and worldwide, made even more remarkable by the fact it was released while Obsession was still dominating theaters.
Making over $197 million in its theatrical run, Backrooms currently sits as the ninth highest-grossing film of the year, and marks another major triumph in the horror genre this decade. Along with its record-breaking run, the film also became the fifth highest-grossing independent film of all time, produced and distributed by A24. Like with other films on this list, interest in other Backrooms media skyrocketed, selling video games like Escape the Backrooms and surging viewership in Parsons’ original YouTube series surrounding the concept.
The Odyssey – July 17th
It was no surprise at all that Christopher Nolan’s most recent film blew every other previous film of the year out of the water – following his insanely lucrative Oppenheimer, boasting a star-studded cast, and marking the first movie in history to be filmed entirely with IMAX 70mm cameras, there was no way this film wasn’t going to bring audiences out to theaters, no matter what a famous South African trillionaire had to say about the casting.
Adapting Homer’s classic tale, Nolan’s new film has brought in $505 million thus far, and is still making money in theaters at the time of writing. While this is his first film to be based upon a previous work since The Dark Knight Rises, Nolan’s The Odyssey takes the story in some new directions, famously utilizing minimal CGI even in creature sequences and translating the original 8th-century text into something more palatable for modern movie-going audiences. To date, the film has grossed over $150 million more than Oppenheimer, which was itself promoted by the “Barbenheimer” trend.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day – July 31st
For the first time in history, we’ve been blessed with a fourth entry in a Spider-Man series, and it has not disappointed in the slightest. Although it has only been out for a few weeks, it’s already shattered records, becoming the fastest film to gross $700 million in just 13 days (beating the previous shared record holders Avengers: Endgame and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, who each made it in 16 days), the highest grossing Spider-Man film of all time (beating the previous Tom Holland-led No Way Home), and is currently the eighth highest-grossing film ever, with room to improve that standing.
It goes almost without saying that it is the highest-grossing film of the year so far, grossing over $786 million domestically and over $2 billion worldwide, at the time of writing. Along with Spidey, we get Punisher’s first theatrical appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as well as the best portrayal of Hulk since The Avengers, together proving that “superhero fatigue” in cinema still hasn’t caught up to our favorite web-slinger… or maybe we just want good movies in the genre and will actually show up when studios give us what we’re asking for.
Additionally, Brand New Day took over IMAX screenings as soon as The Odyssey ended its exclusive run in the format, leaving room for another jump in cash for the film.
Besides those films I’ve listed, family films like Toy Story 5, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and Minions & Monsters have had incredible runs this year, proving that there are still kids (grown or otherwise) coming to theaters, and the drama film The Devil Wears Prada 2 currently sits at eighth place in highest-grossing films this year as well. With such a variety in genres bringing in such numbers, it’s clear that theaters will be here to stay for a little while longer, at least.
Picks to Look Out For
While 2026 is the highest-grossing year to date for movies since before the pandemic, there’s still plenty of films coming out later in the year I have my eye on to break into the top 10 list.
The biggest of which is, of course, Avengers: Doomsday, which should bring in at least a couple billion given the enormous success of the last two Avengers films, so long as it’s not the terrible slop some fans are expecting. Releasing the same day (December 18th) is Dune: Part Three, which should also shake the box office to its core – truly, if Villeneuve’s end to the Dune trilogy doesn’t end up in the top 5 highest-grossing films of the year, I will be shocked.
In terms of horror, Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil (releasing September 18th) is likely to be a major success after the Oscar win of his last film, Weapons, and the critical success of his preceding horror film, Barbarian. DC Comics’ Clayface (releasing October 23rd) should also make waves, taking us into a dark, R-rated horror sphere the superhero genre really hasn’t seen before – although the last DC film, Supergirl, bombed spectacularly, I have hope this one will be different. Rounding out the horror sphere towards the end of the year, Godzilla Minus Zero (releasing November 3rd) is likely to succeed in the box office after its predecessor, Godzilla Minus One, won a well-deserved Oscar for “Best Visual Effects” in 2023.
Besides these picks, I’m looking out for Digger (October 2nd), The Cat in the Hat (November 6th), The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping (November 20th), and Jumanji: Open World (December 25th) as the year goes on, as they all have potential to make waves in the box office.
No matter how the year shakes out, it’s easily the best year for movie theaters since before the pandemic, solidifying the theater-going experience and hopefully encouraging filmmaking studios and audiences alike not to give up on theatrical releases. It’s a win-win for everyone – more movies get the funding to release theatrically, and we get more movies to go see with our friends and make memories together like we have for the last hundred years.
