The 10 best films of 2024 box office collectively achieved an important historical record. 2024 was an unusual year at the box office, as there was a shortage of major tentpoles following the 2023 writer and actor strikes, which saw many blockbusters postponed until 2025, while workers fought for fair wages. However, there were several record-breaking theatrical showings throughout the year, including the Inside Out 2 box office, which saw the Pixar release become the highest-grossing animated film of all time.
Put Total Moviethe 2024 box office set a huge record. At the time of writing, all 10 films in the global box office top 10 are sequelswhich in this case are defined as direct follow-ups that are not prequels, reboots, or other non-sequel projects that are still connected by IP like 2023 Barbie. This is the first time this has happened in at least 50 years. See the full breakdown of the 2024 Top 10 below:
|
Classification |
Title |
Worldwide box office |
|---|---|---|
|
#1 |
Inside Out 2 |
US$1.69 billion |
|
#2 |
Deadpool and Wolverine |
US$1.34 billion |
|
#3 |
Despicable Me 4 |
US$968.2 million |
|
#4 |
Dune: Part Two |
US$714.4 million |
|
#5 |
Godzilla vs. Kong: The New Empire |
US$571.7 million |
|
#6 |
Panda Kung Fu 4 |
US$547.6 million |
|
#7 |
Beetle juice Beetle juice |
US$451 million |
|
#8 |
Venom: The Last Dance |
US$438.9 million |
|
#9 |
Bad Boys: Ride or Die |
US$404.5 million |
|
#10 |
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes |
US$397.4 million |
What this box office record means
Modern cinema is not entirely IP-based
Although worldwide box office reports were more spotty before 1974, it appears It is very likely that this is in fact the first time that this record has happenedas the modern preponderance of sequels began around the 1980s. During that decade, many iconic franchises were born, including Indiana Jonesthe Back to the future trilogy, Beverly Hills Police Officer, Ghostbustersand Lethal weapon. While sequels existed from the earliest years of cinema to 1974, they were much less common, emphasizing how rare this 2024 disc really is.
The fact that this particular record may never have happened before does not mean that the Top 10 was never made up entirely of IP-related filmswhich is a much more common occurrence. While films like 2023 Oppenheimer2021 The Battle at Lake Changjin2020 Principleand 2018 Bohemian Rhapsody prevented this from happening many times over the last decade, 2019 and 2022 both had Top 10s made up entirely of IP films. However, reboots like the live action Aladdin prevented them all from being sequels.
Our Take on 2024’s Box Office Record
It probably won’t last
About that box office record is historic, the Top 10 will likely change considerably by the end of the year. As blockbuster season heats up, the makeup of the chart is likely to change. Although sequences like Gladiator II and Sonic the Hedgehog 3the end of 2024 also sees the launch of Lion King prequel Mufasa like this Evilwhich is an adaptation of a theatrical musical which is a prequel to The Wizard of Oz. Any movie graphic would be prevent this record from remaining for more than a few weeks.
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Source: Total Movie