The 10 biggest movies of 2024 so far all have one thing in common

The The highest grossing movies of 2024 All have one thing in common. The year took a completely different shape than the original plan, as many movies were rescheduled in the wake of the two Hollywood strikes in 2023. The Writers Guild of America and then the Screen Actors Guild took to the picket lines to fight for fair pay, and delays by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers in negotiating deals with both unions effectively shut down the industry in phases between May 2. and November 9 of that year.

The result of this extended industrial unrest was that, in addition to the many television shows canceled during the strikes, Quite a few blockbuster productions have been delayed to 2025. This includes Disney’s live-action remake Snow WhiteMarvel’s thunderbolts*Paramount Pictures’ Mission: Impossible 8Pixar’s Elioand Lionsgate’s dirty dancing Sequel. However, while the fact that many tentpoles fled to 2025 led 2024 to begin with a slow rollout of major movies, the year saw several major theatrical hits, all of which share one notable quality.

Sequels are the only movies in 2024’s highest-grossing releases

The chart spans from inside and 2 to twisters

The biggest success of the year so far has been the Inside Out 2 box office, earning more than $1.5 billion, becoming the highest-grossing animated release of all time. The movie is a seven-year-later sequel to Pixar’s 2015 original Inside out. Although it is only the second installment in its franchise, The other nine highest-grossing 2024 movies at the time of writing are also sequelsWith varying numbers of previous installments behind them. Below, see a breakdown of the current Top 10 movies of 2024 worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo:

The chart is rounded out by two late sequels, Twisters And Beetlejuice BeetlejuiceWhich are the first follow-ups to original hits that premiered in 1996 and 1988 respectively. Another second installment on the chart is Denis Villeneuve Dunn: Part TwoAlthough this is Technically part of a wider franchise of works adapting the novel of the same name by Frank HerbertWhich includes David Lynch’s 1984 flop Don.

However, the other movies on the chart are installments that delve even deeper into their respective franchises. Beyond the circles Bad Boys: Ride or Die And Kung Fu Panda 4, Deadpool & Wolverine Is Both the third Deadpool movie and the 34th installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Meanwhile, Godzilla x Kong is the fifth entry in Legendary’s Monsterverse, a series that already combines multiple long-running franchises, and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is the tenth installment in its own franchise.

2024’s Sequel Dominates at the Box Office Reverses 2023’s Original

Less than half of the top 10 movies in 2023 are sequels

Although the modern cinema landscape tends to be dominated by sequels, 2024 is a far cry from the relative originality of 2023, in which Only four sequels appeared in the worldwide box office Top 10. Of these titles, the highest grossing was Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 at number 4, meaning sequels were completely shut out of the Top 3. Although many of the titles that weren’t sequels were still remakes or original movies that were part of pre-existing multimedia franchises, there was a lot More spread of types on the 2023 Top 10 chart, which is below:

Of the top 10 2023 movies, only Pixar’s Elemental Is technically original, like Christopher Nolan Oppenheimer is adapted from the 2005 biography American Prometheus. However, neither title is a sequel, nor are they from a pre-existing franchise. Additionally, the top two movies Barbie And The Super Mario Bros. Movie Both adapt famous IP but are original stories told in these universes. Meanwhile, the prequel Wonka And the live action remake The Little Mermaid Used IP as a foundation for non-sequel franchise storytelling.

2024 still has several major sequels on the way

Some may become top 10 titles before the end of the year

As the holiday season ramps up, there are still several blockbuster sequels to come in 2024, any number of which could land on the Top 10 by New Year’s. Although they may displace a certain number of the current titles on the chart, they may still ensure complete dominance of sequels until the end of the year. These titles include the brand new release Joker: Folie à Deux, A sequel to a comic book adaptation that grossed more than $1 billion in 2019 And went on to win two Oscars.

In fact, the majority of the blockbuster tentpoles yet to be released in 2024 are direct sequels to smash hits. This includes the upcoming Gladiator II, Ridley Scott’s long-awaited follow-up to his 2000 Best Picture winner It was the second highest grossing movie of that year with $465.4 million worldwide. Also on the list are Venom: The Last Dance, Moana 2, Sonic the Hedgehog 3And Mufasa. While the latter is primarily a prequel, it also incorporates sequel elements as a follow-up to Live-Action The Lion Kingwhich was the second highest grossing movie of 2019 at $1.66 billion.

Will any non-sequels break into the list of highest grossing movies in 2024?

Only two titles are strong contenders

There are a few upcoming 2024 movies that aren’t sequels that still have a chance to break into the Top 10 by the end of the year. however, There are still some non-sequel contenders that could prove to be hits When they premiere. The first is WickedThe adaptation of the long-running stage musical, adapted from the Gregory Maguire novel reimagines the origin story of The Wizard of Ozs Wicked Witch of the West. While the movie is obviously part of a vast pre-existing franchise, which may help its prospects, it’s not a sequel.

The other original title that has a chance to become one of the Top 10 The highest grossing movies of 2024 Is Red one, A holiday-themed action comedy starring Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans. It remains to be seen how the movie performs as it is a completely untested property, but the duo of A-list stars at the helm could help propel it to box office success. However, even if both titles land in the Top 10, the year will still be dominated by sequels in a way that is thrown into sharp relief by the relative originality of 2023.

Source: Box Office Mojo