Disney dominated the 2025 box office. Here's how it could keep the crown in 2026

Core Insights - The Walt Disney Company led the domestic box office in 2025 with ticket sales of $2.49 billion, representing 27.5% of the total market share of $9.05 billion, which saw a 4% increase from 2024 [1][2] Group 1: Market Performance - Disney's closest competitors were Warner Bros. Discovery with $1.9 billion (21%) and Universal with $1.7 billion (19.7%), collectively accounting for nearly 70% of the domestic box office [2] - No other studio surpassed $1 billion in domestic ticket sales, with the next highest market share being 7% [2] Group 2: Intellectual Property and Film Releases - Disney's success was driven by popular intellectual properties, with four films in the top 10 highest-grossing domestic releases, including "Lilo & Stitch," "Zootopia" sequel, "Fantastic Four: First Steps," and a third "Avatar" film [4][5] - The dominance of known IP in the box office was highlighted, with nine of the top 10 films being from existing franchises, and only Warner Bros.' "Sinners" being an original title [5] Group 3: Future Outlook - The upcoming slate for 2026 is expected to surpass 2025 in terms of high-profile sequels and known IP, particularly for Disney, which will release "The Mandalorian and Grogu," "Toy Story 5," "Moana," and "Avengers: Doomsday" [6][7] - Other anticipated films include a new Spider-Man film, Warner Bros.' "Supergirl," Universal's "Minions 3," and Lionsgate's "Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping" [8]