As 2024 approaches, the film industry can heave a sigh of relief. The year saw a resurgence of cinemas around the world, as more films were successful at the box office than in previous years. Most major markets saw increases in overall box office tickets and viewership, and seven films grossed over half a billion dollars worldwide. One of these grossed $1.7 billion worldwide and entered the top 10 highest-grossing films of all time, and it’s not one of the usual suspects.
Highest grossing film of 2024
At the beginning of the year, it was predicted that a film like Joker: Folie à Deux, The Gladiator 2, Dune Part Two, or Deadpool & Wolverine would be the highest-grossing film of the year. Each was a legacy sequel to a blockbuster and was highly anticipated. Except for Joker 2, each of these films was successful. Deadpool and the Wolverine also crossed the one billion dollar mark, becoming the highest-grossing live-action film of the year. And yet, it was beaten by an animated feature from Pixar – Inside Out 2. Kelsey Mann’s directorial debut was a smash hit, grossing $1.698 billion globally. It is not only the highest-grossing film of 2024, but also the highest-grossing animated film of all time, breaking The Lion King’s record. The film stars a regular voice cast, including Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke, Kensington Tallman, Liza Lapira, Tony Hale, Ayo Adebiri, Lilimar, Grace Lu, Sumiah Nuriddin-Green, Adele Exarchopoulos, and Paul Walter Hauser.
The superhero and space sagas that Inside Out 2 beats
Marvel-Sony made their strongest movies this year in Deadpool & Wolverine and Venom: The Last Dance. Deadpool 3 was a blockbuster, grossing $1.338 billion worldwide, while Venom 3 grossed $475 million. In between were Chinese hits YOLO ($480 million), MonsterVerse’s Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire ($571 million), The Wizard of Oz spinoff Wicked ($585 million), and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two ($714 million). Three other animated feature films also made the list – Kung Fu Panda 4 ($547 million), Moana 2 ($821 million and counting), and Despicable Me 4 ($969 million).
Coincidentally, all of the top ten highest-grossing films of the year were sequels, remakes, or spinoffs of some older titles. This was truly the year of the franchise. The highest-grossing Indian film of the year – Pushpa 2: The Rule – did not make the top 10 or even the top 20. The Allu Arjun-starrer has grossed over $200 million so far, meaning it ranks 21st. Right behind Joker: Folie à Deux ($206 million) and The Garfield Movie ($234 million).
