‘Moana 2,’ ‘Wicked’ and More Year-End Releases Push 2024 Global Box Office to $30 Billion
The global box office wrapped up 2024 with a bang, hitting an impressive $30 billion for the year, fueled by a sparkling $3 billion in December alone, according to U.K.-based film industry research firm Gower Street Analytics.
December proved to be a blockbuster month, with the combined international (excluding China) and North American markets raking in $2.67 billion. That’s the third-highest monthly total since December 2019, trailing only July 2023 and July 2024. This late-year surge made the fourth quarter the highest-grossing Q4 of the decade, clocking in at $6.5 billion. The second half of the year delivered $13.3 billion, a 5% boost compared to the same stretch in 2023.
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Despite the lingering aftershocks of the 2023 Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes, which throttled the release calendar, the combined international (excluding China) and North American markets held their ground with $24.2 billion in 2024 — just a 3% dip from 2023. However, the industry still has a climb ahead, with this figure sitting 20% below the pre-pandemic average for 2017-2019.
China’s box office, meanwhile, faced a rough year. The market experienced a steep 22% year-on-year decline, landing at $5.8 billion, its lowest annual total since 2014 and a whopping 27% off its pre-pandemic average. December was particularly muted in China, pulling in $321 million, ranking as the eighth-best month of the year and falling 46% short of pre-pandemic levels.
On the flip side, the North American market closed out the year on a high, posting a December haul of $992 million, the second-best month of 2024 behind July. This marked the strongest December since 2019, thanks to heavy hitters like “Moana 2” ($214 million), “Wicked” ($190 million), “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” ($152 million), and “Mufasa: The Lion King” ($128 million). The North American market finished the year with an $8.8 billion total, just a 3% decline from 2023, though still trailing pre-pandemic figures by 23%.
The international market (excluding China) chipped in with $1.68 billion in December, wrapping up 2024 with $15.4 billion. While that represents a modest 2% slide from 2023, it’s still 17% below pre-pandemic averages when factoring in current exchange rates.
Disney’s “Moana 2” dominated December, adding $604 million to its gross for a cumulative $904 million. The animated sequel is on track to become the third global release of 2024 to break the $1 billion mark, joining “Inside Out 2” ($1.7 billion) and “Deadpool & Wolverine” ($1.34 billion).
While the global box office’s $30 billion haul marks a 7% year-on-year decline (at current exchange rates), the figure comfortably outpaces prior recovery years, signaling resilience amid industry headwinds. Gower Street pointed to a strengthened U.S. dollar as a complicating factor for international markets, widening the year-on-year gap to 11% when assessed at historical exchange rates.
Looking ahead, the firm projects a promising 2025, forecasting a global box office total of $33 billion — a potential 8% jump over this year’s finish.
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