The global box office for 2025 reached an estimated $33.5 billion, marking a 12% increase from 2024, driven largely by a massive Chinese hit. Excluding China, the growth was 8%, with international markets showing solid recovery. Disney led studios with $6.58 billion worldwide, boosted by hits like Zootopia 2.
The 2025 global box office concluded at $33.5 billion, according to Gower Street Analytics, reflecting a nearly 12% rise from 2024. This figure includes a standout performance from China's Ne Zha 2, which grossed over $2.2 billion and became the year's top film worldwide and the fifth highest ever globally. Without China, the total hike stood at about 8%, reversing the 11% drop from 2023 to 2024. International box office, excluding China, hit $17.2 billion, up 12%, while including it reached $24.6 billion, a 16% jump.
Disney dominated studio rankings with $6.58 billion worldwide, including $4.08 billion internationally—the studio's best year since 2019. Key contributors included Lilo & Stitch, the first billion-dollar film of 2025 with 59.2% from overseas, and Zootopia 2, which surpassed it last month. 20th Century's Avatar: Fire and Ash is set to cross $1 billion this week. Warner Bros. followed with nearly $4.4 billion from 11 titles, including Minecraft Movie, which sparked the spring box office, and others like The Conjuring: Last Rites, Final Destination Bloodlines, Sinners, and Weapons.
Paramount's Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning earned nearly $600 million globally, with 67% international. Universal saw success with How to Train Your Dragon (58.7% overseas), Jurassic World Rebirth (61% international), and Wicked: For Good. Apple's F1, distributed by Warner Bros., drew 70% from offshore markets. Anime films like Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle ranked in the global top 10.
China's total box office was $7.4 billion, up 20%, though 30% came from Ne Zha 2 alone. Japan rose 35% in local currency, fueled by Demon Slayer and Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc. The UK was flat at +2%, with Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy earning $63 million. France dropped 13.6% to $1.36 billion, while Germany grew 10% in U.S. dollars, led by local hit Das Kanu des Manitu.
One international executive described 2025 as 'a little disappointing' but optimistic for 2026, noting, 'Everybody measures this industry against 2019... but I don’t know if we ever get back to those admission levels, just because I think consumer habits might have changed.' Concerns persist over windowing and shifting habits, with shorter windows altering audience behavior toward home viewing. Notably, 2025 marked the first year since 2020 without a Marvel film in the global top 10, though Warner Bros./DC's Superman ranked No. 10, heavily domestic.
