Updated on December 10, 2021
To accompany my earlier post on the top animated films of 2016, here’s a look at the top grossing films of 2016. All domestic and global box office figures are from Box Office Mojo, as of January 15, 2017.
Domestic box office
- “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” $498.9 million
- “Finding Dory,” $486.3 million
- “Captain America: Civil War,” $408.1 million
- “The Secret Life of Pets,” $368.4 million
- “The Jungle Book,” $364 million
- “Deadpool,” $363.1 million
- “Zootopia,” $341.3 million
- “Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice,” $330.4 million
- “Suicide Squad,” $325.1 million
- “Sing,” $233 million
Global box office
- “Captain America: Civil War,” $1.153 billion
- “Finding Dory,” $1.028 billion
- “Zootopia,” $1.024 billion
- “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” $980 million
- “The Jungle Book,” $966.6 million
- “The Secret Life of Pets,” $875.5 million
- “Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice,” $873.3 million
- “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” $801.6 million
- “Deadpool,” $783.1 million
- “Suicide Squad,” $745.6 million
Comments
No surprise “Rogue One” is the top movie domestically.
Globally, the top five films are all from Disney. Here in North America, “The Secret Life of Pets” was popular enough to break into the top five. Fellow Illumination movie “Sing” has also broken into the top 10.
Superheroes films are still popular, with “Civil War” the top one this year. The surprise hit of the year, however, was “Deadpool.” Given its low budget, it’s also likely the most profitable, as well. Meanwhile, DC/WB’s movies seem to be like “Transformers”: they sell well (for fans/nostalgia for the characters featured), but aren’t critically beloved. It’s a viable business model (if the budgets can be lowered a bit, as Forbes’ Rob Cain suggested), just a somewhat depressing one.
Also a big hit was “The Jungle Book,” raking in almost a billion dollars. Yes, a sequel‘s coming.
Making the top 10 globally, but not in North America, is the Harry Potter-related film “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.” The movie’s earned 71% of its box office overseas.
Which of the above films have you seen?
