15 Highest Grossing Movies of 2024 Reveal One Disheartening Trend

The box office landscape of 2024 has seen an unprecedented trend, as evidenced by the highest-grossing films sharing a common characteristic: they all belong to established intellectual property (IP). This year has been particularly unusual due to a series of theatrical release delays, resulting from the dual strikes by Hollywood screenwriters and actors in 2023, causing a significant pause in production across the industry. As a consequence, many anticipated blockbusters were postponed to 2025. Despite this lack of early major releases, 2024 still witnessed an impressive array of record-breaking films, including two titles that crossed the billion-dollar threshold.

2024 has set remarkable box office records, showcasing films across diverse genres. Notably, the Thanksgiving weekend of 2024 yielded a staggering $414 million, marking it as the highest-grossing five-day Thanksgiving period in North America. The impressive lineup included Disney’s animated sequel, Moana 2, Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of the Broadway musical Wicked, and Ridley Scott’s historical epic, Gladiator II. Another significant achievement for the year was Pixar’s Inside Out 2, which became the highest-grossing animated film of all time, amassing $1.69 billion globally.

2024’s 15 Highest-Grossing Movies Worldwide Are All Part Of IP

They Range From Inside Out 2 To Alien: Romulus

Betelgeuse and Lydia in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

As of now, all 15 of the top-grossing films in 2024 are IP adaptations, encompassing a mix of sequels, prequels, and interquels. Earlier in the year, original projects such as Alex Garland’s Civil War and John Krasinski’s IF were part of the top-grossing list. However, due to the overpowering influence of franchise films, those titles have since dropped significantly in ranking. The current top 15 are as follows:

Rank	Title	Worldwide Gross
#1	Inside Out 2	$1.69 billion
#2	Deadpool & Wolverine	$1.34 billion
#3	Despicable Me 4	$969.1 million
#4	Dune: Part Two	$714.4 million
#5	Ocean 2	$606.1 million
#6	Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire	$571.7 million
#7	Kung Fu Panda 4	$547.7 million
#8	Venom: The Last Dance	$472.9 million
#9	Wicked	$465.5 million
#10	Beetlejuice Beetlejuice	$451.1 million
#11	Bad Boys: Ride or Die	$404.5 million
#12	Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes	$397.4 million
#13	Gladiator II	$371.5 million
#14	Twisters	$370.9 million
#15	Alien: Romulus	$350.9 million

The trend of IP dominance in this year’s box office is unlikely to shift dramatically as 2024 draws to a close. Several original films are scheduled for release before New Year’s, including Babygirl, starring Nicole Kidman, and A Complete Unknown, a Bob Dylan biopic. However, the likelihood of these films outpacing Alien: Romulus seems minimal, as they do not carry the weight of established franchises. Upcoming films like Mufasa: The Lion King and Sonic the Hedgehog 3—both IP-based—may also continue to draw significant box office revenue.

IP Dominating The Box Office Is Nothing New – But 2024’s Results Are Extreme

2024’s Original Hits Have Fallen Behind

Deadpool looking surprised in Deadpool & Wolverine

The dominance of IP in modern Hollywood is not a new phenomenon; sequels, spinoffs, and reboots have long been the backbone of the industry. Successful projects include Top Gun: Maverick, Black Widow, No Time to Die, and the Fast & Furious franchise. Additionally, original stories have often been adapted from pre-existing multimedia franchises, as seen with films like Barbie and Sonic the Hedgehog.

Despite this ongoing trend, 2023’s strikes allowed for the emergence of original films that thrived earlier in 2024. For example, the independent thriller Longlegs garnered $126.9 million on a modest $10 million budget, while the romantic drama It Ends with Us, although based on a novel, is not part of a franchise and currently ranks as the No. 16 film of the year.

2024’s Box Office Is The First Time In Over 40 Years The Top 15 Movies Are All IP

Usually, There Is At Least One Breakthrough Original

Cillian Murphy as J Robert Oppenheimer during a tense moment in the film

This year marks a significant milestone, as 2024 is likely the first time since at least 1977 that the entire top 15 box office movies are IP adaptations. Looking back, historical box office data becomes murky before 1977; however, it’s apparent that the trend of sequels gained momentum in the 1980s. For instance, among the top 15 movies in 1977, only two were adaptations of pre-existing IP: The Spy Who Loved Me and Exorcist II: The Heretic. The original blockbuster of 1977 remained Star Wars, which sparked a franchise that transformed the industry.

Traditionally, there has always been at least one original hit in the top 15 rankings. Films like Oppenheimer in 2023, Frozen in 2013, Inception in 2010, and The Sixth Sense in 1999 all distinguished themselves in the top rankings. In fact, 2016 featured five original movies in the top 15, revealing that even amid an influx of sequels, originality can still thrive.

2025 Could Repeat IP’s Level Of Success At The 2024 Box Office

A Huge Number of Sequels Are Already on the Schedule

Characters from the upcoming Mission Impossible film

The delays caused by the 2023 Hollywood strikes have resulted in a substantial pipeline of anticipated sequels set for 2025. Below is an overview of some significant sequels lined up for release, not encompassing the numerous expected reboots and spinoffs:

Sequel	US Release Date (subject to change)
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl	January 3
Den of Thieves: Pantera	January 10
Paddington in Peru	January 17
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy	February 14
Captain America: Brave New World	February 14
The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection	April 18
The Accountant 2	April 25
Final Destination: Bloodlines	May 16
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning	May 23
Karate Kid: Legends	May 30
28 Years Later	June 20
M3GAN 2.0	June 27
I Know What You Did Last Summer	July 18
The Bad Guys 2	August 1
Freakier Friday	August 8
Nobody 2	August 15
Insidious: The Red Door	August 29
The Conjuring: Last Rites	September 5
Downton Abbey 3	September 12
Saw XI	September 26
TRON: Ares	October 10
The Black Phone 2	October 17
Mortal Kombat 2	October 24
Now You See Me 3	November 14
Wicked Part Two	November 26
Zootopia 2	November 26
Five Nights At Freddy’s 2	December 5
Avatar: Fire and Ash	December 19
The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants	TBD
Untitled Scary Movie	TBD
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery	TBD
Thanksgiving 2	TBD

Nonetheless, it’s important to recognize that not all sequels will automatically guarantee a spot in the top 15. For instance, films like Downton Abbey 3, which follows a $92.6 million predecessor, or Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, being shifted to Peacock in the U.S. despite a planned international release, may struggle to achieve strong box office performance. Historical precedent suggests that an original film—especially one from Disney or Pixar—might unexpectedly resonate well with audiences, potentially surpassing even a robust lineup of sequels.

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