Remember when studios were chasing billion-dollar movies? Universal decided to collect several of them.
The studio has officially become the first to surpass $5billion at the global box office in 2026, reaching the milestone with $1.788 billion domestically and $3.218billion internationally.
It marks the third time in the company’s history that it has earned more than $5billion worldwide in a single calendar year.
Even more impressive: there are still months left in the year.
The year of ‘The Odyssey’
If there is one title driving Universal’s remarkable run, it is “The Odyssey.”
Christopher Nolan’s adaptation has grossed more than $1.7billion worldwide, becoming Universal’s highest-grossing film ever.
The epic has also become one of only five films to pass the $1billion mark globally in 2026.
And it is not alone.
Universal also distributed “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” and “Michael,” giving the studio three of the five billion-dollar films released this year.
From Mario to ‘Obsession’
The studio’s success has not come from blockbuster franchises alone.
“Obsession,” the surprise breakout directed by Curry Barker, earned $519million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film in the history of Focus Features as well as the highest-grossing film from Blumhouse Atomic Monster.
Produced for less than $1million, it has also become one of the year’s most profitable theatrical releases.
Meanwhile, “Minions & Monsters” added more than $523million globally to Universal’s growing total.
Together, “The Odyssey,” “Michael,” “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” “Minions & Monsters,” and “Obsession” account for five of the 10 highest-grossing films worldwide in 2026.
A record-setting year
The achievement is not just about a single hit.
Universal previously crossed the $5billion threshold in 2015 and 2017, but this year’s performance has already put the studio 29% ahead of its final 2025 global total of $3.89billion.
The studio has also topped the global weekend box office 11 times so far this year, underscoring the strength of its release slate across multiple labels, including Universal Pictures, Illumination, DreamWorks Animation, and Focus Features.
The year isn’t over
Perhaps the scariest part for Universal’s competitors is that 2026 is not finished.
The studio still has several releases scheduled before year-end, including “Other Mommy,” “Sense & Sensibility,” “Focker-In-Law,” “Violent Night 2,” and “Werwulf.”
For now, Universal stands alone at the top of the global box office.
READ NEXT: The Traitors: Behavioural expert reveals key qualities which make a good Traitor
