Disney has announced some big upcoming projects that should lead to 2026 being the studio’s best box office haul in decades. Although Disney is one of the biggest entertainment companies in the world, last year proved to be a bit of a cinematic struggle. While some films were profitable, 2023 was Disney’s first year with no billion-dollar movies since 2014. For nearly a decade, Disney had frequent financial hits and remained a highly successful studio, but 2023 exposed their troubles. Fortunately, the recent announcements suggest the future should be promising and that they could be back on top soon.
Given how many IPs Disney owns, it is no surprise they have plenty of solutions to their box office issues. There are several upcoming projects in 2024 and 2025 worth getting excited about, but 2026 looks like it will be a huge year for the studio. Having already announced one big movie for 2026, Disney has revealed two more that are bound to excite fans and sell tickets. The studio needs to rebound from their disastrous 2023 and look well on their way to doing so as 2026 is lining up to be Disney’s biggest box office haul in years.
2 Of Disney’s Biggest Animated Movies Will Be Getting Sequels In 2026
Toy Story 5 And Frozen 3 Will Be Released In 2026
Frozen 3 and Toy Story 5‘s announcements gives Disney’s 2026 box office a massive boost. The Frozen franchise has broken several box office records and Frozen 2 remains the highest-grossing animated movie of all time. Both Frozen films have earned over $1 billion despite being released six years apart, and with Frozen 3 coming seven years after the last installment, it looks poised to make over $1 billion, potentially setting a new animated box office record in the process. Frozen 3 alone would be enough for Disney’s animated projects to thrive in 2026, but Toy Story 5 helps even more.
Toy Story has a fantastic track record financially. The last two entries in the Toy Story series grossed over $1 billion each, proving it is yet another surefire hit for Disney. Toy Story 5 and Frozen 3 releasing in the same year means Disney looks set to dominate the animated scene in 2026 and could easily make over $2 billion with those two sequels alone. Even if they don’t perform well critically, the franchises are too big for people to ignore. Audiences have become invested in these stories and will want to see what happens next, regardless of the reviews.
Top 10 Highest-Grossing Animated Movies of All Time | ||
|---|---|---|
Year | Movie | Box Office |
2019 | Frozen II | $1.45 billion |
2023 | The Super Mario Bros. Movie | $1.36 billion |
2013 | Frozen | $1.28 billion |
2018 | Incredibles 2 | $1.24 billion |
2015 | Minions | $1.15 billion |
2019 | Toy Story 4 | $1.07 billion |
2010 | Toy Story 3 | $1.06 billion |
2017 | Despicable Me 3 | $1.03 billion |
2016 | Finding Dory | $1.02 billion |
2016 | Zootopia | $1.02 billion |
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty Is Also Scheduled For 2026
The Kang Dynasty Will Be The First Avengers Film Since Endgame In 2019
On top of an already stacked release schedule, Disney also has the next Avengers film coming out in 2026. Marvel’s Cinematic Universe has produced countless box office hits over the past sixteen years and 2026 should provide one of their biggest movies yet. There are some complications about Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, the biggest one being Jonathan Majors’ arrest. After receiving a guilty verdict, Majors was dropped by Marvel despite being their leading villain heading into the film. This means Marvel will need to find a replacement for Jonathan Majors’ Kang unless they decide to go in a different direction.
Marvel’s dwindling box office is also an issue, but they have two years to try and rebuild the hype around the MCU. Given Avengers 5 will be the first Avengers film since Endgame, there will still be plenty of appetite for the next installment despite the recent problems. Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame grossed over $2 billion each, with the latter becoming the second highest-grossing movie of all time. This shows how much potential the Avengers films have and if Marvel can get their universe back to full strength, The Kang Dynasty will make 2026 even bigger for Disney.
The Last Few Years Really Scared Disney
The Walt Disney Company has been in hot water for the past few years, and the conglomerate’s plans for the future confirm how much it is struggling.
Why Disney Needs A Huge Box Office In 2026
Disney Have A Few Problems They Have To Bounce Back From
With Disney’s release slate for 2026 looking promising, it is essential they capitalize on this potential. Disney’s poor performance in 2023 leaves them needing a big comeback, and while 2024 and 2025 will be crucial, it is unlikely they will have a release schedule as big as 2026 for some time. 2023 wasn’t only a poor year at the box office, but Disney+ also struggled. Disney’s price hike resulted in decreasing subscribers, which is worrying for the streaming platform’s future. Given the catalog of movies and shows on Disney+, losing subscribers would certainly have been a shock.
Disney may not be having a financial crisis, but their box office and streaming trends are proof that things need to change. The studio’s competition hasn’t struggled either, as Universal had a strong year at the box office, Warner Bros. had the highest-grossing movie of the year, and Illumination and Sony Animation had some major hits. Netflix also reported subscriber increases after their price hikes, proving Disney is falling behind the competition. Disney’s big announcements set up a more positive future and 2026 looks to be their most promising year, making it pivotal that their big franchises and sequels deliver.
