The top three releases of 2019 at the domestic box office are currently all Disney movies. Over the last decade, the Mouse House has vastly expanded its media empire by purchasing Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, and (most recently) Fox’s entertainment assets. As a result, the company has come to dominate the U.S. box office in recent years, between the films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the modern Star Wars movies, and Pixar Animation’s features. On top of that, they also have their own crop of in studio live-action offerings and animated blockbusters.
Disney’s been holding onto the top two spots at the 2019 domestic box office since late April, thanks to the one-two punch of Avengers: Endgame ($818 million) and Captain Marvel ($426 million), respectively. The studio has since released its live-action Aladdin remake, which opened better than expected over the Memorial Day frame last month, buoyed by its unexpectedly positive reviews. And now, thanks to the film, the Mouse House has also claimed the number three spot at the U.S. box office.
Deadline is reporting that Aladdin will cross the $500 million mark at the global box office today, including a $203 million take in the U.S. That puts the film ahead of Jordan Peele’s horror movie Us and DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, which are currently holding onto the fourth and fifth spots at the domestic box office.
The Mouse House’s ongoing success can be credited to a combination of factors. Specifically, brands like the MCU and Star Wars are not only immensely popular, they also carry a guarantee of quality; even the worst entries tend to be moderately well-received, comparatively speaking. The same could be said for Disney and Pixar Animation, both of which are known for offering a mix of strong original films and generally respectable sequels, prequels, and/or spinoffs. The proof is in the pudding when it comes to this year’s domestic box office specifically. Endgame was all but universally heralded as a satisfying finale to the MCU’s Infinity Saga, while Captain Marvel was largely celebrated for being an effective introduction to Brie Larson’s superhero. Even Aladdin overcame low expectations and proved to be a pretty enjoyable live-action update of Disney’s original animated hit.
As far as the rest of the year is concerned, Disney will likely end up with the top three spots at the domestic box office, by the time 2019 is over. Up next for the studio is Toy Story 4, which has the potential to set an opening record for animated films and take the number three spot from Aladdin before June draws to a close. Sony will pose a challenge when it releases Spider-Man: Far From Home at the start of July (though, Disney technically has a stake in the movie, thanks to Marvel Studios), but that might not mean much, seeing as the hotly-anticipated Lion King remake is due to arrive a few weeks after. And with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker scheduled as Disney‘s final film of 2019, it’s hard to imagine the studio won’t end up battling itself for box office supremacy in the months ahead.
