From Michael to The Bride: 2026 box office hits, misses
Halfway through 2026, theaters look healthy again: domestic ticket sales are up 10% from 2025, and from 8216michael8217 8216the bride8217 the midyear scorecard already shows clear billion-dollar hits, costly flops, and middling titles before bigger fall releases such as The Odyssey and Avengers arrive. Variety credits sleeper hits and sequels for the rebound after pandemic years.
Key Takeaways
- Domestic ticket sales are up 10% versus 2025, per Rentrak, with summer expected to top $4 billion for the first time since Barbenheimer.
- Michael and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie each crossed $1 billion globally; indie horror Obsession exploded on a tiny budget.
- The Bride!, Supergirl, and Melania stand out as costly misfires amid otherwise stronger moviegoing.
- Major titles still ahead include The Odyssey, Dune: Part Three, and Avengers: Doomsday.
Why does the 2026 box office feel healthy again?
According to Variety, the box office finally feels like its old self. Moviegoing is back thanks to sleeper hits such as Obsession and Backrooms, plus sequels like The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Toy Story 5, and The Devil Wears Prada 2.
There have been costly misfires, including Moana and Masters of the Universe. Even so, Hollywood is having its hottest summer since COVID, with four-month season revenues expected to surpass $4 billion for the first time since 2023.
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What are the biggest hits from Michael to The Bride so far?
Michael, Lionsgate's Michael Jackson musical biopic, took roughly $1 billion worldwide on a $155 million budget. Variety says reshoots, drama, and critical pushback did not stop audiences. It surpassed Bohemian Rhapsody as the top musical biopic and outpaced Oppenheimer as the largest film about a real-life figure.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie also hit $1 billion globally on about $110 million. Project Hail Mary earned $683.3 million on $200 million for Amazon MGM. Ultra-low-budget horror Obsession made $426 million on $750,000, rising for four weekends after a $17 million domestic open.
Which 2026 releases landed in the bad or meh column?
On the bad side, Maggie Gyllenhaal's The Bride! took only $23.9 million against a $90 million budget and forced a large Warner Bros. write-down. Supergirl managed $115 million on $170 million. Melania made $16.7 million on a $40 million production budget (plus heavy promotion). Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu earned $340 million on $165 million and may finish as the lowest-grossing Star Wars film.
Variety's "meh" list includes Pixar's Hoppers ($372 million on $150 million), Nate Bargatze's The Breadwinner ($20 million on $25 million), 28 Years Later: Bone Temple ($58.5 million on $63 million), and Spielberg's Disclosure Day ($228 million on $110 million).
Plenty is still ahead—from The Odyssey to Dune: Part Three and Avengers: Doomsday—so the year's final scorecard remains unfinished.