Universal is having a banner year at the box office, with its titles having grossed over $3B since January 1st. Its top performer has been Jurassic World: Dominion with $974M, almost one-third of Universal’s worldwide total for all pictures. JWD has earned the second highest box office of the year (after Paramount’s Top Gun: Maverick at $1.38B) and was the biggest Hollywood import in China where it brought in $157.6M. Minions: The Rise Of Gru has been an equally impressive success with $790.4M globally, making it the highest-grossing animated picture since the beginning of the pandemic. The Bad Guys, The Black Phone, and Jordan Peele’s Nope have also registered with audiences, rounding out a strong slate of titles.
One key to Universal’s success this year has been the global appeal of its high-profile titles, including a number of coveted release slots in the Chinese market. 57.5% of the box office for Universal films have come from markets outside North America. This is the eighth time the studio has grossed more than $3B in a single year, and the first time a studio has turned that trick since 2019.