The first half of 2026 delivered one of the strongest North American box office performances in recent years. Family blockbusters, biopics, sci-fi adventures, and original films all contributed to a highly competitive theatrical market.
Below are the Top 10 highest-grossing movies in the United States during the first half of 2026, ranked by domestic box office revenue.
| Rank | Movie | Domestic Box Office |
|---|---|---|
| 🥇 #1 | The Super Mario Galaxy Movie | $429.8M |
| 🥈 #2 | Michael | $370.7M |
| 🥉 #3 | Project Hail Mary | $344.1M |
| #4 | Toy Story 5 | $326.7M |
| #5 | Obsession | $238.4M |
| #6 | The Devil Wears Prada 2 | $220.1M |
| #7 | Backrooms | $184.2M |
| #8 | Hoppers | $168.2M |
| #9 | Scream 7 | $125.7M |
| #10 | Goat | $106.7M |
Highlights
🍄 #1 — The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
Nintendo and Universal scored the year’s biggest domestic hit, with over $429 million in North America. The sequel became the highest-grossing U.S. release of the first half of 2026.
🎤 Michael
The long-awaited biopic about Michael Jackson became one of the biggest music biopics ever, opening strongly and earning more than $370 million domestically.
🚀 Project Hail Mary
The sci-fi adaptation starring Ryan Gosling delivered one of the year’s biggest surprises, becoming the highest-grossing release in Amazon MGM Studios history in North America.
🧸 Toy Story 5
Pixar returned with another blockbuster. The film posted the biggest opening weekend of 2026 and quickly climbed into the year’s top four.
👻 Original Movies Made a Comeback
Unlike recent years dominated by sequels and superhero films, original titles such as Obsession and Backrooms became unexpected box office successes, showing renewed audience interest in fresh stories.
Box Office Trends (H1 2026)
- 🎮 Video game adaptations remain one of Hollywood’s strongest genres.
- 🎤 Music biopics continue to attract large theatrical audiences.
- 🚀 Original science fiction has returned as a major box office draw.
- 👻 Horror continues to deliver exceptional returns with relatively modest budgets.
- 🎬 Family entertainment remains the biggest driver of U.S. theatrical revenue.