Running Start! International and Domestic Box Office Record Best January Since 2020
The professionals at Gower Street Analytics have extensive experience analyzing box office results to identify trends and improve the efficiency of the global theatrical market. They use advanced data science to forecast viewership for upcoming movies, and assist exhibitors and distributors thrive.
2025 ended on a high. 2026 has picked up the baton and started the year strongly. The International (excluding China) and Domestic markets-combined recorded the highest grossing January since 2020 (-13%). Together they delivering a box office of $2.4 billion. That is +15% ahead of last year and +10% up on January 2023, the previous #1.
The international sub-region of Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) was particularly overperforming. EMEA recorded its second highest grossing month since 2019 with $1.15 billion! The mixture of multiple global hits for different target groups and local break-outs were driving the success.
Adding a soft performance of China, the Global box office achieved $2.7 billion in January. This was down -10% against the same month last year, when a record Chinese New Year (CNY) inflated the global cume (Chinese New Year falls later – from February 17 – this year). The Global box office is further -21% below the average of the last three pre-pandemic years (2017-2019) at current exchange rates.
The box office in January was dominated by movies that started their roll out at the end of last year, led by AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH, ZOOTOPIA 2, and THE HOUSEMAID. The five highest grossing globally-released titles (also including MARTY SUPREME and THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SEARCH FOR SQUAREPANTS) generated a combined $1.22 billion within the month, a bit less than half (45%) of the month’s total.
International box office (excluding China)
The International box office (excluding China) once again had a very good month. The region contributed two thirds (66%) of the worldwide box office in January, grossing $1.76 billion. It was clearly the highest grossing January since 2020, being +12% ahead of 2023, the previous highest. This January was also +15% ahead of the same period last year and only -6% behind the pre-pandemic benchmark.
Domestic
The Domestic market had a good start of the year. It recorded the highest grossing January since 2020 (-30%) with $635 million. That is +15% up year-on-year and +7% above the same month in 2023, the previous highest. Still, that is -31% below the three-year average, only ranking #17 among the tracked Top 20 major markets.
It was the first time since 2023 that one title grossed more than $100 million in January. AVATAR generated $134 million within the month. Additionally, three more titles grossed more than $50 million, the most since January 2020 (5). These were ZOOTOPIA at #2 with $69 million, THE HOUSEMAID with $63 million, and MARTY SUPREME at #4 with $51 million.
China
In contrast to most markets in January, China had a very weak start of the year. Grossing only $293 million, the lowest January since 2020 (+1%), when the pandemic started to impact the business in China. Not surprising that this year performed below last year (-68%) and 2023 (-80%), when the prosperous Chinese New Year (CNY) holiday fell into January. However, it was also in double digits below years with CNY in February like 2024 (-21%), 2022 (-25%) and 2021 (-38%).
No movie was able to cross $100 million in January and only 5 even reached the $10 million mark. At #1 AVATAR contributed $64 million. Zootopia 2 was close behind with $62 million. It is now the highest grossing US-movie of all time in China, surpassing AVENGERS: ENDGAME ($627m) with an immense cume of $635 million. At #3 in January local thriller THE FIRST RAVEN earned $51 million. The Hong Kong hit BACK TO THE PAST grossed $35 million, while RETURN TO SILENT HILL added $14 million. This is triple the number the horror movie made in the Domestic market in January ($4.7m) and nearly half of its current global cume ($30m), illustrating the popularity of foreign horror movies in the market when they achieve a release.
Outlook
January delivered the expected year-on-year growth. Setting the tone for the year to come. A widening offer of movies in number, size, genre and origin increases touchpoints with expanding audiences to lift and stabilize the global box office.
In an, outside of China, softer period of the year, February should continue that trend. Legacy horror SCREAM 7, the bold new interpretation of WUTHERING HEIGHTS with Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, plus animated basketball movie GOAT release globally.
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