Solid September Closes Best Quarter of the Decade at Global Box Office
Gower Street Analytics
Oct 11, 2026
Every year September marks a calm transition from the busy summer period to the build-up for the final quarter of the year. Considering this the International (excluding China) and Domestic markets-combined performed well at the top end of the decade with $1.9 billion, staying on the level of the successful September last year and only -5% below the average of the last three pre-pandemic years (2017-2019). Including another soft China result, the September global total was $2.1 billion.
That was enough to close the highest grossing quarter this decade globally! A three-month gross of $10.7 billion was +3% above Q3 2023, when the BARBENHEIMER phenomenon set the peak for the decade so far. It’s also showing the highest growth against the pre-pandemic benchmark at +6%. This is only the second time, beside Q3 2023, to perform better than at least -10% down!
The summer bump lifts the Global year to date to $27.3 billion. This is +1% above 2023 and +8% ahead of last year. It’s -10% (or $3.0 billion) below the three-year average at current exchange rates. That number has narrowed significantly since its peak of -24% at the end of Q1 and finishing the half year at -18%.
When excluding China, due to its disappointing performance in 2026, the gap to the pre-pandemic benchmark shrinks to just -3%! Additionally, the cume of 2026 is up in double digits on all post-pandemic years (2025: +20%; 2024: +24%; 2023: +12%, 2022: +42%).
The exceptional performance this year is not limited to single territories, it is spread wide. Half of our top 20 tracked major markets are on par or above the three-year average for the year!
Top Titles
In September the box office was shared among a few more titles again after being more top heavy in August. The top 6 global titles generated a solid $837 million in September. This is only a share of 40%.
The global #1 in September was RESIDENT EVIL with $207 million. As in August, THE ODYSSEY came in as the second highest grossing movie in September adding an impressive $196 million for a sensational $1.76 billion cume at the end of its third month of release. SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY was the third highest grossing movie globally in September, adding $158 million for an outstanding total of $2.50 billion. The ENCORE re-release of AVENGERS: ENDGAME came in at #4 with $98 million in less than a week. Due to this extra box office AVENGERS: ENDGAME moves marginally ahead of AVATAR again to become the highest grossing movie of all-time. PRACTICAL MAGIC 2 claimed #5 of the global box office in September with $95 million, while COYOTE VS. ACME was #6 adding $83 million for a $112 million total.
International box office (excluding China)
In September the International box office (excluding China) was overperforming. The region contributed 60% of the worldwide box office in the month. This is the third highest share of the year so far and even above the month’s historically strong 53%. Its $1.27 billion is still only the second lowest box office of the past twelve months. As September is historically the lowest grossing month of the year, the gap to the three-year average is just -2%. It positions this September in the middle of the past twelve months (#6) for that metric.
After the International box office (excluding China) performed above the pre-pandemic benchmark four months in a row, this is a marginal step back. Still the -2% gap is the #11 best this decade. This September comes in as the second highest grossing September since 2019 in a neck-and-neck race only -1% behind the decade best last year.
That was sufficient to close the 3rd quarter as by far the highest grossing quarter this decade with $5.78 billion; an impressive +15% ahead of the pre-pandemic benchmark. It’s +19% ahead of Q2 this year, the prior peak. After Q2 beat the pre-pandemic benchmark (+1%) this is now the second quarter in a row to re-define the top of the decade.
Consequently, for the running total, the gap to the three-year average narrowed significantly from -15% at the end of Q1 to being on par (+0.2%) at the end of September. The cume of $15.1 billion is also clearly +13% above 2023, the prior peak this decade, and +20% ahead of last year.
Domestic
The Domestic box office had a solid September grossing $625 million. That is -10% below the three-year benchmark. Furthermore, it’s the highest grossing September this decade, marginally ahead of 2024 (+1%) and up +4% on last year. It’s the fifth month in a row that performed above the same period last year, and the eighth overall this year. That is a significant change given last year eight months were down year-on-year.
At the end of September, the Domestic cume for the running year is at $7.9 billion. That is clearly +19% above last year at the same time. The gap to the three-year benchmark is a bit weaker in comparison, down -8%.
In September only one title exceeded $100 million at the box office. RESIDENT EVIL was the clear #1 grossing $111 million within the month. It was the first time since February this year that there were less than 2 movies crossing the nine-digit number. PRACTICAL MAGIC 2 followed at #2 with $62 million in September. Two more titles crossed the $50 million mark with SPIDER-MAN ($58m) and THE ODYSSEY ($53m). As no more movies reached $40 million, four movies above that threshold was the lowest since April this year. With a small number of higher grossing movies within the month, at least the lower grossing mark of $10 million was reached more frequently. 14 releases came in above that level. It equalled the best this year, sharing the same number with June and January.
China
In a disappointing year at the Chinese box office, September marked another weak period. After two stronger months it recorded the third widest gap to the three-year average of the past twelve months with -54%. Grossing $212 million was the second lowest September this decade, only above the one in 2022 (+13%). Being -46% below the same month last year is the biggest year-on-year drop in China since February this year (-51%).
Despite the disastrous September, the stronger numbers in July and August helped China to improve it’s year-to-date marginally. It’s total of $4.4 billion is still the lowest of the decade with the exceptions of the main cinema shut down year 2020 and 2022 (+16%). It’s down in double digits on the other years at the same point in time (2025: -29%; 2024: -15%; 2023: -35%; 2021: -14%). The gap to the pre-pandemic benchmark narrowed a bit from -40% at the end of June to -34% now.
In September no titles grossed more than $100 million and only one narrowly crossed the $50 million mark. Local comedy-drama ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE MIDDLE EAST added $52 million for a $347 million cume at #1 in September. At the beginning of October, it became the #2 title of the year, surpassing KUNG FU SOCCER ($342m). It’s one of the rare breakouts this year in China.
Outlook
Three quarters down, one more to go. It’s been a successful run until now. A strong mix of originals, and major franchise releases reaching a wide variety of audiences around the world. Additionally, September illustrated impressively how local titles can leverage occasional gaps in the global release calendar and lift market-specific performances significantly.
The final quarter is shaping-up to continue the path of 2026 so far. Another Colleen Hoover adaptation opened it successfully last weekend with VERITY. OTHER MOMMY is building up to be another pleasant horror-surprise for October. In November a new HUNGER GAMES entry, Disney’s HEXED, FOCKERS-IN-LAW and THE CAT IN THE HAT will hit theatres before, in December, the heavyweights of AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY, DUNE: PART THREE and JUMANJI: OPEN WORLD close the year in epic fashion.
2026 is indeed in a good position to end as clearly the highest grossing year since 2019 globally.
