As 2025 officially comes to a close, the global box office has seen a year of both surprise and discovery, driven by animated giants, long-planned sequels, and a historical phenomenon originating from China. From multi-billion dollar family films to unexpected franchises, this year’s top 10 are a clear indication of what audiences around the world came to see.
Animation dominated the conversation. Family titles not only performed well, they led the industry. That was most dramatically demonstrated by Ne Zha 2, which not only topped the charts for the year, but broke records in the process. China’s animated sequels have become a true global force, currently ranking as the fifth highest-grossing film of all time worldwide (unadjusted), an achievement that confirms the size of China’s domestic market and the growing international demand for homegrown animated storytelling.
Beyond animation, 2025 was a year of recalibration. Familiar IPs have returned with mixed fortunes, but traditional series have proven to still have some fuel left in them, and original concepts have struggled to break through unless backed by spectacle or recognizable branding. The result is a top 10 list that feels very current, cautious and franchise-driven, but with the occasional lightning strike.
Just a quick note about what you’re looking at here. These box office totals reflect films released in 2025, with worldwide box office receipts counted through the last weekend of the calendar year. This means that even though some titles are still being played, the rankings know where they will be at the end of 2025. The biggest example is James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash, which is still in theaters and continues to add significant numbers into 2026.
Box Office Revenue: Box Office Mojo
10. Superman (US$617 million)
Kicking off our Top 10 countdown, James Gunn’s Superman delivers a solid, if not overly explosive, return to the iconic hero. As the debate over superhero fatigue continues, the film’s performance suggested that audiences were still willing to come see it if they felt the characters and story were worth revisiting. Given the reported budget of $225 million and rumors that the marketing may have been as low as $200, it is likely that the film, despite its success, did not reach the high numbers the studio might have hoped for. Still, Gunn himself denied reports that the film needed to reach $700 million to be a success, calling it “utter nonsense.”
9. F1: The Movie (US$632 million)
Motorsport spectacle meets cinematic sophistication in Brad Pitt’s vehicle F1: The Movie, which capitalizes on F1’s burgeoning global popularity. The film did particularly well in Europe and parts of Asia, proving that sports-based films can still draw audiences when shown on a large scale. Another box office banger from director Joseph Kosinski, following a similar template that made Top Gun: Maverick a huge hit. The filmmaker gave Pitt and Tom Cruise the highest-grossing films of all time, “F1” and “Maverick.”
8. Hiccup to Train Your Dragon (US$636 million)
How to Train Your Dragon, a live-action adaptation of the DreamWorks animation classic, was met with some skepticism but ultimately found an audience. Early reactions questioned whether the film could justify the move away from animation, but strong word of mouth and family attendance saw the film continue to enjoy a healthy worldwide run. The film proved the value of the brand and showed that when treated with restraint and respect for the source material, live-action adaptations can still carve out space beyond Disney’s dominance of the format.
7. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle (US$718 million)
The anime continued its steady global expansion with Infinity Castle, which served as a truly global theatrical production rather than a niche event. Building directly on one of the series’ most anticipated arcs, the film rewarded longtime fans while drawing in casual viewers intrigued by the series’ reputation. That performance reinforced the anime’s growing theatrical viability outside of Japan, especially when coupled with a popular ongoing series with genuine narrative momentum.
6. Avatar: Fire and Ash ($860 million)
Director James Cameron’s latest return to Pandora arrives with high expectations, both creatively and commercially. Avatar: Fire and Ash is still playing in theaters, and while it has yet to match the huge box office success of its predecessor, it has become a top box office hit within days, once again driven by premium format screenings and high international attendance. Cameron currently holds 1st, 3rd, and 4th place on the list of highest-grossing films of all time (unadjusted numbers).
5. Jurassic World: Rebirth (US$869 million)
The Jurassic series has had a blast with new chapters that lean into legacy elements while attempting to reset the direction of the series. Although it did not reach the heights of its earlier films (the previous three films, Jurassic World, Fallen Kingdom, and Dominion, all surpassed the $1 billion mark) and received decidedly mixed reviews, Rebirth still performed well at the box office worldwide, especially in international markets.
4. Minecraft Movie ($958 million)
Video game film adaptations continue their upward trend, and A Minecraft Movie benefited greatly from brand recognition and a younger-skewing audience. Although critics were divided, its box office performance showed how powerful game-to-movie translations can be when kept in mind with broad appeal.
3. Lilo & Stitch ($1.04 billion)
The live-action adaptation of Lilo & Stitch was one of the year’s biggest grossers. Nostalgia was a factor, but so was an honest attempt to maintain the emotional core of the original. Audiences responded well, pushing the film well over the $1 billion mark at the box office and providing a major answer to the question posed the same year that the live-action version of Snow White was released: “Why does Disney insist on remaking animated hits?”
2. Zootopia 2 ($1.47 billion)
Another trip to Disney. The studio’s return to Mammal Metropolis has proven to be worth the long wait. Zootopia 2 struck a balance between topical humor and heartfelt characters, attracting families and older fans alike. That worldwide total reaffirmed that the studio’s most powerful animation world still has big box office success.
1. Ne Zha 2 (2.15 billion USD)
An extraordinary achievement by any measure, Ne Zha 2 became a Chinese cultural event and a global box office landmark. Building on the success of the original, the sequel combined large-scale mythological spectacle with emotional storytelling that resonated far beyond its core audience. Its box office gross of US$2.15 billion ranks it as one of the biggest films in the history of cinema.
