It’s no secret that the Covid-19 pandemic upended the movie theater business in 2020, but in the years since, the industry has slowly climbed back. In 2021, 14 movies were able to cross the coveted $100 million mark at the U.S. box office. In 2022, that number jumped up to 18 films. And in 2023, there were a whopping 25 such blockbusters. So how many features released during the current 2024 calendar year will end up becoming box office behemoths? Stay tuned.
To date, the biggest money-makers of the year are a pair of highly anticipated sequels: “Inside Out 2” and “Dune: Part Two.” Scroll through our gallery above (or click here for direct access) to see all of the 2024 box office hits so far that made more than $100 million in the United States. The number will continue to grow as high-profile movies like “Wicked” and “Mufasa: The Lion King” will be released later in the year.
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1. ‘Inside Out 2’
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Days to reach $100 million: 2
In June 2024, this highly anticipated Pixar sequel officially became the biggest box office success since “Barbie” the prior year. This time around, our favorite emotions (led by Amy Poehler as Joy) must deal with a new set of feelings (led by Maya Hawke as Anxiety) as the human child they inhabit enters adulthood.
2. ‘Dune: Part Two’
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Days to reach $100 million: 6
Denis Villeneuve returns to direct the sequel to his 2021 “Dune” movie, which won a whopping six Academy Awards. This time around, the characters played by Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya team up on the desert planet Arrakis as a war wages against House Harkonnen. “Dune: Part Two” was originally intended for a 2023 release, but it was delayed due to the Hollywood strikes.
3. ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Days to reach $100 million: 7
The official sequel to “Godzilla vs. Kong” (2021), “The New Empire” actually marks the 38th “Godzilla” movie and the 13th “King Kong” film. Director Adam Wingard oversees the project that brings back Rebecca Hall as Dr. Ilene Andrews and Brian Tyree Henry as Bernie Hayes, as the two enormous monsters come together to stop an epic foe.
4. ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Days to reach $100 million: 10
In this fourth sequel, Po the panda (Jack Black) and Zhen the fox (Awkwafina) come together to defeat an evil chameleon (Viola Davis) who wants to steal the kung-fu abilities of every Chinese master. Mike Mitchell and Stephanie Ma Stine serve as the co-directors of their first “Kung Fu Panda” film.
5. ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’
Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing
Days to reach $100 million: 10
They’re baaack! Will Smith and Martin Lawrence return as their classic “Bad Boys” character in this fourth installment of the popular cop franchise. This one is directed by Adil & Bilall and features the main characters trying to clear the name of their late captain (Joe Pantoliano).
6. ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’
Distributor: 20th Century Studios
Days to reach $100 million: 10
Wes Ball oversees this fourth installment of the “Planet of the Apes” reboot and the 10th film overall in the decades-long franchise. Notable cast members include Owen Teague as Noa, Freya Allan as Mae and Kevin Durand as Proximus Caesar. This entry takes place a whopping 300 years after “War for the Planet of the Apes” (2017) and focuses on apes and humans trying to come together in harmony.
7. ‘Despicable Me 4’
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Days to reach $100 million: 4
Steve Carell’s supervillain-turned-special agent Gru returns (along with his cute yellow sidekicks) in this fourth chapter in the “Despicable Me” series and the sixth franchise film overall counting the two “Minions” spin-offs. This time around, Gru and his ever-growing family must seek out safety from the terrifying Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell), who’s out for revenge.
8. ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’
Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing
Days to reach $100 million: 30
Gil Kenan, who co-wrote “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” (2021) with that film’s director Jason Reitman, now helms the 2024 sequel. The massive cast includes all of the original surviving Ghostbusters (Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson and Annie Potts), teaming up with the new Spengler family members (Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard and Mckenna Grace).
9. ‘IF’
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Days to reach $100 million: 31
Writer/director/producer/star John Krasinski created this film with families in mind, as it tells the story of a young girl who is able to see other peoples’ imaginary friends. The voice cast is a who’s-who of Hollywood, with Steve Carell, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr., Awkwafina, Emily Blunt and more playing the titular “IFs”
10. ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Days to reach $100 million: 13
This marks the third film in John Krasinski’s creepy horror franchise, following “A Quiet Place” (2018) and “A Quiet Place Part II” (2020), only this one takes place during the first moments of the worldwide alien invasion. Joining the cast are Lupita Nyong’o as Sam and Joseph Quinn as Eric, while Djimon Hounsou as Henri returns from the second installment.
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