2026 YTD domestic revenue hits $2B, signaling a structural comeback for theatrical moviegoing in the streaming era

The North American box office has recorded approximately $2 billion in year-to-date revenue from January 1 to April 7, 2026 — the highest figure since before the COVID-19 pandemic. The milestone arrives as streaming platforms continue to fundamentally reshape viewing habits, making the result a meaningful indicator of theatrical exhibition's structural resilience.

미 극장가, 코로나19(COVID-19) 이후 최강 흥행 질주
2026년 1분기 북미 박스오피스 누적 수익이 약 20억 달러(약 2조 7,000억 원)를 돌파하며 팬데믹 이후 최고치를 기록. 슈퍼마리오 등 가족 친화적 영화가 흥행 이끌어
K-EnterTech HubJung Han

Studios and distributors are expected to leverage this momentum to preserve theatrical release windows, the critical first stage of content monetization and a key variable in rights negotiations with streaming platforms.

Key Metric

Figure

Note

YTD Revenue (Jan 1–Apr 7, 2026)

~$2 billion

Best since pre-pandemic

Super Mario Galaxy Movie(Domestic Opening)

$191 million

Biggest opening of 2026

Super Mario Galaxy Movie(Global Opening)

$373 million

#2 all-time video game movie

Project Hail Mary(Global Cumulative)

$421 million

Domestic opening: $81M

Hoppers (Global Cumulative)

$332 million

Pixar's best original debut since Coco

Scream 7 (Global Cumulative)

$200M+

Franchise all-time high


■ Domestic Box Office YTD Revenue Trend (2021–2026)

Source: BoxOfficeMojo  |  Period: January 1–April 7 of each year

■ Why It Matters

Strong box office performance gives studios and distributors greater leverage to maintain theatrical release windows — the first and most lucrative stage of content monetization. These windows have been under constant pressure from streaming platforms seeking faster access to new titles, making each box office success a bargaining chip in ongoing rights negotiations.