It's no secret that Disney as a behemoth force in the film industry. The House of Mouse own iconic properties like Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, while also putting out it's own animated and live-action blockbusters in the process. As such, each year brings insane amount of box office profits, and 2018 was certainly no exception. In fact, the release of Mary Poppins Returns will push Disney to this year's box office high.
While there are still a few weeks left of the year, the projections for Disney's profits for 2018 are going to pass a big number: $7 billion globally. This is only the second time the House of Mouse has passed this mark, with 2016 currently the record holder at $7.6 billion. It's an impressive feat, and these two years are marked with highly anticipated blockbusters.
This new estimation comes to us from Deadline, which marks the upcoming release of Mary Poppins Returns as the final movie to put Disney over the $7 billion mark. Rob Marshall's upcoming musical sequel will no doubt take quite the haul during the Holiday season, considering the family friendly nature of the movie, and the iconography of the original. And only James Wan's Aquaman to compete with in theaters, Disney's return to Cherry Tree Lane appears to be a practically perfect way to make some money.
Of course, Mary Poppins Returns is far from Disney's highest grosser from 2018. That honor goes to The Russo Brothers' Avengers: Infinity War. Ten years in the making, the massive blockbuster combined almost every major character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and brought an epic and emotional blockbuster to theaters. It ultimately made an insane $2 billion, and its follow up Avengers: Endgame might end up making even more money, as it brings Phase Three to a close.
2018 was ultimately beat out by Disney's performance in 2016. For those who don't remember, that was the year that the Star Wars franchise returned to theaters with J.J. Abrams' The Force Awakens. Casual moviegoers and the generations of Star Wars fans came out in drove to see the third trilogy begin, eager for franchise favorites like Leia and Han to interact with the new cast of heroes. As such, it brought Disney to an even stronger year of profits.
Still, 7.6 billion is no sum to shake your finger at. In fact, there have only been three years in the film history where this number was reached. It's clear that Disney knows exactly what moviegoers are interested in, and the House of Mouse is showing no signs of slowing down. Between Star Wars, the MCU and Disney blockbusters like the live-action Lion King movie, the money is going to keep rolling in.
Disney's Mary Poppins Returns will arrive in theaters on December 19th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your trips to the movies in the New Year.
