Thanos snapped half the world away in 2018, but the box office not only survived, it thrived to set an all-time record.
The domestic box office just hit $11 billion earlier in the week, with three weekends still to go in 2018. That puts it on track to potentially reach $12 billion, which would certainly be a record. The record at this point is actually $11.4 billion, which was hit in 2016.
At this point, 2018 revenue is already 6 percent of that record-setting year, THR reports, and a full 10 percent head of the $11.1 billion from 2017. The North American box office hit $11 billion faster than ever this year. It took until December 30 last year, and Dec. 26 in 2016, and Dec. 29 in 2015.
Box office prognosticators are estimating that the final days of the year could bring in something close to the $832 million that 2014 saw from December 12-31. That was the last year, before 2018, that there was no Star Wars film in the December marketplace. If this year matches those stats, the revenue for 2018 could hit $11.8 billion and even maybe maybe maybe reach $12 billion.
So who needs December Star Wars movies, eh? (Don't answer that, Solo.)
Clearly we still need Marvel and Disney, since the top films at the North American box office in 2018 (so far) were Black Panther ($700M domestic), worldwide leader Avengers: Infinity War, Incredibles 2, Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom, and Deadpool 2.
Potential domestic box office big-hitters still to come this year are Aquaman, Mary Poppins Returns, and Bumblebee. Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse just did its part for the box office with a $35.4 million opening.
Early prediction: 2019 is going to leave 2018 in the dust, record-breaker or not. This coming year has Avengers: Endgame, which is somehow even more anticipated than Infinity War; plus Captain Marvel; Spider-Man: Far From Home; Aladdin; The Lion King; Dumbo; Toy Story 4; Frozen 2; Shazam!; It: Chapter Two; Godzilla: King of the Monsters; John Wick 3; How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World; plus, Star Wars: Episode IX.
BOOM.
There's more, too. As much as consumers are constantly hit on all sides with new ways to view entertainment, we still keep heading out to the movies (and theaters keep raising the prices, 'cause they know we'll keep paying).
Here's the list of what we know is headed to theaters in 2019 at this point. Do you have an early prediction for the top movie of 2019? Just kidding. It's Endgame. Unless it's Toy Story 4. Or [Name Your Choice]. Will it be Star Wars: Episode IX, or will the frustrations with The Last Jedi keep fans from heading out to the theater this time next year?
