Disney’s Big Box Office Season Starts Now

Okay, we are now officially one-third of the way through 2026.

The Walt Disney Company has already released several films this year.

Pixar’s Hoppers has performed quite well and will turn a profit.

Disney also offered some suspense/horror/thriller films that did okay.

Send Help and Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come have collectively earned $135 million.

Since the two films cost $54 million, Disney has at least broken even on them.

Now, the preseason is over, and the real games begin.

Starting on Friday, Disney will release four huge films over the next 11 weeks.

These titles will go a long way toward determining the company’s box office success in 2026.

Yes, Disney’s big box office season starts now. Let’s discuss the next dozen films.

‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ – May 1^st

Twenty years ago, Fox caught lightning in a bottle with The Devil Wears Prada.

The Lauren Weisberger book wasn’t even finished when Fox snagged the rights.

Then, the studio struck gold again with the cast, hiring Anne Hathaway as the anchor.

Her comedy foil at the time was an actress coming off her first major role in My Summer of Love.

We all know Emily Blunt now, but she was new to Hollywood at the time.

Hathaway and Blunt meshed perfectly as the yin and yang assistants to Meryl Streep.

The original film earned $326 million on a $40 million budget, but it seemed like a one-off.

Now, Disney will try to capture lightning in a bottle yet again with a new story.

While Freakier Friday didn’t tear up the box office the way I’d expected, the early tracking here is glowing.

I suspect that Disney will start its summer box office campaign with a huge hit.

‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ – May 22^nd

Three weeks later, a more important title will debut in theaters.

Don’t get me wrong. I think the Prada sequel looks great, but it’s a nostalgic sequel.

The Mandalorian & Grogu represents Disney’s attempt to resuscitate an entire brand.

Star Wars fans have been even angrier than usual lately, no small feat.

So, Disney really needs its Baby Yoda movie to become a blockbuster.

As Justin Hermes and I both referenced the other day, the film is tracking well.

Disney also sagely kept the budget low to make the financials a bit cleaner.

The reality is that this film will be profitable, but that’s not enough for Disney.

The Mandalorian & Grogu faces the stiff challenge of reminding fans why they love Star Wars.

I’m writing this before the review embargo ends, so it’s too soon to say whether the film does that.

‘Toy Story 5’ – June 19^th

The Toy Story franchise has earned about $3.3 billion in box office.

That’s small potatoes in the grand scheme, as its total revenue is orders of magnitude higher.

Everyone you know has bought some kind of Toy Story merch at some point.

However, Toy Story 3 seemed to finish the story. Then, we got Toy Story 4 anyway.

Many questioned that decision, a topic we once debated on the old MickeyBlog podcast.

Now, we’re getting Toy Story 5, but this one somehow feels more relevant.

Those geniuses at Pixar unearthed a more relevant idea for a new story.

So, the demand for the fifth film in the franchise is higher than for the previous one.

How will this impact the box office? Well, the reality here is simple.

A Toy Story sequel needs to earn $1 billion. Even Toy Story 4 did that.

The question is more about how much higher can Toy Story 5 soar?

That answer again depends on the film’s quality, but I have high hopes.

‘Moana’ – July 10^th

I’m on record as saying that Moana 2 was one of the smartest things Disney has done in ages.

The first Moana is the most-watched movie ever on streaming.

So, former CEO Bob Iger smartly pivoted from a Moana television series to a film sequel.

That was a brilliant $1 billion decision, but the story doesn’t end there.

Iger doubled down on Moana by requesting a live-action remake.

Moana 2 came out on November 27^th, 2024. Now, Moana debuts on June 19^th, 2026.

That’s…not how linear time works. Will audiences crave more Moana so soon?

Well, The Rock’s appearance in the live-action remake went viral for all the wrong reasons.

Before that, Disney had attempted to AI-buff him, and that had failed.

So, this production has obviously had its challenges. The music is still the Moana soundtrack, though.

I don’t feel as confident about this one as I should, but I’d be surprised if it bombs.

Will this version of Moana make another billion? I’m struggling to get there.

That fact should worry Disney, as I’ve been one of the brand’s most passionate advocates.

The marketing seems to be, “Look, kids, it’s Moana!” Is that enough? I have concerns.

‘Super Troopers 3’ – August 7^th

Here’s something you may not know about me: I’m a Broken Lizard fanatic.

I’ve seen Super Troopers and Super Troopers 2 in theaters, as well as Club Dread and Beerfest.

We also watched every episode of Tacoma FD, which is really good comfort TV.

So, I’m enthusiastic about this film, even though it will make very little box office.

Still, I’m going to recommend the film to you, as the trailer is hysterical.

Also, dirty. I’m not going to link it for that reason, but you can find it on YouTube.

‘The Dog Stars’ – August 28^th

Last week, Disney unveiled the trailer for Ridley Scott’s next movie.

As someone who has rewatched The Martian and Prometheus more times than I can count, I’m there.

 

However, we’re far past the saturation point with post-apocalyptic stories.

Thanos as a doomsday prepper is really good casting, though.

Disney is taking a big swing here by giving this one a $110 million budget.

Historically, Ridley Scott fans do support his projects, but this one’s a risk.

The last time Disney tried something like this, well…do you remember The Creator? Exactly.

I hope this one does well, though, as Ridley Scott is one of my all-time faves.

‘Avengers: Endgame’ – September 25^th

Yes, Disney will re-release Avengers: Endgame as part of the build to its sequel.

In 2019, Marvel reached the pinnacle of its power, and Disney hopes to remind you of that.

Sure, the 2020s have been tough, but remember when Captain America wielded Mjolnir?

This is my go-to movie when flying because it’s three hours of pure joy.

Fan service gets a bad name. When done right, it’s the best form of storytelling.

‘Whalefall’ – October 16^th

Speaking of Thanos, Josh Brolin also co-stars in this film with a great premise.

A SCUBA diver gets swallowed by a whale. That’s it. That’s the movie.

The diver has one hour to escape before he becomes a permanent part of said whale.

This is another book whose theatrical rights Disney acquired before it was even released.

Disney only spent $49 million on this one and got a $10.4 million tax break.

So, the investment here is modest for a title that could surprise in theaters.

Sometimes, these paranoid underwater survival films do quite well.

47 Meters Down and The Meg both earned sequels. This one’s a risk but a worthwhile attempt.

‘Wild Horse Nine’ – November 6^th

Director Martin McDonagh helmed one of my favorite films ever, In Bruges.

I’m not sure any story has ever been better at encapsulating the concept of redemption.

Somehow, McDonagh did so during a story with a body count in the dozens.

His films have earned 17 Academy Awards to date, with two victories. And he has won as well.

So, you can understand why Disney is betting on McDonagh’s latest film.

Wild Horse Nine is a period piece set in the early 1970s.

CIA operatives travel to the tropical paradise of Chile, where everything predictably goes sideways.

Sam Rockwell and John Malkovich star in the film, but I’m fascinated by another role.

Legendary singer Tom Waits will reunite with McDonagh.

They’d previously worked together on Seven Psychopaths. McDonagh’s movies are all bloodthirsty.

‘Hexed’ – November 25^th

Here it is, Disney fans. This is the next theatrical release from Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Hexed follows on the heels of Zootopia 2, but let’s be honest.

This one feels like the (quick) spiritual successor to Encanto.

The conclusion is inescapable based on the names of the two films.

Both evoke magical settings and celebrate the family dynamic.

In this case, a teen discovers her magical abilities, forcing her to go on a journey.

Her mother joins her along the way, a rare inversion of most Disney films.

Well, for starters, a parent is alive, which is a nice change of pace.

Disney changed the story, as it originally focused on a teen boy.

The internet is convinced that Disney made the change after Elio bombed.

Whether that’s true or not, a teen girl learning the witchy ropes from her mom is a good concept.

Is it an original concept? Not really. Then again, the original version wasn’t either.

I mean, a teen learning how to be a witch from an elder is the plot of Agatha All Along.

So, I suspect that factored heavily into the decision as well.

Will this change work? We’ll have to stay tuned, but Disney really needs an original IP hit.

‘Avengers: Doomsday’ – December 18^th

Then, we have the title that will ultimately decide Disney’s 2026 box office fate.

Don’t get me wrong. The studio is poised to have a great year no matter what.

However, should 2026 end with another Marvel movie disappointing, it’ll be ugly.

For this reason, Disney has stacked the deck with Avengers: Doomsday.

I feel like 30 percent of Hollywood will appear in this film.

At a minimum, anyone who has ever worn a super-suit appears to have signed on.

Most importantly, Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the MCU.

What’s changed is his identity. He’ll play Doom now since Tony Stark is dead.

Fans were initially icy to the announcement, one I consider a masterstroke.

So, we’ll find out who is right and who is wrong during the holiday season.

‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ – July 31st

Finally, since I know some people will ask about it, I’ll toss in this Sony release.

As a reminder, that studio owns the rights to the Spider-Man license.

This fact has gotten Sony in trouble as it failed to expand the brand.

Tom Holland’s Spider-Man films have excelled, and Venom has done well, too.

Everything else has been a disaster. Not coincidentally, Sony rushed another Spider-Man film.

The early buzz was awful, but the situation has changed dramatically.

Sony hired Destin Daniel Cretton of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Since he came onboard, the Spidey news has been glowing.

I fully expect this one to be the top film of the summer and possibly even the year.

The primary competitors are Toy Story 5 and Avengers: Doomsday.

Remember that Disney gets a 25 percent cut on Brand New Day’s profits.

So, Disney appears to be in great shape to earn a ton of money this year.

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