Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey and the micro-budget horror hit Obsession headline a record year at the worldwide box office, according to a new ranking published by People on August 25.
TL;DR
- Spider-Man: Brand New Day leads 2026 with more than $2.2 billion worldwide.
- The Odyssey and Toy Story 5 have both crossed $1 billion globally.
- Obsession, made for under $1 million, has taken over $500 million worldwide.
- Nine films have passed the half-billion-dollar mark so far this year.
2026 has been a big year for Hollywood, mixing blockbuster sequels with breakout indie hits. Follow-up titles including Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Toy Story 5 dominate the top of the chart, but smaller films such as horror sleeper Obsession have also broken through. Here is how the year's 10 biggest earners rank so far, according to People.
01 of 10 — Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Box office: $2.22 billion Source: People, Aug. 25, 2026
Tom Holland returns for a fourth outing as Peter Parker, joined again by Zendaya and newcomer Sadie Sink. The film reached $1 billion worldwide within six days, making it the second-fastest movie ever to hit that mark, according to People.
TheWrap reported that Holland is set to earn upwards of $100 million once his base salary and bonuses are combined. Holland said giving fans someone to look up to is "the biggest responsibility of making these movies," according to People.
UK release: The film opened in UK cinemas on 29 July 2026, two days ahead of its US debut, and carries a 12A certificate from the BBFC. Much of it was filmed on UK soil, in Glasgow and at Pinewood Studios.
02 of 10 — The Odyssey
Box office: $1.45 billion Source: People, Aug. 25, 2026
Christopher Nolan's adaptation of Homer's epic, led by Matt Damon as Odysseus, opened to $264 million worldwide, his biggest global debut to date. The ensemble cast also includes Holland, Zendaya and Anne Hathaway.
The film has since overtaken Deadpool & Wolverine to become the highest-grossing R-rated release ever worldwide, as covered by Screen & Story's sister desk.
03 of 10 — Toy Story 5
Box office: $1.13 billion Source: People, Aug. 25, 2026
Disney's fifth entry in the franchise opened with $132 million globally in June, the biggest Toy Story debut on record. Its original song, Taylor Swift's "I Knew It, I Knew You," also debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
04 of 10 — Michael
Box office: $1.02 billion Source: People, Aug. 25, 2026
The Michael Jackson biopic, starring the singer's nephew Jaafar Jackson in the title role, passed $1 billion on strong week-after-week returns. People reports it now stands as the highest-grossing music biopic ever made.
05 of 10 — The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
Box office: $1.01 billion Source: People, Aug. 25, 2026
Illumination's sequel was the first 2026 release to reach $1 billion, earning more than $372 million worldwide in its opening weekend alone. Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy and Jack Black lead the voice cast.
06 of 10 — The Devil Wears Prada 2
Box office: $692.7 million Source: People, Aug. 25, 2026
Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci and Emily Blunt reunited nearly two decades on. The sequel earned more in its first two weeks than the original made across its entire theatrical run.
Related: Anne Hathaway also stars opposite Dakota Johnson in the upcoming thriller Verity.
07 of 10 — Project Hail Mary
Box office: $684 million Source: People, Aug. 25, 2026
Adapted from Andy Weir's novel and starring Ryan Gosling, the film briefly held the year's biggest opening weekend before The Super Mario Galaxy Movie overtook it weeks later.
08 of 10 — Pegasus 3
Box office: $641.1 million Source: People, Aug. 25, 2026
The Chinese racing sequel took $369.3 million in its first six days and held the top spot at the domestic box office for several weeks, according to Variety.
09 of 10 — Minions & Monsters
Box office: $505.6 million Source: People, Aug. 25, 2026
Illumination's third Minions film opened more modestly, over the July 4 weekend, but has since climbed steadily to top half a billion dollars worldwide.
10 of 10 — Obsession
Box office: $501.6 million Source: People, Aug. 25, 2026
Reportedly made for under $1 million, the horror film opened to $17 million domestically before word of mouth carried it past $500 million worldwide. Director Curry Barker told The Hollywood Reporter he "didn't think it was mathematically possible" once early grosses began climbing.
Steven Spielberg has since become a public admirer, telling Deadline he had "seen Obsession, and I loved it."
Source: People, Aug. 25, 2026
Reported from publicly available interviews and verified press sources. Last reviewed August 25, 2026.
