8 Films That Crossed $1 Billion Mark In Post-Covid Era(Photo Credit –Instagram)
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In 2020, following dwindling theater attendance, the industry was worried about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the future of cinema and theaters. Only eight titles crossed the $1 billion mark between 2021 and 2024. Deadpool and Wolverine is the latest entry to pass the milestone.
In 2021, Spider-Man: No Way Home was the only film to cross the $1 Billion mark despite multiple big-budget films hitting the theatres. Highly anticipated films such as MCU’s Eternals and Black Widow underperformed at the box office.
Ryan Reynolds’ Free Guy and The Dune recorded subdued box office earnings. Films from highly successful franchises like James Bond and Fast and Furious also failed to make an impact, earning just over $700 million each.
The industry saw a boost the following year, with three films crossing the $1 billion mark. Avatar: The Way of Water, Top Gun: Maverick and Jurassic World Dominion had successful runs worldwide. However, several highly anticipated releases, such as Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness, Black Panther 2, The Batman, and Fantastic Beast, failed to score a membership to the billion-dollar club.
Meanwhile, 2023, despite the Barbenheimer phenomenon, witnessed a decline in $ billion hits. Only two films — Barbie and The Super Mario Bros Movies — crossed the $1 billion mark. Oppenheimer was just $25 million short of entering the club. It grossed $975 million worldwide.
2024 witnessed two Disney films cross the $1 Billion mark
Disney had two consecutive $1 billion blockbuster hits following a string of underwhelming films. After a slow start, 2024 witnessed Deadpool, Wolverine, and Inside Out 2 smash several box office records. Over a month after its release, Deadpool and Wolverine continued to climb the global box office rankings after crossing the $1 billion mark.
It’s the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time and the 27th highest-grossing film ever. The Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman starrer is also $2 million short of toppling Iron Man 3 as MCU’s seventh top earner.
Meanwhile, Inside Out 2 is the highest-grossing animated film of all time and the third-highest-grossing film post-COVID, behind Avatar: Way Of Water and Spider-Man: No Way Home. Let’s look at eight films that have grossed over $1 billion in the post-covid era.
Avatar: Way Of Water (2022) – $2.3 Billion
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) – $1.9 Billion
Inside Out 2 (2024) – $1.6 Billion
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) – $1.4 Billion
Barbie (2023) – $1.4 Billion
Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) – $1.2 Billion
Top Gun: Maverick (2022) – $1.1 Billion
Jurassic World: Dominion (2022) – $1.004 Billion
Note: Box office numbers are based on estimates and various sources. Numbers have not been independently verified by Koimoi.
