After a promising 2023 that featured “Barbenheimer“ and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the 2024 box office is projected to go down. According to Gower Street Analytics, the 2024 global box office is expected to be less than 2023’s total. Although the domestic market was up 1% above projections for the first three months of 2024, the release calendar was full of financial disappointments, especially Madame Web.
- 10. Bob Marley: One Love ($96,893,170)
- 9. IF ($110,857,288)
- 8. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire ($113,376,590)
- 7. Despicable Me 4 ($131,885,255)
- 6. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes ($169,721,843)
- 5. Bad Boys: Ride or Die ($178,165,954)
- 4. Kung Fu Panda 4 ($193,590,620)
- 3. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire ($196,350,016)
- 2. Dune: Part Two ($282,144,358)
- 1. Inside Out 2 ($537,948,505)
The summer movie slate struggled in May because of underwhelming financial performances from The Fall Guy and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. However, June has been a completely different story, thanks to sequels from several legacy franchises. More help is on the horizon in the form of Twisters and Deadpool & Wolverine, with the latter competing for 2024’s biggest movie. Below are the 10 most popular movies of 2024 ranked by domestic gross.
Note: U.S. domestic box office grosses via Box Office Mojo on July 10. The list only includes films released in 2024.
10. Bob Marley: One Love ($96,893,170)
Bob Marley: One Love is hands-down the surprise hit of 2024. Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, Bob Marley: One Love stars Kingsley Ben-Adir as the titular Jamaican singer and songwriter. The film begins in 1976 with an assassination attempt on Marley and his wife Rita (Lashana Lynch) at a peace concert.
After surviving the gunshots, One Love traces Marley’s career over the next few years, from the recording of Exodus to his meteoric rise to global superstardom. Bob Marley: One Love doesn’t reinvent the biopic, but Ben-Adir’s performance and the landmark reggae songs should satisfy most Marley fans. The film exceeded expectations by grossing over $50 million throughout its six-day Valentine’s Day week opening, with its current domestic total surpassing $96 million.
Stream Bob Marley: One Love on Paramount+.
9. IF ($110,857,288)
After terrorizing audiences in the A Quiet Place franchise, writer/director John Krasinski traded in vicious aliens for lovable creatures in IF. Shortly after moving to New York City, 12-year-old Bea (Cailey Fleming) discovers she can see everyone’s IF, aka “imaginary friend.” The IFs have been left behind by kids who grow up and forget about their creations.
One night, Bea meets Blue (Steve Carrell), a large purple monster searching for his creator. Blue leads Bea to Cal (Ryan Reynolds), a man working with IFs to pair with new children. Bea eventually agrees to help Cal in his quest to find new homes for the IFs. IF is a movie that inspires kids to dream and reminds adults to keep their creative side alive. IF’s domestic total sits at $110 million, a number that will likely not climb much higher because of its early arrival on streaming.
Stream IF on Paramount+.
8. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire ($113,376,590)
In 2024, the answer to “Who you gonna call?” remains the same: the Ghostbusters. The paranormal investigators head back to where it all began, New York City, in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. It’s been three years since the events of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and the Spengler family — Callie (Carrie Coon), Trevor (Finn Wolfhard), and Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) — move to the Big Apple with Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd) to help re-establish the Ghostbusters.
The quartet joins Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) and Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson) in the fight against a new evil force that could cause a second Ice Age. Frozen Empire is a nostalgia play with mixed results. Although there are plans for another sequel, a lackluster return for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire puts the franchise on hold until further notice.
Buy or rent Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is Prime Video, YouTube, Apple, or Google.
7. Despicable Me 4 ($131,885,255)
Never underestimate the power of the minions. The lovable yellow creatures are back for a new adventure in Despicable Me 4. Gru (Steve Carrell) is still married to Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig) and is the adoptive father of Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier), and Agnes (Madison Polan). However, the family is expanding with the arrival of Gru and Lucy’s biological child, Gru Jr., who unfortunately hates his father.
Besides the problem with his son, more trouble is on the horizon with the return of Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell), who teams up with his girlfriend Valentina (Sofía Vergara) to seek revenge on Gru. Forced to relocate to a safer area, Gru and his family take on new identities. But Gru can’t outrun Maxime forever, leading to an important confrontation between the two. Despicable Me 4 opened to an impressive July Fourth weekend total of $120 million. The minions will continue attracting audiences to theaters for the rest of the summer.
Despicable Me 4 is now in theaters.
6. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes ($169,721,843)
What a wonderful day! It’s been seven years since War for the Planet of the Apes, the final film of the fantastic reboot trilogy. 2024 marked the return of the apes with new characters and a new story in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Three-hundred years after Caesar (Andy Serkis) led his tribe to the promised land, ape civilizations remain the dominant species over humans, who are now feral-esque.
After his friends are kidnapped, a young ape named Noa (Owen Teague) embarks on a journey to rescue his tribe. Along the way, Noa meets Mae (Freya Allan), a young woman who can speak and think unlike her fellow humans. Mae teams up with Noa to help save his tribe, though she also has an important mission of her own. Audiences still love the Apes franchise, as evidenced by the $169 million domestic gross and plans for a sequel.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is now in theaters.
5. Bad Boys: Ride or Die ($178,165,954)
Nostalgia is a powerful drug in Hollywood. Audiences love to revisit their favorite heroes and join them on another adventure. The box office return of Bad Boys: Ride or Die is a case in point. After the success of Bad Boys for Life, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence reprised their roles as Detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett in the franchise’s fourth installment, Bad Boys: Ride or Die.
After the late Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano) is falsely linked to drug cartels, Mike and Marcus set out to clear his name and prove his innocence. After a disappointing start to the summer box office in May, Bad Boys: Ride or Die started June off on the right foot with an excellent opening weekend of $56.5 million. With the promising box office numbers, we likely haven’t seen the last of Mike and Marcus.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die is now in theaters.
4. Kung Fu Panda 4 ($193,590,620)
Never underestimate the power of Jack Black. The 54-year-old comedian is a glorified family movie star thanks to recent hits, including The Super Mario Bros. Movie, two Jumanji films, and The House with a Clock in Its Walls. Black recently returned to his kid-friendly martial arts comedy franchise for a fourth time in Kung Fu Panda 4. Po (Black) embarks on a quest to find his successor as the Dragon Warrior. However, the shapeshifting creature, The Chameleon (Viola Davis), threatens the Valley of Peace with her ability to copy kung fu techniques.
Po reluctantly teams up with the mischievous Zhen (Awkwafina) to save the kung fu masters from Chameleon’s wrath. Because of the lack of family movies in Q1, Kung Fu Panda 4 has found a significant audience at the theaters, earning over $193 million domestically. As long as Kung Fu Panda continues to have legs, Kung Fu Panda 5 will likely become a reality.
Stream Kung Fu Panda 4 on Peacock.
3. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire ($196,350,016)
Critics were never going to like Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Do you want to know who enjoys these monster movies? Audiences. Despite a day-and-date release in 2021, Godzilla x Kong’s predecessor, Godzilla vs. Kong, set several pandemic box office records on its way to $470 million worldwide gross. In 2024, the two sworn enemies form an unlikely alliance to battle a new threat in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
Despite the effort to tell an interesting and thought-provoking story, MonsterVerse fans are going to the movies to see Godzilla and Kong engage in epic battles, not learn about their mythology. In terms of spectacle, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire delivers. The Godzilla and Kong saga will continue with a sequel scheduled for a 2026 release.
Stream Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire on Max.
2. Dune: Part Two ($282,144,358)
The movie event of 2024 to this point has been Dune: Part Two. Denis Villeneuve’s highly anticipated sequel to 2021’s Dune has been met with overwhelmingly positive reviews thanks to stunning visuals, electrifying action, and sensational direction. Dune: Part Two continues to follow the rise of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), the gifted Duke who wishes to liberate the Fremen and exact revenge on the Harkonnens for murdering his father.
Originally scheduled for a November 2023 release, Warner Bros. delayed the film to March 2024 because of the actor and writer strikes. The gamble paid off, as Dune: Part Two’s $282 million domestic total is more than Dune’s $108 million haul. Dune: Part Two will likely stay in the top 10 the entire year and should be a major player at the 2025 Oscars.
Stream Dune: Part Two on Max.
1. Inside Out 2 ($537,948,505)
After a string of minor hits and straight-to-Disney+ releases, Pixar needed to reestablish its dominance in theaters. Enter Inside Out 2, the long-awaited sequel to the Academy Award-winning Inside Out. Riley Andersen (Kensington Tallman) is now 13 years old and heading into high school. Joy (Amy Poehler), one of Riley’s emotions, still runs the show inside her mind with Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Tony Hale), Anger (Lewis Black), and Disgust (Liza Lapira).
The arrival of Anxiety (Maya Hawke) threatens to ruin the entire operation, so Joy attempts to fill Riley’s mind with only happy thoughts. Inside Out 2 recorded a massive $154.2 million opening weekend, the biggest of 2024. Inside Out 2 is at $537 million domestically and counting. The film has already grossed $1.2 billion worldwide and will become the highest-grossing animated film of all time if it can surpass The Lion King‘s $1.6 billion haul from 2019.
Inside Out 2 is now in theaters.
