After topping $40 billion for the first time in history last year, Deadline is reporting that 2018 will set a new worldwide box office record with $41.7 billion.
The twelve month total is a 2.7% increase on 2017’s $40.6 billion, with $11.9 billion coming from North America (a 7% increase on 2017) and $29.8 billion from international markets (1% increase).
Avengers: Infinity War leads the way as the biggest earner of 2018 with $2.049 billion, followed by Black Panther ($1.347 billion), Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom ($1.305 billion), Incredibles 2 ($1.243 billion) and Venom ($855.2 million).
2018 continued to be a year of solid growth for the Chinese market, with an estimated $8.7 billion, up from last year’s $8.13 billion. Of that figure, Chinese films accounted for 61%, including $577.7 million for Operation Red Sea and $542.1 million for Detective Chinatown 2.
On paper, 2019 is shaping up to be another record-breaking year, with some potentially huge releases incoming including Captain Marvel, Dumbo, Shazam!, Avengers: Endgame, Pokemon Detective Pikachu, Aladdin, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, The Secret Life of Pets 2, Men in Black: International, Toy Story 4, Spider-Man: Far From Home, The Lion King, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, The New Mutants, Artemis Fowl, It: Chapter Two, Gemini Man, Joker, Terminator 6, Sonic the Hedgehog, Frozen 2, Jumanji 3 and Star Wars: Episode IX.
