Deadline is reporting that the global box office set a new record in 2017, with a final tally of $39.92 billion – a 6% increase over 2016 – which includes $11.12 billion from North America (down 2.3% on 2016’s $11.4 billion) and a record $28.8 billion from international markets.
By close of play on the year, 2017’s highest-earner was Disney’s Beauty and the Beast on $1.264 billion, followed by The Fate of the Furious ($1.236 billion), Star Wars: The Last Jedi ($1.04 billion), Despicable Me 3 ($1.033 billion) and Spider-Man: Homecoming ($880.2 million).
The international haul received a healthy boost from China’s hit sequel Wolf Warrior 2, which became only the second movie ever to pass $800 million in a single market after Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and grossed $870.3 million worldwide from a budget of just $30 million.
Other big hitters this past year included Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Thor: Ragnarok, Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales and Coco, Warner Bros.’ Wonder Woman, Justice League, It, Dunkirk and Kong Skull Island, and Fox’s Logan.
“Going to the movies is truly a worldwide phenomenon,” said Paul Dergarabedian, comScore’s Senior Media Analyst. “The ‘big screen’ experience was bolstered by a unique and compelling slate of titles in 2017 that sparked an exceptional level of enthusiasm by patrons who flocked to movie theaters around the globe.”
Originally published January 1, 2018. Updated April 16, 2018.
