Universal Pictures has become the first studio to cross $5 billion at the worldwide box office in 2026, powered by a theatrical slate that includes Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and Michael.
The studio announced the milestone Friday after its grosses for the week pushed its annual worldwide total beyond the benchmark. Universal has collected $1.788 billion domestically and $3.218 billion from international markets this year.
This is the third time Universal has surpassed $5 billion globally in a single year. The studio first reached that level in 2015 and most recently repeated the achievement in 2017.
Three billion-dollar movies drive Universal’s year
Universal’s 2026 performance has been led by three of the year’s five movies to reach $1 billion worldwide: The Odyssey, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and Michael.
The distribution arrangement for Michael, the Michael Jackson biopic, was divided by territory. Universal released the movie overseas, while Lionsgate handled its domestic distribution.
Elsewhere on the slate, Illumination’s animated Minions & Monsters contributed to Universal’s box office total. Focus Features also delivered a major result with the low-budget horror movie Obsession.
Obsession is now the highest-grossing title in Focus Features’ history. It also became the highest-grossing feature for Blumhouse Atomic Monster.
The Odyssey sets a studio record
The standout release in Universal’s year has been Nolan’s The Odyssey. The mythological epic has earned more than $1.7 billion worldwide, making it Universal’s highest-grossing release ever.
The film’s cast includes Matt Damon, Robert Pattinson, Tom Holland and Anne Hathaway. Following its record-setting commercial run, The Odyssey also looks likely to attract significant attention during awards season.
Its performance helped carry Universal to the $5 billion threshold while giving the studio its biggest worldwide release to date. Combined with the billion-dollar results for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and Michael, the film has placed Universal behind three of 2026’s five global billion-dollar titles.
What Happens Next?
Universal’s 2026 theatrical calendar is not finished. The studio is behind this weekend’s release of DreamWorks Animation’s original feature Forgotten Island.
Its remaining offerings for the year also include Other Mommy, Sense & Sensibility, Focker-in-Law, Violent Night 2 and Werwulf. Those releases will continue adding to a worldwide total that has already taken Universal past $5 billion for the first time since 2017.