Five Movies Crossed $1 Billion in 2026 — Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey Just Became the Fifth

Hollywood's Billion-Dollar Club Is Officially Back

After years of box-office anxiety, Hollywood is back in the giant business. The Odyssey, the epic from director Christopher Nolan starring Matt Damon, just became the fifth film of 2026 to cross $1 billion worldwide — the most in a single year since 2019. Animation, superheroes, music history, and ancient Greece are all pulling their weight.

The other four members: Spider-Man: Brand New Day ($1.18 billion and counting), Toy Story 5 from Disney and Pixar ($1.067 billion), The Super Mario Galaxy Movie ($1.001 billion), and Michael ($1.001 billion) — the Michael Jackson biopic that beat Oppenheimer to become the highest-grossing biopic of all time. Five members, five different genres — a healthy sign for 2026.

How Each Film Got There

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is outrunning every projection, with Tom Holland and Zendaya selling out every format. Toy Story 5 — a film about kids ignoring their toys for screens — became the most nostalgic billion-dollar run of the year. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, from Illumination and Nintendo, turned Rainbow Road into a cash machine. Michael, directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Jaafar Jackson as his uncle, turned music history into cinematic gold.

Then there's The Odyssey — Nolan swapped space for Greek seas, bringing IMAX-sized spectacle to Homer's poem. Matt Damon's Odysseus anchors an ensemble that includes Tom Holland and Zendaya, giving the box office its biggest literary flex of the year.

What This Means for Theaters

• Most billion-dollar blockbusters in one year since 2019
• Proof audiences still show up when the movies earn it
• Sequels, originals, game adaptations, and star-driven epics all winning
• The 2026 crown is still up for grabs — who'll be number six?

Bottom line: 2026 is officially the year Hollywood stopped worrying about the billion-dollar blockbuster. Five films, five flavors — and the year's not over yet.