MARTINI'S MOVIE BLOG: 2016 in Review (2016 Notable Box Office Records)

2016 Notable Box Office Records

Walt Disney Studios became the fastest studio ever to reach $1 billion at the U.S. box office; it reached this goal on the 128th day of 2016, beating Universal Studios' record of reaching the goal at the 165th day of 2015. Disney's previous record for reaching $1 billion at the North American box office was the 174th day of 2015. The studio also became the first to have five of its releases (Finding Dory, Captain America: Civil War, The Jungle Book, Rogue One, and Zootopia) from a single year reach $300 million domestically, and the first to release four films within a single franchise — the Marvel Cinematic Universe — that each grossed over $1 billion, with Captain America: Civil War joining 2012's The Avengers, 2013's Iron Man 3, and 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron. Disney also matched Universal's 2015 record for most films from a single year crossing $1 billion worldwide at three (Captain America: Civil War, Finding Dory, and Zootopia). Walt Disney Studios will also become the first studio since at least 1989 to have the four highest-grossing films worldwide in a single year. With the release of Rogue One, Disney became the first studio in cinematic history to gross more than $7 billion at the global box office, surpassing Universal's previous record of $6.9 billion in 2015.

Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe became the first film franchise to gross more than $10 billion with the release of Captain America: Civil War.

Warner Bros.' Harry Potter film series — which was subsequently rebranded to J. K. Rowling's Wizarding World — became the second film franchise to gross more than $8 billion with the release of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which has so far grossed more than $740 million worldwide.

Disney's Star Wars film series became the fourth film franchise to gross more than $7 billion with the release of Rogue One, which has so far grossed more than $610 million worldwide.

Deadpool became the second highest-grossing R-rated domestic film of all time with $363.1 million, after The Passion of the Christ ($370.8 million in 2004).

Zootopia became the highest-grossing original animated film not based on anything of all time (surpassing 2003's Finding Nemo). Along with Finding Dory, it became one of two animated films to earn $1 billion in the same year, a first in cinematic history.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice became the biggest worldwide opening weekend ever for a superhero film with $422.5 million, surpassing The Avengers ($392.5 million in 2012).

The Mermaid became the highest-grossing film ever in China and the first film ever to earn over $500 million without a wide North American release.

Warcraft became the highest-grossing video game adaptation worldwide with $433.5 million, surpassing Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time ($336.4 million in 2010).

Finding Dory grossed $135.1 million domestically and $185.7 million worldwide in its opening weekend, making records for the biggest domestic opening weekend for both Pixar (surpassing Toy Story 3, with $110.3 million in 2010) and any animated film (surpassing Shrek the Third, with $121.6 million in 2007), the biggest worldwide opening weekend for Pixar (surpassing Inside Out, with $180.1 million in 2015), and the second biggest opening weekend worldwide for an animated film after Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs ($218.4 million in 2009). It later became the highest-grossing animated film at the North American box office (surpassing 2004's Shrek 2). Along with Zootopia, it became one of two animated films to earn $1 billion in the same year, a first in cinematic history. It also became the eighth film to do so during the two-year period of 2015–16, surpassing the previous record of seven billion dollar films during the two-year period of 2011–12.

The Secret Life of Pets grossed $104.4 million domestically in its opening weekend, breaking Inside Out's record ($90.4 million) for the highest domestic opening weekend for an original film of any kind, and became the first original film to open at more than $100 million domestically. It also became the highest-grossing original non-Disney animated film ever, both domestically (surpassing Shrek, with $267.7 million in 2001) and worldwide (beating Kung Fu Panda, with $631.7 million in 2008).

Suicide Squad grossed $133.7 million domestically in its opening weekend, breaking Guardians of the Galaxy's record ($94.3 million) for the highest weekend debut in August.