The first half of 2026 marks a landmark era for Indian films by crossing ₹6,398 crore in domestic box office gross, reversing a three-year slide in theatrical footfalls, and setting an all-time mid-year record.

First half of 2026 marks landmark era for Indian films

Disney and Pixar have another blockbuster on their hands. Toy Story 5 has officially crossed the $1 billion mark at the global box office, making it the highest-grossing movie of 2026 so far.

The animated sequel earned $448 million in North America and $573 million internationally, pushing its worldwide total past $1.02 billion. The milestone places Toy Story 5 ahead of other billion-dollar hits this year and reinforces the enduring popularity of Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and the beloved franchise.

Can any upcoming release challenge Pixar's latest box-office juggernaut? Watch the full report for the latest numbers and Hollywood's biggest winners of the year.

Toy Story 5 crosses $1 Billion worldwide, becomes 2026's highest-grossing film

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay's much-awaited final film, Jana Nayagan, has finally hit theatres, marking the end of an era for one of India's biggest superstars. The release comes after months of delays and a major controversy over an alleged online leak that sparked political debate ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

Director H. Vinoth has dismissed allegations that the leak was politically motivated, calling the claims baseless and stressing that the issue was handled through legal channels. Despite the controversy, Jana Nayagan has opened to massive celebrations across Tamil Nadu, with thousands of Vijay fans gathering outside theatres, special screenings, food distribution, and grand cut-outs welcoming the superstar's final cinematic outing.

 CM Vijay's final film 'Jana Nayagan'  hits theatres amid leak row and massive fan celebrations

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay's much-awaited final film Jana Nayagan has finally hit theatres after months of delays and a major online leak controversy. Director H. Vinoth dismissed allegations that the leak was politically motivated ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, calling the claims baseless. Massive celebrations erupted across Chennai as thousands of fans gathered outside theatres for Vijay's last film before fully entering politics.

Watch the latest updates on Jana Nayagan's release, leak controversy, political reactions, fan celebrations, box office expectations, and Vijay's transition from cinema to politics.

Tamil Nadu CM Vijay's final film Jana Nayagan hits theatres after massive leak controversy 

Jaafar Jackson has made Hollywood history with Michael, becoming the first lead actor whose debut film crossed the $1 billion mark at the global box office. The Michael Jackson biopic has become one of the biggest cinematic successes of the year, cementing Jafar's place among Hollywood's fastest-rising stars. This report also looks at other young actors who achieved extraordinary box office success early in their careers, including Tom Holland, whose Spider-Man films became global blockbusters, and Daniel Radcliffe, whose Harry Potter franchise remains one of the highest-grossing film series in history.

Jaafar Jackson makes Hollywood history | Michael becomes $1 billion debut film

The Hollywood box office is witnessing a major surge as the film Michael edges closer to the $1 billion global milestone. The movie’s strong worldwide performance has reignited industry excitement, especially as legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg makes a return to the sci-fi genre. Early reports suggest robust international collections, positioning the film as one of the biggest releases of the year. Analysts say the success reflects renewed audience demand for large-scale theatrical experiences and blockbuster storytelling. The report card from Hollywood indicates a strong recovery trend for big-budget cinema in global markets.

'Michael' Nears Billion Dollar Mark: Hollywood Box Office Report Card

Indian cinema is witnessing a massive sequel surge, with follow-up films outperforming expectations at the box office. Border 2 scripted history by earning $45 million in just 12 days, while Stree 2 stunned the industry with a whopping $102 million haul.


Indian Cinema: Sequels Which Dominated The Box Office

The latest Demon Slayer manga franchise movie is roaring worldwide, pulling huge opening numbers and igniting fan excitement. In this video, we break down the box-office performance, global reactions, and what this means for the future of the Demon Slayer universe.

Anime Dominates Box Office: Demon Slayer Dominates the Box Office Again!

This season has seen underwhelming results from stars such as Margot Robbie, Dwayne Johnson, Julia Roberts and Keanu Reeves


Hollywood's star system suffers major 2025 box office losses

The holiday weekend in North America saw two films battling for box-office supremacy, both of which emerged with a claim first to place.
Disney's animated drama "Mufasa: The Lion King" prevailed in the five days from Christmas Day through Sunday with an estimated take of $63.8 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.
But Paramount's action comedy "Sonic the Hedgehog 3," which booked $59.9 million for that same five-day holiday period, came out on top for the traditional Friday-through-Sunday stretch, edging the Disney film by $38 million to $37.1 million.
Overall, the weekend generated "big, although not record-breaking box office" numbers, said analyst David A. Gross, adding that "the next seven days should be excellent."
New vampire pic "Nosferatu" from Focus Features also posted impressive numbers, with $40.3 million for the five-day period and $21.2 million for the three-day weekend.
Gross called that "an excellent opening for a new horror film" -- a remake of the 1922 silent classic inspired by the 1897 novel "Dracula" -- and noted that critics' reviews are outstanding.
The ensemble cast includes Bill Skarsgard, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Willem Dafoe and Nicholas Hoult.
Universal's musical fantasy "Wicked," starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, earned $31.7 million for five days ($19.5 million for three) as the latest spin on the magical world of Oz slipped one spot to fourth place. Its global earnings now stand at $634 million.
And Disney's animated "Moana 2" had an estimated $28.3 million in ticket sales for five days ($18.2 million for three), slipping one spot but holding on to top-five status for the fifth straight week.
Meantime, Searchlight Pictures' "A Complete Unknown," with Timothee Chalamet portraying an enigmatic Bob Dylan during the dizzying years that propelled the singer-songwriter from anonymity to world fame, took in a solid $23.3 million for five days ($11.6 million for three). Dylan himself has described Chalamet as a "brilliant actor."
Rounding out the top 10 were:
"Babygirl" ($7.2 million for five days, $4.4 million for three)
"Gladiator II" ($5.9 million; $4.2 million)
"Homestead" ($5.3 million; $3.2 million)
"The Fire Inside" ($4.3 million; $2 million) Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Disney's animated drama Mufasa: The Lion King prevailed in the five days from Christmas Day through Sunday with an estimated take of $63.8 million

The holiday weekend in North America saw two films battling for box-office supremacy, both of which emerged with a claim first to place. Disney's animated drama "Mufasa: The Lion King" prevailed in the five days from Christmas Day through Sunday with an estimated take of $63.8 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday. But Paramount's action comedy "Sonic the Hedgehog 3," which booked $59.9 million for that same five-day holiday period, came out on top for the traditional Friday-through-Sunday stretch, edging the Disney film by $38 million to $37.1 million. Overall, the weekend generated "big, although not record-breaking box office" numbers, said analyst David A. Gross, adding that "the next seven days should be excellent." New vampire pic "Nosferatu" from Focus Features also posted impressive numbers, with $40.3 million for the five-day period and $21.2 million for the three-day weekend. Gross called that "an excellent opening for a new horror film" -- a remake of the 1922 silent classic inspired by the 1897 novel "Dracula" -- and noted that critics' reviews are outstanding. The ensemble cast includes Bill Skarsgard, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Willem Dafoe and Nicholas Hoult. Universal's musical fantasy "Wicked," starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, earned $31.7 million for five days ($19.5 million for three) as the latest spin on the magical world of Oz slipped one spot to fourth place. Its global earnings now stand at $634 million. And Disney's animated "Moana 2" had an estimated $28.3 million in ticket sales for five days ($18.2 million for three), slipping one spot but holding on to top-five status for the fifth straight week. Meantime, Searchlight Pictures' "A Complete Unknown," with Timothee Chalamet portraying an enigmatic Bob Dylan during the dizzying years that propelled the singer-songwriter from anonymity to world fame, took in a solid $23.3 million for five days ($11.6 million for three). Dylan himself has described Chalamet as a "brilliant actor." Rounding out the top 10 were: "Babygirl" ($7.2 million for five days, $4.4 million for three) "Gladiator II" ($5.9 million; $4.2 million) "Homestead" ($5.3 million; $3.2 million) "The Fire Inside" ($4.3 million; $2 million) Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Both Mufasa and Sonic claim North America box office supremacy

It&#39;s usually tough for small-budget movies to make a mark on the box-office unless backed with a great script that connects with the audience. But this week it gets tougher for small releases as big budget films &quot;Padmaavat&quot;&nbsp;and &quot;PadMan&quot;&nbsp;are scheduled to release on January 25.&nbsp;

Releasing today are three Hindi films -- &quot;Vodka Diaries&quot;, &quot;Nirdosh&quot;&nbsp;and &quot;My Birthday Song&quot; which will just have a week to rake in moolah before&nbsp;&quot;Padmaavat&quot;&nbsp;and &quot;PadMan&quot; take centre stage in theatres worldwide.&nbsp;

For those who want to watch a movie this week, this is what Bollywood offers:&nbsp;

&quot;Vodka Diaries&quot;&nbsp;with an interesting<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-watch-vodka-diaries-teaser-out-kay-kay-menon-plays-detective-in-psychological-mystery-27396" target="_blank"> promo </a>and stellar actors Kay Kay Menon, Raima Sen and Mandira Bedi might turn out to be a good bet.

&quot;Nirdosh&quot;, on the other hand, has Arbaaz Khan on screen with Manjari Fadnis, Ashmit Patel, Mahek Chahal and Mukul Dev&nbsp;in a thriller.

&quot;My Birthday Song&quot;&nbsp;sees Sanjay Suri and co. directed by Sameer Soni. The film is a psychological thriller and is aimed for niche audience at urban multiplexes.&nbsp;

The small-budget movies have lost on publicity and marketing as 'Padmaavat' and 'PadMan' releasing next weekend have hogged the limelight completely

It's usually tough for small-budget movies to make a mark on the box-office unless backed with a great script that connects with the audience. But this week it gets tougher for small releases as big budget films "Padmaavat" and "PadMan" are scheduled to release on January 25. Releasing today are three Hindi films -- "Vodka Diaries", "Nirdosh" and "My Birthday Song" which will just have a week to rake in moolah before "Padmaavat" and "PadMan" take centre stage in theatres worldwide. For those who want to watch a movie this week, this is what Bollywood offers: "Vodka Diaries" with an interesting promo and stellar actors Kay Kay Menon, Raima Sen and Mandira Bedi might turn out to be a good bet. "Nirdosh", on the other hand, has Arbaaz Khan on screen with Manjari Fadnis, Ashmit Patel, Mahek Chahal and Mukul Dev in a thriller. "My Birthday Song" sees Sanjay Suri and co. directed by Sameer Soni. The film is a psychological thriller and is aimed for niche audience at urban multiplexes.

Box office releases this week: 'Vodka Diaries', 'My Birthday Song' and 'Nirdosh'

Pixar&#39;s Finding Dory&nbsp;has made box office history, industry data showed on Monday, taking in the biggest-ever opening weekend revenue for an animated movie.

&quot;Dory,&quot; voiced by Ellen DeGeneres, earned $135.1 million, according to industry tracker Exhibitor Relations, smashing the $121.6 million take of the previous record holder, 2007&#39;s&nbsp;Shrek the Third.

The movie earned an 11th weekend at the top of the North American box office for Disney, which owns Pixar and was behind the three top-grossing 2016 films so far - Zootopia,&nbsp;Captain America: Civil War&nbsp;and&nbsp;The Jungle Book.

&quot;Finding Dory&nbsp;is almost guaranteed to hit $1 billion worldwide this summer, as the franchise is one of Pixar&#39;s most beloved series,&quot; said Jeff Bock, a box office expert at Exhibitor Relations.

&quot;Dory&quot; follows a forgetful fish on a quest to find her parents, much as she did as a supporting character in the 2003 hit&nbsp;Finding Nemo.

The sequel blew away the competition, including Central Intelligence,&nbsp;a comedy with Dwayne &quot;The Rock&quot; Johnson and Kevin Hart that also was new in theatres this weekend.

The film about a spy who recruits a high school buddy for an action-packed caper made a respectable $34.5 million at the box office.

Last week&#39;s top earner, The Conjuring 2,&nbsp;dropped to third place with a $15.5 million take its second week in theatres.

The supernatural fright fest stars Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as a paranormal-investigating couple.

Now You See Me,&nbsp;starring Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson as illusionists, dropped a notch to fourth after making $9.4 million over the weekend, the crime caper&#39;s second in theatres.

Fifth with $7.2 million was Warcraft,&nbsp;a CGI extravaganza based on the hit video game&nbsp;World of Warcraft.

It was directed by Duncan Jones, son of the late British music legend David Bowie, and starred Dominic Cooper, Travis Fimmel and Paula Patton. 
 
(AFP)

Pixar's 'Finding Nemo' sequel 'Finding Dory' has the biggest-ever opening weekend revenue for an animated movie, earning $135.1 million

Pixar's Finding Dory has made box office history, industry data showed on Monday, taking in the biggest-ever opening weekend revenue for an animated movie. "Dory," voiced by Ellen DeGeneres, earned $135.1 million, according to industry tracker Exhibitor Relations, smashing the $121.6 million take of the previous record holder, 2007's Shrek the Third. The movie earned an 11th weekend at the top of the North American box office for Disney, which owns Pixar and was behind the three top-grossing 2016 films so far - Zootopia, Captain America: Civil War and The Jungle Book. "Finding Dory is almost guaranteed to hit $1 billion worldwide this summer, as the franchise is one of Pixar's most beloved series," said Jeff Bock, a box office expert at Exhibitor Relations. "Dory" follows a forgetful fish on a quest to find her parents, much as she did as a supporting character in the 2003 hit Finding Nemo. The sequel blew away the competition, including Central Intelligence, a comedy with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Kevin Hart that also was new in theatres this weekend. The film about a spy who recruits a high school buddy for an action-packed caper made a respectable $34.5 million at the box office. Last week's top earner, The Conjuring 2, dropped to third place with a $15.5 million take its second week in theatres. The supernatural fright fest stars Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as a paranormal-investigating couple. Now You See Me, starring Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson as illusionists, dropped a notch to fourth after making $9.4 million over the weekend, the crime caper's second in theatres. Fifth with $7.2 million was Warcraft, a CGI extravaganza based on the hit video game World of Warcraft. It was directed by Duncan Jones, son of the late British music legend David Bowie, and starred Dominic Cooper, Travis Fimmel and Paula Patton. (AFP)

'Finding Dory' swims into box office history

Fox`s &quot;X-Men: Apocalypse&quot; and Disney`s &quot;Alice Through the Looking Glass&quot; squared off over Memorial Day weekend, but both blockbuster hopefuls emerged bruised from this box office clash of the titans. 
 
The latest X-Men adventure easily topped the weekend, earning an estimated $65 million. It is on pace to pull in over $76 million over the four-day spell. That`s a solid start, but a significant drop off from the $110.5 million that the previous film, &quot;X-Men: Days of Future Past,&quot; racked up over the 2014 Memorial Day holiday. 
 
Things were much bleaker for &quot;Alice Through the Looking Glass.&quot; The follow-up to 2010`s &quot;Alice in Wonderland,&quot; which racked up more than $1 billion during its run, stumbled out of the gate, bombing with $28.1 million and a projected $35 over the four-day period. That`s a disastrous start for a film with an $170 million production budget. 
 
The fantasy adventure will try to staunch the bleeding overseas, where &quot;Alice Through the Looking Glass&quot; grossed an estimated $65 million from such major territories as Italy, Russia, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Brazil. The film has opened in 72 percent of the international market, with France (June 1), Japan (July 1), and South Korea (Sept. 8) still on deck. 
 
&quot;Alice`s&quot; opening is bad news for Johnny Depp, whose star has waned in recent years, its luster diminished by flops such as &quot;Mortdecai&quot; and &quot;Transcendence.&quot; The actor was in the headlines over the weekend after his wife Amber Heard filed for divorce, alleging abuse. 
 
Both new releases failed to hit tracking, with some analysts expecting &quot;X-Men: Apocalypse&quot; to debut to between $80 million and $100 million, and many box office sages projecting an &quot;Alice&quot; launch in the $55 million range. The competition appeared to take a chunk out of both film`s ticket sales. 
 
Some analysts believe that the &quot;Alice in Wonderland&quot; sequel couldn`t compete in the crowded summer season. The first film debuted in the spring, when there were fewer major studio releases vying for attention. 
 
&quot;`X-Men` destroyed Alice, no question,&quot; said Jeff Bock, an analyst with Exhibitor Relations. &quot;That`s what happens when a spring fling attempts to go fult-tilt summer blockbuster. We`ve seen this happen in the past and it usually doesn`t work out.&quot; 
 
Sony`s &quot;The Angry Birds Movie&quot; took third place in its second weekend of release, earning approximately $19 million, to bring its domestic haul to roughly $72 million.&nbsp; 
 
In fourth place, &quot;Captain America: Civil War&quot; added $15.1 million to its total. The super hero film has earned $377 million domestically, pushing it past &quot;Deadpool&quot; to become the year`s highest-grossing stateside release. &quot;Neighbor`s 2: Sorority Rising&quot; rounded out the top five, nabbing $9.1 million to push its domestic gross to $40.4 million after two weeks in theaters. 
 
&nbsp;

Fox`s "X-Men: Apocalypse" and Disney`s "Alice Through the Looking Glass" squared off over Memorial Day weekend, but both blockbuster hopefuls emerged bruised from this box office clash of the titans. The latest X-Men adventure easily topped the weekend, earning an estimated $65 million.

Fox`s "X-Men: Apocalypse" and Disney`s "Alice Through the Looking Glass" squared off over Memorial Day weekend, but both blockbuster hopefuls emerged bruised from this box office clash of the titans. The latest X-Men adventure easily topped the weekend, earning an estimated $65 million. It is on pace to pull in over $76 million over the four-day spell. That`s a solid start, but a significant drop off from the $110.5 million that the previous film, "X-Men: Days of Future Past," racked up over the 2014 Memorial Day holiday. Things were much bleaker for "Alice Through the Looking Glass." The follow-up to 2010`s "Alice in Wonderland," which racked up more than $1 billion during its run, stumbled out of the gate, bombing with $28.1 million and a projected $35 over the four-day period. That`s a disastrous start for a film with an $170 million production budget. The fantasy adventure will try to staunch the bleeding overseas, where "Alice Through the Looking Glass" grossed an estimated $65 million from such major territories as Italy, Russia, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Brazil. The film has opened in 72 percent of the international market, with France (June 1), Japan (July 1), and South Korea (Sept. 8) still on deck. "Alice`s" opening is bad news for Johnny Depp, whose star has waned in recent years, its luster diminished by flops such as "Mortdecai" and "Transcendence." The actor was in the headlines over the weekend after his wife Amber Heard filed for divorce, alleging abuse. Both new releases failed to hit tracking, with some analysts expecting "X-Men: Apocalypse" to debut to between $80 million and $100 million, and many box office sages projecting an "Alice" launch in the $55 million range. The competition appeared to take a chunk out of both film`s ticket sales. Some analysts believe that the "Alice in Wonderland" sequel couldn`t compete in the crowded summer season. The first film debuted in the spring, when there were fewer major studio releases vying for attention. "`X-Men` destroyed Alice, no question," said Jeff Bock, an analyst with Exhibitor Relations. "That`s what happens when a spring fling attempts to go fult-tilt summer blockbuster. We`ve seen this happen in the past and it usually doesn`t work out." Sony`s "The Angry Birds Movie" took third place in its second weekend of release, earning approximately $19 million, to bring its domestic haul to roughly $72 million. In fourth place, "Captain America: Civil War" added $15.1 million to its total. The super hero film has earned $377 million domestically, pushing it past "Deadpool" to become the year`s highest-grossing stateside release. "Neighbor`s 2: Sorority Rising" rounded out the top five, nabbing $9.1 million to push its domestic gross to $40.4 million after two weeks in theaters.

Box Office: ''X-Men: Apocalypse'' hits $65 million, ''Alice Through the Looking Glass'' flops

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