Universal has become the first Hollywood studio to cross $5 billion at the worldwide box office in 2026, powered by Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, the Michael Jackson biopic Michael and a string of major theatrical hits.
The milestone marks only the third time in Universal’s history that the studio has reached the $5 billion benchmark, following its previous achievements in 2015 and 2017.
So far this year, Universal-distributed films have generated $1.788 billion in the United States and $3.218 billion internationally, bringing the studio’s worldwide total to just over $5 billion.
‘The Odyssey’ becomes Universal’s biggest film ever
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has been central to the studio’s record-breaking year.
The epic has earned approximately $1.7 billion worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film in Universal’s history and ranking among the ten biggest releases from Motion Picture Association member studios globally.
The achievement also marks a new commercial high for Nolan, whose previous Universal collaboration, Oppenheimer, became a major box-office and awards success.
But The Odyssey is only one part of the studio’s extraordinary 2026 performance.
Of the five films to cross $1 billion worldwide this year, three were distributed by Universal: The Odyssey, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and Michael.
The other two members of the billion-dollar club are Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Pixar’s Toy Story 5.
Michael Jackson biopic breaks records
Michael, the film exploring Michael Jackson’s rise to global superstardom, has earned $1.028 billion worldwide.
Produced by Lionsgate and distributed internationally by Universal, the biopic has surpassed Bohemian Rhapsody to become the highest-grossing music biopic in cinema history.
It has also overtaken Oppenheimer to claim the record for the highest-grossing biographical film overall.
The result demonstrates the continuing global appeal of Jackson’s story, with audiences turning the film into one of the year’s biggest theatrical releases.
A $1 million horror film becomes a $519 million hit
Not every Universal success came from a blockbuster with an enormous production budget.
Curry Barker’s relationship thriller Obsession has earned $519 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film in the histories of both Focus Features and Blumhouse Atomic Monster.
The most remarkable detail is its budget: the film was produced for less than $1 million.
Its box-office performance has made it one of 2026’s standout commercial successes, proving that a smaller production can compete with some of Hollywood’s biggest franchises.
Other contributors to Universal’s total include Minions & Monsters and releases from Illumination, DreamWorks Animation and Focus Features.
Universal still has more films coming in 2026
The studio’s year is far from over.
Its remaining release calendar includes the Jessica Chastain-led horror film Other Mommy on October 9 and Sense & Sensibility, starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, on October 16.
November will bring Elsinore and Focker-In-Law, which reunites Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro and adds Ariana Grande to the cast.
The final weeks of the year will also see Violent Night 2 arrive on December 4, followed by Robert Eggers’ Werwulf on December 25. DreamWorks Animation’s Forgotten Island is already in cinemas.
With three billion-dollar releases, a record-breaking Nolan epic and a low-budget thriller that became a global sensation, Universal’s 2026 box-office success has come from an unusually diverse collection of films.
And with several major releases still ahead, the studio has more opportunities to build on its $5 billion milestone before the year ends.
