The impossible has finally happened. In a record first for Universal, the company has finally managed to pull ahead of Disney, earning itself the top spot in 2023’s box office market share. With a stacked lineup of movies released in 2023, it’s no surprise that the studio pulled ahead.
But just how wide is the gap between Universal and Disney? Universal earned US$4.91 billion in worldwide box office sales while Disney trailed behind with US$4.83 billion, giving Universal a US$0.8 billion lead, but still a lead regardless. Up until now, no other studio has managed to unseat the Mouse from its box office reign, which makes this win even more significant.
Some of 2023’s most successful movies have come from Universal, including Oppenheimer, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1, and Fast X for a combined total for S$18 million from just these titles alone.
Disney chief Bob Iger has also echoed the same sentiment, telling investors that “I’ve always felt that quantity can be actually a negative when it comes to quality. And I think that’s exactly what happened. We lost some focus.”
With Disney’s recent focus on live-action remakes of its popular animated films, perhaps its audience desires more than just reboots and disappointing original movies.
Trinity is a geek who enjoys watching anime, superhero and Sci-Fi movies and TV shows. She enjoys gaming (however has terrible gacha luck) and creates cool homebrew campaigns in her free time. She’s always up for a new adventure — with a cosy jacket and a good book in hand.
Natalie
