Summer 2026's Box Office Is Officially Off To A Great Start

The 2026 summer movie season has started, and is already seeing success at the box office. 2026 has had a few hits in the first half of the year. In February, Wuthering Heights was a Valentine’s Day hit, earning over $241.7 million worldwide during its theatrical run. Scream 7 was another successful entry in the franchise, earning around $207.6 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film in the franchise, and The Devil Wears Prada 2 is making an impact too.

In March, Hoppers was a success for Pixar, grossing around $371.4 million worldwide. March also featured the release of Project Hail Mary, which is currently the third-highest-grossing film of the year worldwide. The Ryan Gosling-led sci-fi film has earned over $639.1 million worldwide. However, the biggest hit of 2026 so far is The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. The animated sequel has grossed around $888.3 million worldwide, and is on its way to crossing the $1 billion mark.

2026 has more movies with great box office potential coming later this year, including Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part 3 in December. Still, the summer is often the best time for the box office, with many blockbusters that can provide a boost to the box office. For example, 2025 had a few summer hits, such as the live-action Lilo & Stitch, which grossed over $1 billion, and Superman, which earned over $618.7 million worldwide.

The summer movie slate in 2026 has several sequels, adaptations, and superhero films that all could be mega box office hits. Fortunately, the season is already off to a promising start as The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Michael brought audiences to theaters during the summer’s first weekend.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 And Michael Have Started The 2026 Summer Box Office On A High Note

Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson smiling while wearing headphones in Michael

While summer doesn’t start until June, the first weekend of May is typically the beginning of the summer movie season. In the past, it has been used for the release of major films, like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Thunderbolts*. In 2026, The Devil Wears Prada 2 walked the theatrical runway during the first weekend of May, and performed incredibly well. In its opening weekend, the sequel made $77 million domestically and over $233 million worldwide.

Meanwhile, this past weekend was also the second weekend for Michael at the box office after earning $97 million domestically and $217 million worldwide in its opening weekend. In its second weekend, the biopic came in second place to Prada 2, but still grossed $54 million domestically. In total, Michael has made over $432.7 million worldwide. Both Prada 2 and Michael performed well in the first weekend of May, a promising sign for the summer movie box office, which has many other possible hits.

Summer 2026 Has More Films With Strong Box Office Potential

The Devil Wears Prada 2 is the biggest hit of the summer so far, but that likely won’t last long. Summer 2026 is full of many movies that could perform incredibly well at the box office. May includes the release of Mortal Kombat II and The Mandalorian and Grogu. The former is based on a popular fighting video game series, while the latter is the next chapter in the hit Disney+ series, and the first Star Wars film since 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker.

June has several major releases, including Masters of the Universe, Disclosure Day, Toy Story 5, and Supergirl. Out of these four, Toy Story 5 will likely be the biggest hit, as the last two films in this franchise grossed over $1 billion. Meanwhile, July has even more potential box office juggernauts, including Minions & Monsters, Moana, The Odyssey, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Each film could be a $1 billion film as they are either a part of a successful franchise or from a director with an excellent track record.

Other films that could be successful this summer include Scary Movie, Jackass: Best and Last, Evil Dead Burn, PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie, and Insidious: Out of the Further. There are many movies to look forward to this summer, and it’s great to see that films like The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Michael are bringing success to the box office.