5 Guaranteed Box Office Hit Movies Left In 2026 (& 5 At Risk Of Flopping)
Cooper Hood is the Associate Editor for all new movie releases, in theaters and on streaming. In addition to writing articles about these titles and upcoming releases, he also oversees content planning for each, ensuring that ScreenRant continues to cover major releases for months after their release.
He has written various reviews for ScreenRant that appear on Rotten Tomatoes, coordinated Oscars and San Diego Comic-Con coverage, appeared on CNN to talk about Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, and done select interviews with talent over the years.
There are still several big movies releasing in 2026, and while some are guaranteed hits at the box office, others look like riskier ventures. So far, this has been a stellar year for movies in theaters. With $7.5 billion earned domestically, 2026 is well on track to be the biggest since the pandemic. That comes fresh off the 2026 summer box office setting a new record with $4.765 billion, topping 2013's $4.756 billion summer.
The year has been so lucrative thanks to a number of movies hitting it big. Spider-Man: Brand New Day has obliterated records, as has The Odyssey. Animated franchises have delivered huge hits with Toy Story 5 and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Audiences also responded favorably to Project Hail Mary, Michael, and The Devil Wears Prada 2, plus turned Obsession into the year's greatest success story.
But for every massive win among 2026's highest-grossing movies, there have been disappointments. Disney saw underwhelming numbers for The Mandalorian and Grogu, as well as Moana's remake. DC's Supergirl failed to fly high like Superman. Franchise plays for Masters of the Universe, Evil Dead Burn, and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple also did not connect. Meanwhile, The Dog Stars, Mercy, and The Bride! went down as major letdowns.
Looking at the remaining 2026 movies releasing in theaters, there are a few big films that are destined to find box office success. However, other notable releases have significant questions about their viability to draw in enough interest.
10 Avengers: Doomsday (Hit)
Some movies are just too big to fail, and that is the case for Avengers: Doomsday. Despite concerns about superhero fatigue and a general declining interest in the MCU, its main franchise has given every indication it will be a hit. Avengers: Doomsday's trailer viewership went over 500 million in its first day. That's already translating to the box office well ahead of its December 18 release.
Avengers: Doomsday's ticket presales have already surpassed $50 million. Even before then, it was said to be pacing ahead of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which opened to $360 million domestically and has made nearly $2.5 billion worldwide. It's the exact right company Marvel Studios wants Doomsday to be in, especially with its expected gargantuan budget.
9 Jumanji: Open World (Risk)
The week after Doomsday, the December calendar drops a riskier title with Jumanji: Open World. Sony's third entry in the modern franchise will test how much audiences still care about this series. The previous two films were major box office hits, but it's been seven years since the last one. During that time, Dwayne Johnson's bankability has declined.
While there is no reported budget for Jumanji: Open World right now, it figures to have cost anywhere from $125 million to $200 million. That still affords the movie room to drop from Jumanji: The Next Level's $802 million box office and be successful. But Sony will need to convince audiences to see this threequel during a crowded Christmas holiday season.
8 Dune: Part Three (Hit)
The biggest third film in a franchise coming out this December is certainly Dune: Part Three. The movie is going head-to-head with Doomsday with its December 18 release. While their target audiences do overlap, fans should have no trouble making time for both and turning Dune: Part Three into a success.
Denis Villeneuve and Timothée Chalamet's Dune movies have become more popular with each entry. That trend should continue as audiences want to see how Paul Atreides' story ends. Even if Dune 3's budget is north of $200 million, the film is poised to clear its predecessor's $715 million box office haul to go down as a major hit.
7 The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping (Risk)
The Hunger Games franchise returns to theaters in November, and there are reasons to hope in a strong box office outing. The film is focused on a fan-favorite character, Haymitch Abernathy, has a proper Hunger Games setting like the first two films, and sees Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss Everdeen and Josh Hutcherson's Peeta Mellark return in some capacity.
That should give The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping solid business. However, the Hunger Games movies have been on a box office decline for years. Sunrise on the Reaping's reported budget of over $150 million (maybe even $200 million) keeps its box office target on the higher end. If longtime Hunger Games fans and general audiences don't respond, the franchise's latest prequel could backfire.
6 Godzilla Minus Zero (Hit)
Godzilla Minus One took the world by storm in 2023, grossing over 10x its budget by making $116 million worldwide. Godzilla Minus Zero is coming on November 3 with even more anticipation. That gives the sequel a great chance to have a larger box office haul as audiences look to experience the new chapter on the big screen, including in IMAX.
Godzilla Minus Zero's budget might not be confirmed, but it shouldn't be that much bigger than Godzilla Minus One's. Even if it's double the cost, the sequel could make that back in its opening weekend domestically alone. Whereas something like Avengers: Doomsday is too big to fail, Godzilla Minus Zero is made so cost-effectively that it would be difficult for it to fail.
5 Street Fighter (Risk)
Paramount is taking on some risk in bringing Street Fighter to theaters on October 16. The video games are incredibly popular, but this has never translated to box office glory. Perhaps that will change this time around, but its too early to tell. Additionally, Street Fighter's cast is filled with talent, but none are certified draws for audiences on the big screen.
The saving grace for Street Fighter could be its budget. The production cost has been kept under wraps so far, but if Paramount managed to make this for a similar price as Warner Bros.'s recent Mortal Kombat movies ($55 million and $80 million, respectively), then its odds of becoming a hit will increase.
4 Werwulf (Hit)
After a home run hit with Nosferatu, Robert Eggers looks to have another coming with Werwulf. Focus Features is following the same playbook with the werewolf film, giving it a Christmas Day release and counting on the directors' fans and general horror-loving audiences to seek it out over the holidays.
While Werwulf lacks the IP that came with Nosferatu and a viral sense to its marketing, that should not stop the movie from finding success. There is still time for the promotional campaign to kick into high gear and sell this as a can't-miss theatrical event and a bit of counterprogramming amid an action-heavy and mostly family-friendly holiday slate.
3 Digger (Risk)
With its release one week away, all signs point to Digger not just being at risk of flopping, but that this is more of an inevitable outcome. Tom Cruise's dark comedy may still hold hopes of breaking into awards conversations, but its desire to double as a stealth box office hit looks to be over. Recent tracking indicates a $20 million or lower opening weekend for Digger.
That's a disastrous start for Cruise's ambitious film, considering Warner Bros. reportedly fronted $125 million to bring director Alejandro G. Iñárritu's vision to life. Digger will be lucky to recoup that cost at the box office at this point unless it takes on a life of its own with general audiences.
2 Clayface (Hit)
DC may have had to watch Supergirl flop, but 2026 should end better with Clayface's arrival. The Batman villain is a more obscure character, which typically would raise questions about audience interest. Clayface has been smartly orchestrated, though, to maximize its box office potential.
This is an R-rated, full-horror movie that stands alone as the premier scary film in theaters this Halloween. DC and Warner Bros. also made it for only $40 million reportedly. That means Clayface needs to make just $100 million to turn a profit. The combination of its genre, release date, and IP ties (plus some solid trailers) looks to give DC an end-of-year success.
1 Hexed (Risk)
Hexed, Disney's first original animated movie in three years, is a risky test. The studio's 2020s original animated movies have all technically been box office misfires: Raya and the Last Dragon ($130M box office vs $100M budget), Encanto ($261M box office vs $150M budget), Strange World ($74.7M box office vs $180M budget), and Wish ($255M box office vs $200M budget).
Disney's witchy animated film Hexed could break the curse and conjure a strong box office with its favorable Thanksgiving release window. It will need to really click with audiences to do this and prove its the animated film families should gather in theaters to see together this holiday season.
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