2024 Summer Box Office Drops 10% Despite Deadpool, Wolverine & Inside Out 2’s Success

The 2024 summer box office was filled with ups and downs. While blockbusters like Deadpool & Wolverine and Inside Out 2 helped push the season’s domestic earnings past $3 billion, the overall box office still saw a 10% drop compared to last year.

Let’s take a closer look at how Hollywood fared this summer and what led to this surprising turn of events.

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The Slow Start: Early Summer Struggles

The 2024 summer movie season got off to a rough start. Universal kicked off the season with The Fall Guy, starring Ryan Gosling, which many expected to be a hit.

However, despite solid reviews and a decent amount of buzz, the film struggled to pull audiences into theaters. It grossed less than $100 million domestically, falling short of expectations and starting the season off on a sour note.

To make matters worse, George Miller’s much-anticipated Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga also failed to ignite interest at the box office. Despite being part of the popular Mad Max franchise, the film earned just $67 million domestically, which was disappointing considering its high production costs and early fan excitement.

These two early flops made industry analysts nervous, with some predicting that the 2024 summer season might end up being one of the worst in recent history.

Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

The Mid-Summer Turnaround: Blockbusters Save the Day

Thankfully, things took a turn for the better as summer progressed. Disney saved the day with three major releases that attracted massive audiences: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Inside Out 2, and Deadpool & Wolverine.

1. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
   Released in mid-June, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes overperformed at the box office, earning an impressive $171 million during its domestic run. This was a surprise hit for Disney, especially since other early summer films had underwhelmed.
2. Inside Out 2
   Pixar’s Inside Out 2 was one of the year’s most anticipated animated films, and it lived up to the hype. The sequel to the beloved original movie brought families back into theaters and grossed a massive $650 million domestically. The heartfelt story of emotions resonated with audiences and helped boost Disney’s overall earnings.
3. Deadpool & Wolverine
   The team-up movie Deadpool & Wolverine was another huge win for Disney, raking in $605 million. The combination of Ryan Reynolds as the wisecracking Deadpool and Hugh Jackman’s return as Wolverine proved to be an irresistible draw for superhero fans. The film broke several records and helped prevent the summer box office from sinking further.

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Other Summer Movies: Mixed Success

Several other films made notable contributions to the overall summer box office. Some succeeded, while others struggled to find their footing.

1. Despicable Me 4
   This beloved animated franchise continued to deliver solid results. Despicable Me 4 brought in family audiences and earned a respectable amount at the box office, though it didn’t break any records like Inside Out 2.
2. Twisters
   The sequel to the 1996 disaster movie Twister had moderate success, attracting moviegoers interested in spectacle-driven films. However, it didn’t quite become a blockbuster.
3. Bad Boys: Ride or Die
   The latest installment in the Bad Boys franchise, Ride or Die, continued the trend of action-comedy flicks. It attracted its loyal fanbase but didn’t perform as strongly as some of the other summer releases.
4. Longlegs, Alien Romulus, A Quiet Place: Day One, It Ends With Us
   These films varied in genre, from horror to drama, and each had its own moment in the spotlight. Some, like A Quiet Place: Day One, did well enough to make a mark, while others fell short of expectations. Overall, these mid-tier films provided steady income for theaters but weren’t the massive blockbusters the industry was hoping for.

The Drop in Numbers: 2024 vs. Previous Years

While the success of films like Deadpool & Wolverine and Inside Out 2 helped boost ticket sales, the overall box office for the 2024 summer season still fell short of last year’s numbers. 2024 saw a 10% drop from 2023, despite crossing the $3 billion mark.

Here’s how the 2024 summer box office stacks up against the last 10 years:

Key Points:

• The domestic box office in 2024 grossed $3.6 billion, a solid performance but still a noticeable drop from 2023’s $4 billion.
• The 2020 summer box office remains the lowest of the decade due to the pandemic, earning only $176.2 million.
• Post-pandemic recovery led to a record-breaking summer in 2023, while 2024 held up relatively well but didn’t match the highs of previous years.

Conclusion: A Mixed Summer for Hollywood

In summary, 2024’s summer box office had its bright moments, but it wasn’t without its struggles. Here’s what we can take away from this year’s performance:

• Mixed start: Early summer films like The Fall Guy and Furiosa underperformed, setting a negative tone for the season.
• Blockbusters saved the season: Mid-summer releases like Deadpool & Wolverine, Inside Out 2, and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes helped turn things around, pushing the total earnings past $3 billion.
• Overall drop: Despite the successes of a few major films, the 2024 summer box office still experienced a 10% decline compared to 2023.
• Decade-long trends: The box office has yet to return to the record-breaking numbers of 2018 and 2019, which were bolstered by big franchise films and pre-pandemic enthusiasm for theater-going.

Key Takeaways:

• 2024 summer box office grossed $3.6 billion.
• The top hits were Deadpool & Wolverine with $605 million and Inside Out 2 with $650 million.
• A 10% drop from 2023’s $4 billion earnings.
• Several mid-tier films contributed but didn’t push numbers higher.
• Post-pandemic recovery still underway, but the 2024 box office didn’t fully bounce back to pre-pandemic highs.

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