All 3 Of 2025’s $1B+ Movies Have One Big Thing In Common

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The three movies released in 2025 that have each earned over $1 billion at the box office all share a common origin, which makes their success this year particularly interesting. While several films have recently surpassed the $1 billion mark worldwide – some predictably, and others as pleasant surprises – these three stand out due to their shared roots.

2025 has continued the trend of several films earning over a billion dollars at the box office, demonstrating that theatrical releases can still be incredibly successful despite the growing popularity of streaming. What’s particularly notable is that all of this year’s billion-dollar movies have one thing in common, highlighting the power of a frequently overlooked area of filmmaking.

2025’s 3 $1B+ Movies Are All Follow-Ups To Animated Movies

© Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

Despite being very different movies, the top three box office successes of 2025 have one thing in common: they’re all sequels to animated films. Ne Zha 2 earned an impressive $2 billion worldwide, Zootopia 2 quickly became the year’s second-highest grossing film with $1.1 billion, and Lilo & Stitch rounded out the top three, earning $1 billion.

It’s interesting to see a trend of sequels and remakes happening in animation and live-action. While Ne Zha 2 and Zootopia 2 continue their stories as animated sequels, Lilo & Stitch is a live-action reimagining of the original. All three build on previously successful animated films, but this pattern might change with the potential release of another billion-dollar movie in 2025.

2025’s $1B Movie Rule May Be Broken In The Final Days Of The Year

Even with 2025 almost over, several big movies are still scheduled for release, and Avatar: Fire and Ash is expected to be the biggest. Considering the first two Avatar films each earned over $2 billion, this third installment will likely achieve similar success, potentially joining the list of 2025 films that have grossed over $1 billion.

If this film succeeds, it would be unique among the 2025 blockbusters that earned over $1 billion. This is significant because it would prove that sequels aren’t the only films capable of reaching that level of success, and it would highlight just how remarkable those $1 billion results are – with its only comparable film being the newest entry in a franchise that has already earned $5 billion.

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2025-12-16 15:58