It's been another big year for the Disney media empire. Between releasing numerous blockbuster movies and purchasing 20th Century Fox's entertainment holdings, the Mouse House scored a lot of victories over the last 12 months, following up on its impressive performance last year. By the time 2016 ended, Disney was not only the first studio to cross the $7 billion mark globally within a year, it was also responsible for more than half of 2016's box office profits. Well, that #1 streak continues, as Disney once again reigned as the domestic box office champ in 2017 by taking in approximately $2.27 billion.
Beauty and the Beast and Star Wars: The Last Jedi were the heaviest hitters in the Disney movie lineup this year. Beauty and the Beast, which came out on March 17, made $504 million in U.S. theaters, while Star Wars: The Last Jedi has collected over $464 million stateside so far during its two weeks in theaters. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was the third-highest Disney domestic earner with $398.8 million, followed by Thor: Ragnarok at $309.1 million, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales at $172.6 million, Coco at $167.3 million and Cars 3 at $152.9 million. Like in 2016, Disney also released fewer movies compared to other studios, only putting 12 titles, four fewer than its 2016 lineup.
Along with spreading the news of Disney's victory, comScore (via Variety) reported that Warner Bros took second place at the domestic box office in 2017, earning an 18.9% market share compared to Disney's 21.3%. Warner Bros' biggest winner this year was Wonder Woman, which made $412 million in U.S. theaters. IT followed in second place with $327 million, and while Justice League was deemed a commercial disappointment, it nonetheless snagged the bronze with $226.3 million. Warner Bros also reached $2 billion ahead of Disney, hitting that mark on December 10.
As for the other studios, Universal Pictures finished in third place with $1.49 billion domestically, followed by Fox in fourth at $1.37 billion, Sony in fifth with $948 million, Lionsgate in fourth with $879.2 million and Paramount in seventh with $522.7 million. Going back to Disney, the studio clearly has all its bases covered on the theatrical side of things, releasing movies that range from being enjoyable for the whole family to stories geared towards older audiences. Between the studio's traditional animated and live action offerings to the Marvel and Star Wars content, it's no wonder Disney once again reigned supreme in 2017.
Disney has plenty of highly-anticipated movies coming up over the next year, so head to our handy guide to see what the studio will be releasing in 2018 and beyond. You can also see what movies from other studios will be released next year in our 2018 premiere guide.
