On June 20, 1975, Steven Spielberg’s Jaws made a colossal splash at the U.S. box office and established the phenomenon known as the summer blockbuster. The shark-centric horror grossed $450 million worldwide, a success partially attributed to its fortuitously timed release.

Movie ticket sales spike in the summer, with parents looking to occupy their kids’ school-free days and other audiences looking for an activity to fill long summer nights. This profitable period runs from the first Friday in May through Labor Day.

The power of the summer blockbuster season has waned in recent years, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the season still accounts for about 40% of total annual earnings in the U.S. (via Los Angeles Times). In 2025, the U.S. box office amassed over $3.6 billion during the summer period.

To further capitalize on elevated movie-going habits in the warmer months, studios will hold their more profitable content for a summer release. This leads to an annual box office showdown among a slew of popular blockbusters. The box office winners tend to be kids’ movies, superhero flicks, or franchise follow-ups. However, there have been upsets that disrupted this reliable pattern.

Less than a week into the blockbuster season, there is already heavy conjecture as to which of the many top films will win at the 2026 summer box office. Some insight into the potential winner may be gleaned by looking back at the biggest summer movies of the last decade (via Box Office Mojo).

Finding Dory (2016)

Following thirteen years of build-up, this Finding Nemo sequel swept the U.S. box office in 2016. Released on June 17, Finding Dory grossed $482.8 million by Labor Day. The family feature went on to become the highest-grossing movie of the year, making $486.2 million domestically and over $1 billion worldwide.

Finding Dory had the makings of a box office champion and was a clear favorite going into the summer season. It came from the reliable Disney-Pixar studios, catered to an existing and fervent fanbase, and featured an A-list cast. The creators and actors behind the beloved 2003 fish film reunited for the monumental sequel, including director Andrew Stanton and voice actors Ellen DeGeneres and Albert Brooks.

Wonder Woman (2017)

Superhero movies are highly favored in the summer blockbuster showdown, and 2017 was no exception. Warner Bros. Pictures released the first Gal Gadot Wonder Woman feature on June 2. By Labor Day, the movie had amassed $409.5 million domestically.

This impressive showing made Wonder Woman the highest-grossing movie of the summer, but not the year. That honor went to the latest Star Wars installment, The Last Jedi. Still, the film’s summer box office domination was an impressive feat.

In an upset, the DC Universe film beat Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man: Homecoming by more than $78 million. More impressively, Wonder Woman won this showdown with a slightly lower budget than Spider-Man, costing $149 million compared to Sony’s $175 million budget.

Incredibles 2 (2018)

Fourteen years after the climactic ending of The Incredibles, the highly anticipated follow-up was released. The Incredibles 2 saw director Brad Bird’s long-awaited return to the franchise.

The Disney-Pixar sequel brought audiences the same beloved characters and energy of the first film, with improved computer animation. Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter reprised their roles as the incredible couple, and director Bird revisited his lauded performance as Edna Mode.

Released on June 15, The Incredibles 2 was an immediate sensation. The family film grossed $602.5 million at the U.S. box office by Labor Day. By the end of its full run, the movie amassed $608.5 million domestically and over $1 billion worldwide. The Incredibles 2 was the biggest movie of the summer, but Black Panther went on to become the biggest movie of the year.

The Lion King (2019)

Disney live-action remakes are reliably profitable. This trend continued with the live-action adaptation of Disney’s beloved animation, The Lion King.

The film garnered wide attention for its astounding, nearly shot-for-shot CG recreation of the original animation. A star-studded cast also turned heads, featuring voice performances from Beyoncé (Nala), Donald Glover (Simba), and James Earl Jones (Mufasa).

Disney released its live-action re-imagining of The Lion King on July 19, 2019. Directed by Jon Favreau, the blockbuster grossed $523.5 million at the U.S. box office by Labor Day. Overall, the film made $1.6 billion worldwide.

Despite its impressive figures, The Lion King was not the highest-grossing movie of the year. That title went to the record-breaking Avengers: Endgame. Still, its billion-dollar earnings made The Lion King the most profitable Disney live-action remake yet.

Tenet (2020)

Theaters were shuttered during the summer of 2020, amid the novel COVID-19 pandemic. Studios pulled their films from the theatrical calendar, saving them for a more profitable future. However, Christopher Nolan’s Tenet was a beacon of hope for the theatrical market.

Initially set to debut July 17, Warner Bros. pushed Tenet’s theatrical release to September 3 (via Variety). The Nolan epic made $19 million domestically during its five-day summer run. After Labor Day, the movie went on to gross a total of $58.5 million in the U.S. and $365.3 million worldwide.

Tenet’s pandemic-era earnings were respectable for the time, but it saw increased success following its AVOD release. Warner Bros. re-released the film to theaters in 2022, with little impact on its overall earnings.

Black Widow (2021)

Movie theater attendance remained dismal in the summer of 2021, amid the ongoing pandemic. Studios reluctantly released their films into the unstable market, causing a slight but ultimately insignificant uptick in movie-going.

Disney pushed the theatrical premiere of Black Widow from early May to July 9 and simultaneously streamed it on Disney+— for an additional fee (via Reuters). The decision to axe an exclusive theatrical window for the film was controversial, particularly among film exhibitors. However, Black Widow still made a reasonable profit at the box office, considering the circumstances.

By Labor Day, the Marvel movie grossed $182.6 million at the U.S. box office. At the end of its theatrical run, Black Widow had brought in $183.6 million to the U.S. box office and $379.7 million worldwide.

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Box office earnings soared to pre-pandemic heights with the record-breaking release of Top Gun: Maverick. The revival of 1986’s Top Gun landed in theaters on May 27, 2022.

The Tom Cruise action blockbuster earned $701.2 million domestically during its summer run, and $718.7 million by the end of its U.S. release. Maverick grossed a worldwide total of nearly $1.5 billion and $3.3 billion cumulatively.

Directed by Joseph Kosinski, the movie spent twenty consecutive weeks in the domestic box office Top 10. The cultural phenomenon became the highest-grossing movie of 2022 in the United States. Maverick remains among the top-five highest-grossing PG-13 movies of all time in the United States (via Box Office Mojo).

Barbie (2023)

In summer 2023, the internet dropped a genius marketing ploy into distributors’ laps.

A pop-pink flick about a doll and an epic about the creation of the nuclear bomb simultaneously released in theaters. Warner Bros’ Barbie and Universal Pictures’ Oppenheimer opened in theaters on Jul 21, 2023. This coincidence sparked a viral trend coined “Barbenheimer,” in which viewers attended both distinct films in one day.

The phenomena generated impressive revenue for both films, with Barbie ultimately coming out on top. Directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie, Barbie earned $612.3 million before Labor Day and $636.2 million total at the U.S. box office. Overall, the film made a whopping $1.4 billion worldwide and $4 billion cumulatively—topping some pre-pandemic earnings.

Inside Out 2 (2024)

Inside Out 2 far outperformed its predecessor at the box office, benefiting from an existing fan base. The 2024 sequel built on protagonist Riley Andersen’s psychological development and introduced complex emotions such as nostalgia and anxiety.

Disney Studios released Inside Out 2 on June 14, the middle of the blockbuster season. The Disney-Pixar feature grossed $650.8 million at the U.S. box office by Labor Day. Throughout its release, Inside Out 2 made $652.9 million domestically and $1.6 billion worldwide.

The sequel outsold the original film by over $296 million in the U.S. alone and $839 million worldwide. Inside Out 2 was the highest-grossing movie of 2024, beating the incredibly popular Wicked.

Lilo & Stitch (2025)

Lilo & Stitch is the second Disney live-action remake to top the summer box office in the last decade. While it did not surpass the performance of 2019’s The Lion King, the film swept the 2025 theatrical charts. The remake impressively brought the 2002 animation to life, with an estimated budget of $100 million.

Disney released the live-action Lilo & Stitch on May 23, 2025—the top of the blockbuster season. By Labor Day, the remake had amassed $423.3 million at the U.S. box office. By the end of its theatrical run, Lilo & Stitch grossed $423.7 million domestically and over $1 billion worldwide.

This summer blockbuster was the second-highest-grossing movie of 2025, behind A Minecraft Movie. The recent success of the live-action Lilo & Stitch may bode well for Moana, coming to theaters in July 2026.