As a consequence of Hollywood’s tendency to launch riskier, unsure titles at the beginning of yearly, January (or “Dumpuary” for some) can have a nasty fame for the film trade. The field workplace is usually headlined by motion pictures launched on the finish of the earlier calendar 12 months that also have indicators of life, fairly than main new releases popping out and demanding audiences’ consideration.
But, January proved to be a fairly nice time to go to theaters in 2026. Movies from final 12 months, like Avatar: Hearth and Ash, Zootopia 2, The Housemaid, Marty Supreme, and Anaconda, loved sustained curiosity. Primate, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, Mercy, Greenland 2: Migration, Iron Lung, and Ship Assist are however a couple of of the 2026 releases that introduced folks out of their homes.
Hollywood despatched the message final 12 months that everybody simply wanted to make it to 2026, and so they’d begin delivering the kind of tentpoles and degree of success that is been trickier to return by post-pandemic. Whereas most of January’s new releases did not gentle the field workplace up on their very own, the collective efficiency on the field workplace was an encouraging begin to the brand new 12 months.
January’s Home Field Workplace Was The Highest Submit-Pandemic
Now that February is upon us, the January field workplace outcomes have crystallized. 105 motion pictures performed in theaters stateside and contributed to the home field workplace, and they mixed to make $619,534,833 (per Field Workplace Mojo). That is notable as a result of it’s a 13.6% enhance on 2025 and the best January output since 2020.
January 2026 High 10 Field Workplace Home
|
Rank |
Film |
January Gross |
|
1) |
Avatar: Hearth and Ash |
$134,072,804 |
|
2) |
Zootopia 2 |
$69,354,204 |
|
3) |
The Housemaid |
$63,506,962 |
|
4) |
Marty Supreme |
$51,013,457 |
|
5) |
Anaconda |
$31,633,697 |
|
6) |
Primate |
$24,825,958 |
|
7) |
The SpongeBob Film: Seek for SquarePants |
$23,980,804 |
|
8) |
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple |
$23,250,742 |
|
9) |
David |
$21,282,992 |
|
10) |
Track Sung Blue |
$21,196,235 |
Earlier than 2026 got here alongside, the post-pandemic excessive was held by 2023, when 89 motion pictures mixed to make $584,765,684; $222 million of that was from Avatar: The Method of Water alone. This 12 months’s lineup managed to beat the earlier file by $35 million, regardless of this 12 months’s Avatar sequel contributing almost $100 million much less to the field workplace.
Whereas the highest 10 for January’s 2026 home field workplace primarily comprises motion pictures launched in 2025, seven of the eight got here out within the ultimate two weeks of December. Most have been anticipated to have robust legs that might carry them to nice performances in January. The likes of The Housemaid, Marty Supreme, and Track Sung Blue all made extra in January 2026 than they did in December 2025 because of having extra days in theaters.
January’s New Document Gross Is A Good Signal For The Relaxation Of 2026
This does make it seem like 2026 is definitely off to a tough begin, contemplating the dearth of curiosity in actually “new” releases. No 2026 launch has revamped $30 million domestically up to now, which is fairly discouraging, particularly when you think about Sony’s expectations for The Bone Temple (which opened to $30M final summer time and totaled $70M domestically).
However, the general power of January’s field workplace is what issues right here, not which motion pictures are chargeable for that success. Audiences spoke with their wallets, that they are able to go to theaters greater than in years previous. Contemplating the freezing snowstorms which have occurred just lately (which saved 250 to 400 theaters from opening in the course of the January 23-25 weekend), the rise total ought to be seen as a great signal for the remainder of the 12 months.
In any case, January was the primary time since final Could {that a} month’s home field workplace complete elevated year-to-year.
- June 2025: down 14% (in comparison with 2024)
- July 2025: down 5.4%
- August 2025: down 23.7%
- September 2025: down 3.2%
- October 2025: down 7.4%
- November 2025: down 11.8%
- December 2025: down 2.3%
Hollywood has lengthy had religion that 2026 would deliver nice field workplace outcomes. Studio slates present why. Disney has a great deal of blockbusters (The Mandalorian & Grogu, Toy Story 5, Moana, Avengers: Doomsday) on the horizon. Warner Bros. is taking a look at Mortal Kombat II, Supergirl, Evil Useless Burn, The Cat within the Hat, and Dune: Half Three to be massive hits.
Plus, there’s The Tremendous Mario Galaxy Film and Minions 3 from Illumination, Common’s The Odyssey and Disclosure Day, Sony’s Spider-Man: Model New Day and Jumanji 3, Amazon’s Mission Hail Mary and Masters of the Universe, Paramount’s Scream VI and Road Fighter, and Lionsgate’s The Starvation Video games: Dawn on the Reaping and Michael. Netflix might even make waves with Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew.
That is over 20 blockbusters for audiences to be enthusiastic about. And with January setting post-pandemic file totals on the field workplace, folks ought to maintain turning out for 2026’s most anticipated motion pictures. The precise outcomes that include every month and the 12 months as a complete will probably be fascinating to regulate.
2026’s Field Workplace Has A Lot Of Work To Do To Attain Pre-Pandemic Ranges
Even with the good begin 2026 has had, it is price noting we’re nonetheless effectively behind the place issues have been pre-pandemic. January 2020 had a home complete of $897,742,569. That is nearly $280 million greater than the post-pandemic file. You must return to 2000 to discover a pre-pandemic January whose complete surpasses that of 2026.
There’s a likelihood this 12 months bests the post-pandemic home complete file of $8.9 billion, made in 2023, although. With 2026 forward of that landmark 12 months by about $35 million proper now, the loaded lineup of blockbusters nonetheless to return might assist it end with a $9+ billion haul.
That will be a unbelievable end result after the final six years, but it surely’d nonetheless be quick. From 2009 to 2019, the home field workplace eclipsed $10 billion yearly; 2018 set a file, making $11,892,160,011. It might be unfair to count on 2026 to return near these numbers, because it’d mark a virtually $3 billion enhance from the post-pandemic excessive.
So long as audiences maintain going to theaters all 12 months lengthy, 2026’s field workplace ought to maintain setting data and placing Hollywood nearer to the highest-grossing years ever.