Box Office Summer 2026 Opens $173M, Fewer Studios
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- The Devil Wears Prada 2 opened to $76.7 million, and Lionsgate’s Michael Holding Over earned $54.4 million in its second weekend, giving the summer a $173.1 million cumulative start — the second‑best post‑COVID kickoff per ComScore.
- 2026 domestic box office is already 14 % ahead of the Jan 1‑May 3 period a year earlier, indicating early momentum for the season.
- Paul Dergarabedian of ComScore said the season could rival the 2023 “Barbenheimer” summer that broke the $4 billion pre‑pandemic benchmark.
- Kevin Goetz of Screen Engine noted that only 34 of the 57 wide‑release titles are from major studios with multimillion‑dollar marketing budgets, reflecting a shift toward fewer, higher‑impact films in the streaming era.
- New Line’s Mortal Kombat 2 is projected to open at $50 million, while The Devil Wears Prada 2 is expected to hold in the low $40 million range, showing strong competition among event titles.
Why it matters: Major studios gain from the $173M early haul, while independents lose exposure; the shift to fewer, high‑budget releases squeezes market share for smaller players and tightens competition for theater slots.
