Contents
First Thoughts
2025 was one of the most exciting movies we’ve seen in a long time. Movies made a lot of noise again with big franchises, original shocks, and global hits. Not trying to brag, I’m just saying that people showed up.
Ne Zha 2: The Animation Slam Dunk Around the World
Ne Zha 2 is a great way to start. This Chinese cartoon movie made an amazing $2.217 billion around the world, mostly in China. Today, it became the highest-grossing animated film that isn’t in English (Reuters, Uno Peliculas, Cine Parenting). Not real, right? It shows that people want feeling and scale, even if it means subtitles.
Lilo & Stitch (Live-Action): A Great Way to Relive Your Childhood
In 2025, Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch was the first Hollywood movie to make more than $1 billion around the world (Box Office Mojo, People.com, Wikipedia). How did the child star Maia Kealoha feel about that? She asked what a billion dollars is worth. That is too cute Cinemablend, AP News. That movie was great, even though some fans didn’t like the new ending.
Fans > Story in a Minecraft Movie?
It seems crazy, but filming computer games is now a real thing— The Minecraft movie made $955 million around the world. Blend of AP News, gamesradar.com, Box Office Mojo, Wikipedia, Hindustan Times. Not a deep story, but a lot of fan excitement. A lot of people came because they love that blocky world.
Mission: Impossible, Jurassic World: Rebirth, and More
We were ready for a few giants:
About $720M was made from Jurassic World: Rebirth. Wikipedia, AP News, Box Office Mojo.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning made about $588 million around the world and had big scenes right up until the very end (Box Office Mojo).
How to Train Your Dragon ($589M), F1: The Movie ($463M), and Captain America: Brave New World ($415M) are also big hits.
Superman and the Fantastic Four: DC vs. Marvel
James Gunn’s version of Superman made $409M worldwide on a $225M budget, which is good but not amazing. Movies AP News, Wikipedia, Box Office Mojo, Cinemablend.
Additionally, Fantastic Four: First Steps opened to $118M in the US and a total of $218M around the world, making it Marvel’s first $100M opening of the year. It just barely beat Superman around the world, but fans are keeping an eye on things, so things could change.
Sinners and Final Destination: Wins You Didn’t Expect
I really didn’t think Sinners would do so well, but it did. It opened worldwide with $63M, which is the biggest opening for an R-rated original horror movie in recent years. A CinemaScore of 98% RT and 2As from the San Francisco Chronicle and Man of Many are very high marks from critics.
And Final Destination: Bloodlines made $285 million global, bringing back a dead franchise through nostalgia and creative kills.
A Quick Look (It’s Not a List, I Promise)
Earth-shattering animation hit with Ne Zha 2.
The billion-dollar déjà vu in Lilo & Stitch is done well.
Fans win again with a Minecraft movie.
Megahits are planned for Jurassic World and Mission: Impossible.
Sinners: evil that makes money by scaring people.
Related: 7 Easy Tips to Make Your Own Short Films at Home
Highlights from the region: Bollywood’s Saiyaara and Chhaava
Around the world, Chhaava was the most successful Hindi film of 2025, making about ₹800 crore (₹8 billion rupees). Wikipedia, Hindustan Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Box Office Mojo, Man of Many, Times of India, NewsBytes, Alternatives.
Then Saiyaara, which starred newcomers Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, came in second with ₹400 crore global and strong numbers in other countries ($10.8M in just 12 days). Times of India, NewsBytes. It held strong enough that even new movies like Son of Sardaar 2 couldn’t beat it.
What It All Means
That’s it! 2025 felt like both a return to safety and a brave step forward. Global giants like China’s Ne Zha 2 changed the course of history. A huge number of people still watched classic Hollywood movies. And brand-new stories like Sinners and Saiyaara proved that taking risks can pay off.
People seem to want both size and sincerity. A lot of money, yes, but not without love.
Now I’m thinking: what will happen next if movies keep going like this? Another cartoon movie that isn’t from Hollywood that makes $3B? A treat for independents? We’ll see. Writing down my thoughts… ending for now.
Frequently asked questions
Which movie earned the most in 2025?
Ne Zha 2 was the top earner with $2.217 billion globally.
Which Hollywood film crossed the $1 billion mark?
Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch achieved this milestone.
Did the Minecraft movie succeed financially?
Yes, it earned $955 million worldwide despite mixed reviews.
Which Hindi movie was the biggest hit of 2025?
Chhaava became the most successful Hindi film, earning about ₹800 crore globally.
What unexpected hit surprised audiences in 2025?
The horror movie Sinners opened strong with $63M and critical acclaim.
Disclaimer: This blog is for entertainment and informational purposes only. Box office numbers and references are sourced from publicly available reports.
