Australian box office passes $1 billion for the first time since 2019 – Australian cinemas have taken more than $1 billion at the box office in 2026, the first time the mark has been reached since 2019. Val Morgan Cinema confirmed the milestone on Tuesday 3 November, using Numero and CineTAM data, Mediaweek reports.
Takings are up 24 per cent on 2025, with nearly two months of the year still to go, according to IF Magazine. Blockbusters, horror hits and a record winter all contributed.
For local cinemagoers, the result caps a year of record months and bigger openings. It also sets up a busy December, when Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three open within a day of each other.
What drove the $1 billion year?
The year’s momentum built steadily. Five months in a row, from April to August, each took more than $100 million, which IF Magazine describes as a record run. May took $119 million, the biggest May on record, while August delivered $123 million.
Winter was the highest-grossing on record. Spider-Man: Brand New Day opened with $30.4 million in late July, beating The Odyssey’s $13.44 million opening a fortnight earlier, Variety Australia reports.
Both films now rank among the 10 highest-grossing releases of all time in Australia. The Odyssey is also the biggest IMAX film ever released here.
The top 10 films of 2026 so far
IF Magazine lists the year’s top titles to date as:
- Spider-Man: Brand New Day – $90.3 million
- The Odyssey – $70.4 million
- Toy Story 5 – $46.6 million
- Michael – $46.5 million
- The Devil Wears Prada 2 – $42 million
- The Super Mario Galaxy Movie – $39.6 million
- Project Hail Mary – $39.6 million
- Obsession – $25.5 million
- Minions & Monsters – $23.6 million
- Wuthering Heights – $20.4 million
Obsession is now the highest-grossing horror film ever released in Australia. Wuthering Heights also gave cinemas their biggest Valentine’s Day weekend since 2016.
What Val Morgan says
Crossing $1 billion is a landmark for Australian cinema.
Guy Burbidge, Managing Director, Val Morgan Cinema
Burbidge credited audiences of every age returning across all genres. He also expects more records in December, describing Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three as “a double act bigger than Barbenheimer”.
The catch: ticket prices and local films
Dollar totals do not show how many tickets were sold. The average adult standard ticket has risen about 30 per cent since 2016, from $13.70 to just under $18, and premium formats are growing fast, ScreenHub notes. Admissions for 2026 are not yet known.
Australian films, meanwhile, hold only about two per cent of the market, according to IF Magazine. Six local titles have passed $1 million, led by Mortal Kombat II at $5.1 million.
What comes next
The year still has major releases ahead. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping opens on 19 November and Focker-in-Law on 26 November. Dune: Part Three follows on 16 December, Avengers: Doomsday on 17 December and Jumanji: Open World on Boxing Day.
In 2019, the Australian box office finished at $1.228 billion, its third-highest year on record. Whether 2026 can match it now depends on those final weeks.
For more cinema news, read TV Central’s report on ACE HOYTS Morley opening before the end of 2026. You can find session times at HOYTS.