2025 Highest-Grossing Film Ne Zha 2 Flops at US Box Office

The 2025 summer box office experienced a disappointing season with total theatrical revenue in the U.S. and Canada dropping slightly to $3.67 billion, down from $3.68 billion in 2024 and well below the $4 billion total seen in 2023. While Superman, starring David Corenswet, was a notable success with over $611 million worldwide, and Disney's live-action 'Lilo & Stitch' grossed around $420 million domestically, there was no breakout blockbuster to drive the market. The Chinese animated film 'Ne Zha 2' became the highest-grossing animated film of all time globally with $2 billion, yet its English-dubbed U.S. release was a box office failure, earning only $1.5 million due to cultural disconnect and audience preference for the original language version. Other films like the supernatural horror 'Weapons' and the re-release of 'Jaws' performed modestly but could not reverse the overall downward trend. Meanwhile, the sci-fi remake 'War of the Worlds' debuted to poor critical reception but gained significant streaming viewership, illustrating a shift in audience behavior from theaters to digital platforms. These trends underscore persistent challenges for the movie industry, including declining theater attendance, overreliance on franchises, and cultural barriers in international film distribution.