Disney breaks its own global box office record

It’s been just ten months into the year and Disney has already broken its own record of total global box office gross, which was set last year. Keep in mind that Disney’s biggest movie last year—Star Wars: The Force Awakens— wasn’t released until December.

Disney’s global yearly gross reached $5.851 billion, surpassing the $5.843 billion record it set last year. The record-breaking sum, which was reached two months before the end of the year, has a lot to do with four massive hits Disney released earlier this year. Captain America: Civil War, Zootopia, Finding Dory and The Jungle Book led the charge, combining to gross over $4 billion.

No other studio has crafted a tentpole formula like Disney, and it is succeeding at an impressive rate. With Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar and Disney Animation Studios, Disney has four of the biggest studio branches in the movie landscape.

The more jarring fact is that Disney still has three big films left to pad its record—Doctor Strange, Moana and Rogue One. Conceivably, the total global gross might stand beyond $7 billion before the year ends.

Disney continues to dominate box office with quality

Records are just half of the story with Disney. Big, expensive movies seems like a formula for blockbusters to succeed. But as Warner Bros. can attest, even a box office success can feel like a disappointment if the reviews are terrible. Each of the four big hits Disney had this year had glowing reviews and continued to cement Disney’s status as the top studio right now.

Next year might be even bigger, too, with more Marvel, Star Wars, and animated features scheduled to hit theaters. If you think Disney is strong now, just you wait.