Disney Dominates the Top 12 Highest-Grossing Movies of the Year

As 2016 comes to an end, we take a look at the top 12 grossing films of the year! Walt Disney dominated the box office with releases like Finding Dory, Rogue One, and Moana.

Politics and celebrity deaths made 2016 utterly unbearable, but at least there were some highly anticipated movies released to give us all some relief during these dark times. Here are the top 12 grossing films of the year (per Box Office Mojo) that made us think, laugh and awe in amazement.

Finding Dory

Walt Disney – $486,295,561

After waiting for thirteen long years, audiences of all ages finally learned the backstory of Dory, a very forgetful Blue Tang tropical fish voiced by Ellen DeGeneres. Dory is joined by longtime friends Nemo and Marlin on an epic adventure to find her parents and meets plenty of new aquatic friends along the way. Overall, the film is beautifully animated, funny, endearing and Disney’s most successful release of the year!

Captain America: Civil War

Walt Disney – $ 408,084,349

Disney leads again with Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War. When humankind needs saving there’s no better superhuman group better for the duty than the Avengers. But, there’s a rift when Steve Rogers “Captain America” and Tony Stark “Iron Man” branch off into separate superhero groups. Audiences loved this action-packed blockbuster and will return for more mature plots and thought-provoking themes.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Walt Disney – $375,378,705

It wouldn’t be Christmas without a Star Wars movie. 2016 ushered in a different kind of Star Wars story with a darker aesthetic, unlikely heroes, and an epic adventure to destroy a very dangerous weapon. Watching ordinary people do remarkable things for the greater good is what it’s all about, and that will keep fans coming back to a galaxy far, far away.

The Secret Life of Pets

Universal – $368,384,330

We all wonder what our pets are doing when we’re at school or work and this summer we got a glimpse into the lives of a few nutty, heroic furpals. Each were voiced by three comedic superstars: Kevin Hart, Eric Stonestreet and Louis C. K. Here’s a movie that is surprisingly fast-paced, cheerful, loved by kids and fun for adults too.

The Jungle Book

Walt Disney – $364,001,123

Disney dominates yet again with this reimagining of The Jungle Book. This time Mowgli is played by a literal human boy (Neel Sethi) with a host of CGI animals protecting him or hunting him across the jungle. This film is stunning and realistic. This old story is fresh again with fast-paced action, great graphics and talented voice actors like Bill Murray (Baloo), Ben Kingsley (Bagheera) and Idris Elba (Shere Khan).

Deadpool

20th Century Fox – $363,070,709

A raunchy anti-hero stole the hearts of many on Valentine’s Day and quickly became the first official blockbuster of 2016. Now there’s a new expectation for superheroes, and it’s not what anyone expected. Apparently, fans love Deadpool’s dark and twisted sense of humor along with his unique ability to heal ultra fast and bust through the fourth wall, even without his trademark yellow boxes.

Zootopia

Walt Disney – $341,268,248

Zootopia was right on time with a thought-provoking message of acceptance and inclusion. Animals of all kinds live together in the city of Zootopia where all are capable of anything. This is a fast-paced, funny, and  beautifully animated film following a determined police bunny on a mission to break glass ceilings and solve the mystery.

Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice

Warner Bros. – $330,360,194

Batman v. Superman may not have impressed movie critics, but it still managed to entice moviegoers. In this DC Extended Universe film, Batman (Ben Affleck) and Superman (Henry Cavill) share the screen and battle it out for power and the love of humanity.

Suicide Squad

Warner Bros. – $325,100,054

Another anti-hero film proves to be popular, or maybe it was just overhyped. The idea sounded okay: Let’s gather a group of dangerous and expendable villains to defeat a paranormal entity. But critics were harsh when judging this one and rightfully so. The plot was disappointing and the characters were poorly written. I’d rather see a movie focusing on Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) and the Joker (Jared Leto) alone.

Doctor Strange

Walt Disney – $229,461,310

Can anyone be a superhero? Yes. Will we ever get tired of superhero origin stories? Nope. Doctor Strange follows Stephen Strange’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) journey into “superhero-dom”. Strange was once a disgraced surgeon but transforms into a powerful sorcerer, trained under the wing of a mystic known as the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton). Overall, Marvel’s latest superhero proves to be entertaining.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Warner Bros. – $212,315,251

This Harry Potter spinoff story was long awaited and didn’t disappoint audiences who wanted to venture back to the wizarding world. Magic lives on in this new fantasy film franchise led by magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) and inspired by the imagination of beloved author, J.K Rowling.

Moana

Walt Disney – $199,059,039

Okay, Disney, you win. There’s a new independent, hero-princess and her name is Moana (Auli’i Cravalho). This family-friendly adventure film is truly refreshing. Moana has no time for a love interest, not when she has a mission to save her people. Moana partners with Maui the demigod (Dwayne Johnson) to sail across the sea, defeating dangerous foes and beating impossible odds. Music by Lin Manuel-Miranda is featured on the soundtrack.

Next: Millennials: The Musical is a gift from The Rock and Lin-Manuel Miranda

Well that rounds out the most watched of 2016. What are you looking forward to seeing in 2017? Give us the details in the comments below!