Though there’s still over five months of 2026 to go, the Golden Globes already have plenty of titles to consider for the 2026 Cinematic and Box Office Achievement award. The marketplace has been in more robust form compared to recent times, with the North American box office on track for its biggest year since COVID lockdowns. Per reports, total domestic grosses hit $5.4 billion after the weekend of July 18, putting this year 10% higher than the 2025 box office was at the same point in the calendar.

That’s thanks to “The Odyssey,” which debuted with a massive $123.5 million across its three-day opening. That’s the biggest live-action debut of the year so far, as well as the biggest for director Christopher Nolan since he was the steward of the “Batman” franchise.

Following his Golden Globe-winning drama “Oppenheimer,” the filmmaker has delivered another summer event with his impressively realized adaptation of Homer’s ancient poem. “The Odyssey” sports a massive ensemble, led by Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya and Charlize Theron, but it’s Nolan himself who seems to be the biggest name for audiences. Universal bet big on the director’s vision and the first few days of release have already shown that he is in a league of his own as a theatrical draw.

But Nolan isn’t the only filmmaker who has drawn a crowd this year. Earlier this summer, two horror films, both debut features, made huge splashes and instantly launched their directors as talent to watch. Kane Parsons’ “Backrooms,” a feature adaptation of the filmmakers’ online videos about labyrinthine extradimensional hallways, has become A24’s highest-grossing release ever, earning more than $384 million worldwide off of a slim $10 million production budget.

Curry Barker’s battle-of-the-sexes thriller “Obsession” saw an even bigger return on investment; after being produced for less than $1 million, the Focus Features acquisition has grossed $442 million worldwide. Even more impressive, “Obsession” pulled the rare modern feat of growing in admissions after its debut; only 6% of its total domestic earnings were earned in its first weekend, a business anomaly that speaks to the film’s phenom factor.

What really threw the Hollywood old guard for a loop was the impressive youth behind both films: Barker is 26, while Parsons is 21.

Several of Hollywood’s crown jewel franchises proved their staying power this year. Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 5” has remained a juggernaut through the summer, looking to cross a $1 billion global gross in the coming days. Universal and Illumination Entertainment’s video game adaptation “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” already surpassed the billion-dollar mark, while the studios’ showbiz-sendup “Minions & Monsters” has earned $360 million globally since releasing at the start of July.

Other big-name directors are also represented, including Steven Spielberg with “Disclosure Day.”

Disney successfully followed up the 2006 “The Devil Wears Prada,” reuniting its cast and crew for a comedy sequel that played like a global blockbuster. “Prada 2” has earned more than two-thirds of its grosses overseas, with a global total nearing $700 million.

Back in the spring, Amazon MGM Studios secured its biggest box office hit ever with “Project Hail Mary,” turning Andy Weir’s bestselling science-fiction novel into a crowdpleaser space odyssey led by Ryan Gosling. And Lionsgate’s “Michael” successfully courted Michael Jackson’s enduring global fanbase, earning more than $1 billion globally and becoming the highest-grossing biopic of all time.

Looking ahead, Sony Pictures Releasing will bow Marvel’s “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” at the end of July, reintroducing Tom Holland as the friendly neighborhood webslinger in what is sure to be one of the year’s biggest hits. Studios have high expectations for a slew of sequels at the end of the calendar, including “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” and “Focker-in-Law” around Thanksgiving and “Avengers: Doomsday,” “Dune: Part III” and “Jumanji: Open World” for the holidays.

There will doubtlessly be several more unexpected breakouts through the remaining months. Keep an eye on the psychological thriller “Verity,” the latest Colleen Hoover adaptation after a gold rush erupted around the author with “It Ends With Us.” Also look for a potential Christmastime sleeper with “Werwulf,” director Robert Eggers’ follow-up to his breakout horror period piece “Nosferatu.” Plus, streaming originals remain eligible for the Golden Globes category of Box Office and Cinematic Achievement should they draw a big enough viewership; Netflix’s “Kpop Demon Hunters” scored a nomination last year on those grounds.

As of this article’s publication, here are films that currently qualify for the Box Office and Cinematic Achievement category, in alphabetical order.

“Backrooms”

“The Devil Wears Prada 2”

“Disclosure Day”

“GOAT”

“Hoppers”

“Michael”

“Minions & Monsters”

“Obsession”

“The Odyssey”

“Project Hail Mary”

“Scary Movie”

“Scream 7”

“Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu”

“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie”

“Toy Story 5”