Why Disney has Already Won 2019

Disney has long been a titan in the pantheon of cinema, but 2019 just might be a landmark year, and I would recommend purchasing stock before it goes through the roof.

No fewer than six films will certainly cross the $1 billion dollar mark, and the collection in its totality should easily surpass the $10 billion threshold (2019 releases continuing to earn into 2020 included). Personally, I have some interest in the live-action remake genre that has dabbled in years past, only to find an under-the-radar smash hit in 2017's "Beauty and the Beast."

Breaking the films into four distinct categories (Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilms), my prediction is that Disney will carry the five highest grossing films of the year, something that has never been done by a single studio in history.

March is typically the early entries for Box Office supremacy, and we will see "Captain Marvel" take an early lead on the global market. Although highly anticipated and a massive step for Marvel into new territory (powerful female, cosmic powers) it won't echo the success of last year's "Black Panther." Following a few short weeks later is Tim Burton's imaginative take on the beloved classic, "Dumbo." Of all the films on this list, there are perhaps four that I don't intend to see, and "Dumbo" is probably the one I am least interested in.

April brings the documentary "Penguins" as well as the mother of all superhero films, "Avengers: Endgame." Surprisingly, I predict that "Avengers" will fall to fourth place in the annual list. It is certain to be the most satisfying of the films, and I intend to see it multiple times myself, but at three hours, and marking the certain deaths of multiple heroes, it may be a bit too heavy for some audiences. Also, rated PG-13, it loses a certain core demographic that Disney has targeted since the 1930's.

May is when the box office will heat up. "Avengers" will dominate most of the month until "Aladdin" comes out. Headlined by Will Smith as the blue genie, it should do well at the box office, but I don't imagine it will gain the critical acclaim it may be seeking.

June brings "Toy Story 4" which will move "Avengers" to number two on the list, and become the darling of the year until something a bit more frigid hits in November.

In July, it's time to back up the Brinks truck. "Spider-Man: Far From Home" (a Sony release, but in association with Marvel and Disney) is going to be the box office smash that "Black Panther" was last year. Then "Lion King" roars into theatres, and will supplant "Avengers" and "Toy Story" as the box office king of the year.

For those keeping score at home, we now have the top six (or seven) grossing films of the year; "Lion King," "Toy Story 4," "Avengers: Endgame," "Spider-Man: Far From Home," "Aladdin," and "Captain Marvel". "Dumbo" sits on the outside looking in, but don't feel too badly for the floppy-eared elephant, he will still make nine figures.

August brings the lone Disney action film of the year based on the kids novel, "Artemis Fowl." I don't have high hopes for this one, but it should be profitable nonetheless. It has the promise to fill the gap as we all hold our collective breath for the final two films of the year.

November brings the cold, harsh winter, and with it, the unfathomably anticipated "Frozen 2." This will immediately smash records, and will reign as box office queen of 2019, making its permanent mark on boxofficemojo's list of cinematic gladiators. Four films have broken the $2 billion mark in history, and for my money, "Frozen 2" has a strong shot at surpassing its predecessor and hitting that mark.

Closing out the year, we have the finale to the trilogy of trilogies in "Star Wars: Episode IX." It will take strong reviews and audience reception in order to overcome the disappointment of "Episode VIII" which seems a pretty challenging obstacle, even for JJ Abrams.

The executives at Disney Films have brilliantly spaced out their releases to capitalize on the demand and the market, and we will see the highest marketshare in history if you include the Sony/Marvel/Fox collaborations ("Dark Phoenix" and "New Mutants" will expand the X-Men universe this year, setting the table for a whole new world in the ever-expanding MCEU)

Thirty-seven films have grossed over $1 billion in history, and in 2019, Disney will add more than a half dozen films to that order (I predict eight). Not a bad year for a company founded on a mouse. I challenge any other studio to deliver any film that can break into the top six. I give "Pokemon," "Secret Life of Pets 2," and "Hobbs and Shaw" the best shots at climbing the list. Without further ado, here are your highest grossing films of 2019.

1. Frozen 2
2. Lion King
3. Spider-Man: Far From Home (in association with Marvel)
4. Toy Story 4
5. Avengers: Endgame
6. Star Wars: Episode IX
7. The Secret Life of Pets 2
8. Hobbs and Shaw
9. Aladdin
10. Captain Marvel