Animations Dominate Box Office in 2016

In the last days of 2016, with the announcement of the final sales figures for various films, it became clear that animated and superhero films remained popular among audiences this year. Among the top 5 highest-grossing films of 2016, four were classified as animated works. In this context, Disney and its affiliated studios had a completely successful year. Four Disney products were listed among the top 5 highest-grossing films in cinemas worldwide this year. The highest-grossing film of 2016 was the action superhero film 'Captain America: Civil War,' produced by Marvel and Disney, with a global sales figure of $1.153 billion. The third installment of the Captain America series, which can also be seen as a continuation of the blockbuster 'The Avengers,' met the expectations of fans of this genre. As in recent years, a collection of famous superheroes from comic books came together, and the addition of Iron Man to the group of heroes attracted audience attention. Notably, the film received a favorable reception from critics compared to other similar films. Anthony and Joe Russo directed the film, featuring well-known actors including Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., and Scarlett Johansson. In second place among the highest-grossing films of 2016 was the animated film 'Finding Dory,' produced by Pixar, a Disney company, which grossed $1.027 billion worldwide. This 3D animation, a sequel to the successful 'Finding Nemo,' was successful from its first week of release and set the record for the best opening weekend for an animated film. The story focused on the forgetful character Dory, and both audiences and critics regarded it as one of the best animations of the year. Close behind 'Finding Dory,' the third highest-grossing film of the year was another animation, 'Zootopia,' another Disney product, which grossed only $4 million less than 'Finding Dory.' 'Zootopia,' with a story set in a world of animals but with clear references to the realities of today's world, is a strong contender for the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. This animation, co-directed by Byron Howard and Rich Moore, is also nominated for 11 Annie Awards, which are known as the Oscars for animated films. The live-action animation 'The Jungle Book,' based on the famous story about a child's upbringing in a jungle, was another successful film this year, grossing $966 million, which meant that the top four films in the box office were all related to Disney. Jon Favreau, known for directing the 'Iron Man' films, directed 'The Jungle Book' and is set to produce its sequel as well. The fifth position in the box office list also went to an animation. The 3D animation 'The Secret Life of Pets,' focusing on the hidden lives of pets, grossed $875 million worldwide. This film received less critical acclaim compared to the top four films. A significant portion of this animation's sales can be attributed to its timely release during the summer season. Overall, this year, cinemas around the world had a successful year, with Disney taking the largest share, as its products generated $7 billion in revenue, an unprecedented figure.