2023 Top — Disney Movies
For Disney, 2023 was a year of massive franchise "threequels," highly-anticipated live-action remakes, and an eventual second-place finish in the global box office race behind Universal. While several high-budget projects were viewed as commercial disappointments, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
2. Elemental (Pixar)
- Release Date: June 16, 2023
- Global Box Office: $496 million (Budget: ~$200 million)
- Rotten Tomatoes: 74%
Quick watch-order suggestion (for a weekend binge)
- The Little Mermaid — lighter, musical family start (2–2.5 hours).
- Elemental — original animated drama/comedy (1.5–2 hours).
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania — MCU spectacle (2+ hours).
- Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny — action-adventure capstone (2+ hours).
Break down the box office performance vs. critical ratings for these films disney movies 2023 top
: Initially struggling at the box office, this Pixar film became a "sleeper hit," showing remarkable endurance to gross nearly $500 million [11]. It also became the most-watched movie premiere of 2023 on Disney+ with 26.4 million views in its first five days [4]. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny For Disney, 2023 was a year of massive
Why it's a top pick: Harrison Ford returned for one final ride as the world’s most famous archaeologist, blending nostalgic stunts with a story about the passage of time. Where to Watch Release Date: June 16, 2023 Global Box Office:
4. Elemental (Pixar)
The Comeback Kid
When Elemental opened in June with a paltry $29 million, critics declared it Pixar’s first bomb. Then something magical happened: word of mouth. The film stayed in theaters for four months, slowly crawling to nearly $500 million worldwide.
Elemental was significant for Disney in 2023 as it restored faith in original concepts. After years of Pixar films being shuffled directly to Disney+, the theatrical success of Elemental proved that families were still willing to pay a premium for the communal theatrical experience of a Pixar film, provided the quality was there.