Though we are nearly two years away from December 2026, it seems like Christmas 2026 has already arrived! December 2026 is shaping up to be one of the biggest months for Hollywood in terms of box office, as it will witness the release of not one, not two, but four big-budget productions from popular franchises. Without further ado, let’s take a look at them!
Let’s start with the highly anticipated Shrek 5. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the fifth entry has been pushed back to December 23, 2026. Initially, it was supposed to arrive in theatres in Summer 2026. The Shrek franchise is one of the biggest and most prominent from DreamWorks and Universal. Its upcoming fifth installment will mark the franchise’s return after a 16-year gap since Shrek Forever After (2010). While the critical reception for the last two Shrek movies was less enthusiastic compared to the first two, all of these entries were box office juggernauts during their theatrical runs.
Another factor working in favour of Shrek 5 is the franchise’s enduring popularity among fans. Fans have an enduring love for Mike Myers’ titular ogre and Eddie Murphy’s Donkey. The Shrek series has stood the test of time, remaining a popular and gigantic pop-culture phenomenon after all these years. Entering the $1 billion club should be an easy feat for the fifth entry.
Replacing Shrek 5 is Minions 3, another guaranteed box office winner for Universal. The latter is now set to release in the summer of 2026.
Another big animated project releasing in December 2026 is Ice Age 6 (December 18), which is now being produced by 20th Century Animation, one of the key subsidiaries of Walt Disney Studios.
The Ice Age franchise nearly died with the release of Collision Course in 2016. The only reason Collision Course exists today is that it was nothing more than a feeble cash-grab attempt from Blue Sky Studios. Or should we say it was a product of pure desperation? Call it whatever you want, but we believe most will agree when we say that the 2016 entry was absolute garbage. Yet, not all is lost for the franchise.
Considering the 10-year gap between Collision Course and Ice Age 6, the latter project could emerge as a significant improvement over its predecessor and potentially revive fans’ interest in the franchise. Yes, it’s a long shot! But nothing is impossible. With a decade-long gap, 20th Century Animation has a golden opportunity to deliver a sequel that actually satisfies. This long wait could significantly boost the film’s hype and improve its chances of becoming a major box-office success.
Releasing on the same day (December 18) is the untitled mystery movie from modern-day filmmaking maestro Denis Villeneuve. While little is known about the project, we can safely expect it to perform well at the box office—it’s a Villeneuve movie, after all!
Jumanji 4 is another mammoth production scheduled for a December 2026 release (December 11). While the Jumanji movies are far from perfect, they are highly entertaining in their own way. Most importantly, fans love the series, which is more than enough for Sony. People still remember the original 1995 classic starring the legendary Robin Williams. It was a major financial success, earning over $262 million globally against a $60 million budget. Twenty-two years later, we witnessed the arrival of its sequel, Welcome to the Jungle (2017), which took the box office by storm, earning over $962 million globally. This was followed by The Next Level (2019), which grossed over $800 million. Jumanji 4 is another guaranteed box office hit for Sony. Stay tuned for more updates!
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