A Decade of Cinematic Domination and Shifting Audience Tastes
Over the past decade, Pakistan’s box office has evolved into one of South Asia’s most dynamic emerging markets for Hollywood films. From modest beginnings in 2016 to the blockbuster saturation of 2025, the transformation reflects both changing audience behavior and the global reach of cinematic storytelling.
The Evolution of Hollywood in Pakistan:
Early releases like Underworld: Blood Wars (2016) opened the doors, but it was Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) and Hobbs & Shaw (2019) that proved Pakistani audiences were ready for big-screen spectacles. Despite challenges from local productions and pandemic shutdowns, Hollywood rebounded strongly post-2022, powered by franchise loyalty and multiplex expansion.
Pakistan Box Office (Hollywood Films Only)
2016–2025 (Excluding Pakistani Productions)
| Rank | Release | Total Gross | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Fate of the Furious | $2,442,235 | 2017 |
| 2 | Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom | $1,292,948 | 2018 |
| 3 | Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw | $1,254,698 | 2019 |
| 4 | Fast X | $909,856 | 2023 |
| 5 | Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle | $891,577 | 2017 |
| 6 | Jumanji: The Next Level | $834,960 | 2019 |
| 7 | Jurassic World: Rebirth | $782,863 | 2025 |
| 8 | Jurassic World: Dominion | $722,629 | 2022 |
| 9 | Spider-Man: Far from Home | $665,852 | 2019 |
| 10 | Spider-Man: Homecoming | $665,551 | 2017 |
| 11 | Oppenheimer | $620,060 | 2023 |
| 12 | Venom | $531,883 | 2018 |
| 13 | John Wick: Chapter 4 | $509,342 | 2023 |
| 14 | The Mummy | $473,308 | 2017 |
| 15 | John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum | $416,317 | 2019 |
| 16 | Ballerina | $268,347 | 2025 |
| 17 | Despicable Me 3 | $247,083 | 2017 |
| 18 | Minions: The Rise of Gru | $220,476 | 2022 |
| 19 | Bad Boys for Life | $211,847 | 2020 |
| 20 | Despicable Me 4 | $196,838 | 2024 |
| 21 | Kung Fu Panda 4 | $189,976 | 2024 |
| 22 | The Grudge | $161,936 | 2020 |
| 23 | Johnny English Strikes Again | $147,075 | 2018 |
| 24 | Skyscraper | $145,316 | 2018 |
| 25 | How to Train Your Dragon (2025) | $144,371 | 2025 |
| 26 | The Exorcist: Believer | $119,973 | 2023 |
| 27 | How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World | $106,705 | 2019 |
| 28 | Knives Out | $94,089 | 2019 |
| 29 | Passengers | $89,255 | 2016 |
| 30 | Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation | $83,646 | 2018 |
| 31 | La La Land | $83,180 | 2016 |
| 32 | The Possession of Hannah Grace | $81,427 | 2018 |
| 33 | Pacific Rim: Uprising | $80,485 | 2018 |
| 34 | Wicked | $77,893 | 2024 |
| 35 | Ouija: Origin of Evil | $74,113 | 2016 |
| 36 | Dolittle | $70,088 | 2020 |
| 37 | The Fall Guy | $66,328 | 2024 |
| 38 | Deepwater Horizon | $61,885 | 2016 |
| 39 | Beast | $61,083 | 2022 |
| 40 | The Invisible Man | $60,177 | 2020 |
| 41 | Don’t Breathe | $58,521 | 2016 |
| 42 | Inferno | $53,833 | 2016 |
| 43 | The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes | $48,227 | 2023 |
| 44 | Five Nights at Freddy’s | $46,049 | 2023 |
| 45 | The Wild Robot | $43,177 | 2024 |
| 46 | The Magnificent Seven | $41,725 | 2016 |
| 47 | Alpha | $38,489 | 2018 |
| 48 | Fantasy Island | $38,393 | 2020 |
| 49 | Ambulence (Ambulance) | $17,692 | 2022 |
| 50 | The Bad Guys 2 | $16,556 | 2025 |
What This Data Shows:
Universal Pictures International (UPI) dominates with 60% of the decade’s top hits.
Sony Pictures Releasing remains the strongest rival, powered by franchises like Spider-Man and Jumanji.
Action-adventure and animation genres are the strongest performers in Pakistan’s Hollywood market.
Fast X and Hobbs & Shaw proved the Fast & Furious franchise is Pakistan’s most bankable Hollywood brand.
The Decade Ahead:
Pakistan’s cinema recovery is in full swing, and Hollywood’s continued presence ensures a stable, high-yield box office environment. With titles like Jurassic World: Rebirth and Oppenheimer paving the way, the 2020s may be remembered as the era when Pakistani audiences fully integrated into the global box office conversation.
Notes:
Major Hollywood releases such as Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Superman, Fantastic Four, and F1 performed strongly across Pakistani cinemas, though official collection figures are not yet confirmed. Exhibitors credited these titles for sustaining cinema footfall during the mid-year months, reflecting continued audience interest in large-scale Hollywood spectacles even when reporting gaps exist in official box office tracking.
