#1 of 9 #1 action movie of January 2026
2026 · Action, Thriller
$56.2M worldwide · 28% of the chart's total
$12.8M US & Canada · 23% $43.4M elsewhere · 77%
Action box office · January 2026
Action Box Office, January 2026: Top-Grossing Releases
Shelter (2026) is the highest-grossing action movie released in January 2026, with $56.2M worldwide, ahead of Mercy (2026) at $54.7M and Greenland 2: Migration (2026) at $45.2M. 9 action films released in January 2026 report a worldwide gross, $198.2M in all, 30% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 88% on December 2025, whose releases took $1.7B. By language, English leads with $157.3M across 6 action releases.
- January 2026 releases with a gross
- 9
- combined worldwide
- $198.2M
- Shelter (2026), the #1
- $56.2M
- vs December 2025
- −88%
#1 of 9 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Action Hits of January 2026?
Shelter (2026) leads with $56.2M, 28% of the total. The top 5 together took $196.2M, 99% of what all 9 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.
- Number 1
-
Number 2 -
Number 3 -
Number 4 -
Number 5 $1.2M Lupin the IIIRD: The Movie - The Immortal Bloodline (2026)$121.5K US & Canada · 10% $1.1M elsewhere · 90%
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Action Release of January 2026, Ranked by Worldwide Gross
Lifetime worldwide grosses in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation; domestic means the US & Canada. Films are grouped by their release date in January 2026.
- 1 Jan 30, 2026 US and Canada: $12.8M Rest of the world: $43.4M Worldwide: $56.2M
- 2 Jan 23, 2026 US and Canada: $24.4M Rest of the world: $30.3M Worldwide: $54.7M
- 3 Jan 6, 2026 US and Canada: $17.8M Rest of the world: $27.4M Worldwide: $45.2M
- 4 Jan 30, 2026 US and Canada: $1.9M Rest of the world: $37M Worldwide: $38.9M
- 5 Lupin the IIIRD: The Movie - The Immortal Bloodline (2026)Jan 4, 2026 US and Canada: $121.5K Rest of the world: $1.1M Worldwide: $1.2M
Jan 4, 2026 · Japanese · Animation, Action, Adventure $1.2M worldwide - 6
Jan 28, 2026 US and Canada: $801.6K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $801.6K - 7
Jan 16, 2026 US and Canada: $695.3K Rest of the world: $46.3K Worldwide: $741.6K - 8
Jan 16, 2026 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $275.4K - 9
Jan 30, 2026 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $189.6K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in January 2026?
Of the top 9, The Wrecking Crew (2026) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Back to the Past (2026) made 95% of its gross abroad. Across all 9 films, $58.5M (30%) came from the US & Canada. 2 films of the top 9 report no US & Canada figure.
- 1 Shelter (2026) $56.2M $12.8M US & Canada · 23% $43.4M elsewhere · 77%
- 2 Mercy (2026) $54.7M $24.4M US & Canada · 45% $30.3M elsewhere · 55%
- 3 Greenland 2: Migration (2026) $45.2M $17.8M US & Canada · 39% $27.4M elsewhere · 61%
- 4 Back to the Past (2026) $38.9M $1.9M US & Canada · 5% $37M elsewhere · 95%
- 5 Lupin the IIIRD: The Movie - The Immortal Bloodline (2026) $1.2M $121.5K US & Canada · 10% $1.1M elsewhere · 90%
- 6 The Wrecking Crew (2026) $801.6K $801.6K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 7 All You Need Is Kill (2026) $741.6K $695.3K US & Canada · 94% $46.3K elsewhere · 6%
- 8 Killer Whale (2026) $275.4K No US & Canada figure reported
- 9 Worldbreaker (2026) $189.6K No US & Canada figure reported
By release week
Which Week of January 2026 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 5 (Jan 25–31) took $96.1M, led by Shelter (2026). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 1 Wk 1 Jan 1–3 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 2 Wk 2 Jan 4–10 Greenland 2: Migration (2026) $46.4M Greenland 2: Migration (2026)
- Week 3 Wk 3 Jan 11–17 All You Need Is Kill (2026) $1M All You Need Is Kill (2026)
- Week 4 Wk 4 Jan 18–24 Mercy (2026) $54.7M Mercy (2026)
- Week 5 Wk 5 Jan 25–31 Shelter (2026) $96.1M Shelter (2026)
Earlier years
How Does January 2026 Compare With January in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, January 2017 earned the most: $1.4B from 24 films, led by xXx: Return of Xander Cage (2017). January 2026 took $198.2M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 2017 24 films | 24 | $1.4B | – | xXx: Return of Xander Cage (2017) $346.1M |
| January 2018 26 films · −50% | 26 | $691.3M | −50% | Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018) $288.2M |
| January 2019 28 films · −6% | 28 | $651.7M | −6% | Glass (2019) $247M |
| January 2020 26 films · +53% | 26 | $998.3M | +53% | Bad Boys for Life (2020) $426.5M |
| January 2021 14 films · −94% | 14 | $57.7M | −94% | The Marksman (2021) $23.1M |
| January 2022 11 films · −44% | 11 | $32.1M | −44% | The 355 (2022) $27.8M |
| January 2023 22 films · +2556% | 22 | $852.9M | +2556% | The Wandering Earth II (2023) $615M |
| January 2024 19 films · −78% | 19 | $189.9M | −78% | The Beekeeper (2024) $162.6M |
| January 2025 22 films · −26% | 22 | $139.6M | −26% | Den of Thieves 2: Pantera (2025) $58.4M |
| January 2026 9 films · +42% | 9 | $198.2M | +42% | Shelter (2026) $56.2M |
By language
Which Languages Do the Biggest Action Movies Speak in January 2026?
English-language action films took $157.3M across 6 films, 79% of the total, ahead of Chinese-language action films ($38.9M) and Japanese-language action films ($1.9M).
Archive
Action Box Office in 2026, Month by Month
The months of 2026 with their totals: July leads with $2.9B, led by Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026).
- January $198.2M #1 Shelter (2026)
- February $424M #1 Blades of the Guardians (2026)
- March $21.4M #1 They Will Kill You (2026)
- April $62.2M #1 Exit 8 (2026)
- May $664.1M #1 Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026)
- June $548.5M #1 Disclosure Day (2026)
- July $2.9B #1 Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026)
- August $420.2M #1 PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie (2026)
- September $732.3M #1 Resident Evil (2026)
- October $1.1M #1 Beware Boiúna (2026)
- November so far No grosses
FAQ
Action Box Office January 2026: Questions & Answers
The chart's numbers in short: the #1 film, the total, the billion-dollar hits and the US & Canada share, answered from the same 9 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing action movie in January 2026?
Shelter (2026) leads with $56.2M worldwide, $12.8M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Mercy (2026) at $54.7M and Greenland 2: Migration (2026) at $45.2M.
How much did action movies released in January 2026 earn?
9 action films released in January 2026 report a worldwide gross, $198.2M in all, or $22M per film on average. December 2025 releases took $1.7B.
How many action movies released in January 2026 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Shelter (2026), earned $56.2M.
How is the January 2026 action box office chart ranked and where do the numbers come from?
Films are ranked by lifetime worldwide gross in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation, and grouped by their release date in January 2026. The figures are the reported box office grosses in our database. A gross that looks misattributed, such as one figure shared by two unrelated films or a blockbuster total on an obscure title, is left out rather than shown as a fact.
How often is the January 2026 action box office chart updated?
Grosses change while films are in theaters and whenever a new figure is reported; this chart reads the latest numbers in our database, so an older film can still move after a re-release.