According to data compiled from tracking sites like Box Office Mojo, these were the top five highest-grossing animated films of the year: Movie Title Global Box Office Primary Studio The Super Mario Bros. Movie $1.361 Billion Illumination / Universal 2 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse $690.5 Million Sony Pictures Animation 3 Elemental $496.1 Million Pixar / Disney 4 Migration $296.0 Million Illumination / Universal 5 Wish $246.0 Million Walt Disney Animation The Year's Defining Masterpieces 1. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
One of the most significant trends of 2023 was the maturation of American mainstream animation. , released in June, shattered expectations of what superhero animation could look like. Building on its 2018 predecessor, the film introduced a kaleidoscope of visual styles—mixing watercolors, comic book halftones, and glitch art—to represent different dimensions. More importantly, its story tackled themes of identity, destiny, and parental expectation. The film’s critical and commercial success (grossing over $690 million worldwide) sent a clear message: audiences crave risk-taking animation that respects their intelligence. Similarly, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem reimagined the franchise with a scrappy, sketch-like aesthetic, using visible pencil lines and imperfect textures to create a sense of adolescent chaos, reinforcing how artistic choices can mirror thematic content. animated movie 2023