There’s nothing quite like to see a movie in theaters. They can transport us to an infinite amount of universes and can make us laugh, cry, and cheer as we have never before with our loved ones and strangers alike. However, some rise above the rest and become special cultural moments that draw millions and millions of people from all backgrounds and have those same people cancel all their other plans to grab their popcorn and find a seat no matter what.
These mega-blockbusters sell a mind-boggling amount of tickets and, by looking at the list, you can start to see some patterns as to what it takes to be a member of this exclusive club. First of all, just have your film be directed by James Cameron and there is a pretty good chance you’ll make the list as Avatar, Avatar: The Way of Water, and Titanic are all in the top five. Also, if you happen to be a big MCU event film, there is also a very high probability of success as six of the top 15 are from Marvel’s catalog.
However, there are other big hitters here from the biggest movie franchises, and you can check out all of their worldwide and domestic earnings and a little bit about what made them so special below. Let us know which one is your favorite and which films coming up may have a chance to take down one of these champions!
1. Avatar (Worldwide: $2.93 Billion, Domestic: $785.22 Million)
When Avatar arrived in theaters back in 2009, it made a powerful statement with its groundbreaking visual effects and motion capture, stunning 3D technology, and the introduction of a world in Pandora that would spawn its own section of Disney World and a plan for at least four sequels. Moviegoers couldn’t get enough of the film and the ticket sales rushed in from the start and didn’t stop until it nearly reached $3 billion off a roughly $237 billion budget. Even after almost 14 years, Avatar’s reign atop the highest-grossing films of all time list has rarely been contested.
Read our review of Avatar.
2. Avengers: Endgame (Worldwide: $2.79 Billion, Domestic: $858.37 Million)
The only film to ever come close to toppling the behemoth known as Avatar was Avengers: Endgame, the culmination of the almost 21-year journey known as the Infinity Saga that began with 2008’s Iron Man and was built up with stories from 21 movies before it. Fans had to wait a whole year to see what the true effects of Thanos’ Snap would be, and the excitement was unlike anything seen before. While it doesn’t seem as much when you compare it to its box office earnings, Avengers: Endgame was one of the most expensive films ever made with a reported budget of around $356 million to $400 million.
Read our review of Avengers: Endgame.
3. Avatar: The Way of Water (Worldwide: $2.32 Billion, Domestic: $684.07 Million)
The sequel to 2009’s Avatar was originally aiming to be released in 2014 but, as we all know, it didn’t make its way to theaters until the end of 2022. It started to feel like these so-called Avatar sequels may never happen with delay after delay, but Avatar: The Way of Water landed with such a resounding slam that it reminded us all to never underestimate James Cameron and the power of Pandora. Sure, it didn’t quite soar to the heights of the original Avatar, but $2.31 billion in global box office revenue isn’t the worst consolation prize. Avatar: The Way of Water had an estimated budget of $350 million to $460 million and even James Cameron said the film would need to be the third or fourth highest-grossing film of all time to turn a profit. As you can see here, it did.
Read our review of Avatar: The Way of Water.
4. Titanic (Worldwide: $2.26 Billion, Domestic: $674.29 Million)
James Cameron isn’t content with having just two movies in the top five highest-grossing films of all time. No, he had to go ahead and have a third with his Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet-led tragic retelling of Titanic’s doomed voyage across the sea. 1998’s Titanic was the first film to ever cross $1 billion worldwide and was actually the highest-grossing film of all time until Cameron’s Avatar stormed onto the scene in 2009. In 2012, Titanic sailed back into theaters for a 3D re-release and became just the second film to ever earn $2 billion after Avatar.
5. Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (Worldwide: $2.07 Billion, Domestic: $936.66 Million)
Say what you will about how Star Wars’ sequel trilogy ended, the news and arrival of Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens was a BIG deal. Not only was it the first film in the franchise since Revenge of the Sith and the controversial prequel trilogy, but it was also the first film and major project following The Walt Disney Company’s acquisition of Lucasfilm. The Force Awakens would pave a new path forward in that galaxy far, far away without George Lucas and would aim to honor the past while also introducing the future of what Star Wars would become. That promise translated to massive ticket sales reaching over $2 billion on a budget of roughly $300 million to $450 million as one of the most expensive movies ever made. The Force Awakens would mark the height of Star Wars’ box office prowess, and The Last Jedi’s $1.03 billion and The Rise of Skywalker’s $1.07 billion, while still impressive when compared to other films, just couldn’t quite match it.
Read our review of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
6. Avengers: Infinity War (Worldwide: $2.05 Billion, Domestic: $678.81 Million)
Avengers: Endgame may have beaten out Avengers: Infinity War in the box office race, but Infinity War was the film that proved to the world that Marvel could do it. After 18 films and teases of Thanos and our heroes coming together for one ultimate battle to save everything, Infinity War, on most accounts, lived up to the hype. However, even before that was known, the promise of what was to come was enough to fill millions and millions of seats around the world and translated to a $2.05 billion global box office run. Avengers: Infinity War was the fourth film to cross $2 billion at the box office and the first superhero film to do so.
Read our review of Avengers: Infinity War.
7. Spider-Man: No Way Home (Worldwide: $1.92 Billion, Domestic: $814.11 Million)
Spider-Man: No Way Home may not have been an Avengers movie, but it sure felt like one as it brought together so many characters from the Spider-Man universe that it became nearly as big of an event as any other film. While it wasn’t confirmed until the film’s release, fans around the world had a feeling it would be bringing back Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield to join Tom Holland and a spectacular adventure, and that got people in those seats. There were some issues with the story as a whole, but it delivered on nostalgia and caused some pretty special cheers in the theaters. No Way Home is obviously the highest-grossing Spider-Man film, was the top earner in 2021, and was the first film since 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker to cross $1 billion at the global box office and to do so since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read our review of Spider-Man: No Way Home.
8. Jurassic World (Worldwide: $1.67 Billion, Domestic: $653.40 Million)
This list makes it increasingly clear that films from iconic franchises that come back many years later with some of the original characters in tow are a surefire way to get incredible ticket sales at the box office. Jurassic World had all that going for it in addition to everyone’s love of massive dinosaurs. Jurassic World roared back on the scene with a strong $1.67 billion box office performance that was a big jump from the original’s $978.16 million run and Jurassic Park 3’s $368.78 million one. The sequels never quite reached the height of the original in the new trilogy, but both did cross $1 billion and proved that dinos are here to stay.
Read our review of Jurassic World or see our guide to watching the Jurassic Park movies in order.
9. The Lion King (Worldwide: $1.66 Billion, Domestic: $543.63 Million)
The original The Lion King from 1994 is considered by many to be one of Disney’s greatest films, and it was also one of its most successful with worldwide earnings of $968.51 million. I’m sure the House of Mouse would have loved it to cross the $1 billion mark, so it’s a good thing they decided to give it a live-action remake because it blew past that goal on its way to a $1.66 billion run. The Lion King is the first Disney proper film on the list at #9, and the next closest is Frozen 2’s $1.40 billion at #13. We enjoyed the film, but it did have a mixed reception overall. Despite that, the power of Simba’s tale was enough to skyrocket its ticket sales.
Read our review of The Lion King.
10. The Avengers (Worldwide: $1.52 Billion, Domestic: $623.35 Million)
As the great Nick Fury once said, there was an idea. That idea was to build out the MCU and bring together the greatest heroes and villains together from Marvel’s comics to build a film franchise unlike we’ve ever seen before. 2012’s The Avengers proved that idea was one of the greatest to ever have been had. With a worldwide gross of $1.52 billion, the first of the many team-ups between our heroes was a rousing success that proved that Marvel Studios was able to land this ambitious plane before going on many more.
Read our review of The Avengers.
11. Furious 7 (Worldwide: $1.51 Billion, Domestic: $353.00 Million)
Ever since 2001’s The Fast and the Furious, the racing and action franchise that really is just all about family has gotten bigger and more bombastic with every entry. While they’ve all performed admirably at the global box office, only two films - Furious 7 and The Fate of the Furious - were able to crack the top 100 worldwide highest-grossing films of all time. Furious 7 was the one that sped past all the rest on its way to a $1.51 billion finish and was the film that served as the send-off to the late Paul Walker and his character Brian O’Connor. That emotional beat tied with world-class action and fast cars led to a very successful box office run. Furious 7’s sequel The Fate of the Furious is currently sitting at 22nd with $1.24 billion at the global box office, and the next on the list is Fast & Furious 6’s $788 million at 106.
Read our review of Furious 7.
12. Top Gun: Maverick (Worldwide: $1.49 Billion, Domestic: $718.73 Million)
A lot of people figured Top Gun: Maverick was going to be a big deal, but I don’t think many figured just exactly how big it would end up being. The sequel to 1986’s Top Gun brought back Tom Cruise, and the team behind the film built a story with new and returning characters that was universally praised. Not only was there a ton of heart in the story, but the high-speed scenes with fighter jets that were achieved using unprecedented practical effects all created the perfect storm of a film that kept bringing in ticket sales weeks after its release. At $1.49 billion, it is now proudly sitting near the top of the highest-grossing films of all time.
Read our review of Top Gun: Maverick.
13. Inside Out 2 (Worldwide: $1.46 Billion, Domestic: $600 Million)
Inside Out 2 is officially the highest-grossing animated film of all time as it has earned enough to surpass the icy behemoth known as Frozen II. Alongside that honor, the sequel to the 2015 original is also the fastest animated film to $1 billion globally (19 days), the highest-grossing movie of 2024 and the only one to cross $1 billion, the biggest global animation opening of all time ($292 million) and second-biggest domestic animation opening ($154 million), and the highest-grossing film in industry history in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and Uruguay. This is a huge win for Pixar after a rough few years that began with the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused Disney to release a few of its films exclusively on Disney+
Read our review of Inside Out 2.
14. Frozen II (Worldwide: $1.45 Billion, Domestic: $477.37 Million)
Frozen’s Let It Go may be one of the most iconic Disney songs of all time after it was played millions of times over when the film was first released in 2013, but its sequel is the one that ran ahead of it to a spot in the top 15. Don’t get us wrong, Frozen’s worldwide tally of $1.28 billion is still quite impressive, but it helped boost up the sequel to reach $1.45 billion and pass the likes of Avengers: Age of Ultron and Black Panther. While The Incredibles 2, the live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast, and Finding Dory all passed Frozen 2 at the domestic box office, only the live-action remake of The Lion King could do so on the worldwide stage in the Disney-verse.
Read our review of Frozen 2 or check out everything we know about Frozen 3.
15. Barbie (Worldwide: 1.44 Billion, Domestic: 636.11 Million)
Although the Barbie movie was pitted against Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer in theaters, it quickly joined the ranks of highest grossing movies. Not only that, we saw the two movies converge into a cultural theater event called 'Barbenheimer' to become 2 of the highest grossing films of 2023. The film not only crossed the 1 billion mark globally, but also took the crown as the highest-grossing domestic release in Warner Bros. history at over 600 million. It's also one of the best Margot movies of her career so far.
Read our review of the Barbie movie.
The Biggest Global Box Office Successes for 2024
Inside Out 2 has a comfortable lead in the race for the highest-grossing film of 2024 globally, as its $1.46 billion is ahead of Dune: Part Two's $711.84 million, Despicable Me 4's $580.68 million, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire's $567.65 million, and Kung Fu Panda 4's $545.62 million.
This article was updated on July 24, 2024, to add Inside Out 2 to #13 and drop Avengers: Age of Ultron off the list.
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
