Highest-Grossing Movies in the U.S.
In this golden age of streaming, movie theaters have stiff competition with viewers' sofas. But don't expect Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus to ever replicate that big-screen experience. The figures speak for themselves.
In fact, 2019 was a record year for the global box office, with ticket sales reaching an all-time high of more than 42.5 billion. Seven movies from 2019 made it into the top 40 of the highest-grossing movies at the U.S. box office.
Here’s the full list. Just bear in mind that box-office records don't account for things like inflation of ticket prices.
40. Spider-Man: Far From Home
Note: All data is from Box Office Mojo.
Year released: 2019
Lifetime gross: $390,532,085
Bottom Line: Spider-Man: Far From Home
The most recent installment in the "Spider-Man" series, 2019’s "Far From Home" surpassed "Skyfall" as Sony’s highest-grossing-film of all time. However, it doesn’t match the gross domestic success of 2002’s "Spider-Man," the first film in the series.
In terms of critical response, "Far From Home" scores 91 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, coming second of all Spider-Man movies after 2017’s "Homecoming," which scores 92 percent.
39. Frozen
Year released: 2013
Lifetime gross: $400,738,009
38. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Year released: 2009
Lifetime gross: $402,111,870
Bottom Line: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" is the sequel to 2007's "Transformers," and it surpassed its predecessor at the box office, grossing a total of $402.1 million in the U.S. and Canada and a total of $836.3 million worldwide.
This made it the highest-grossing domestic film of the year. Not bad, when you take into account the largely negative reception and the fact that it won three Golden Raspberry Awards, including the Worst Picture Award.
37. Jurassic Park
Year released: 1993
Lifetime gross: $404,214,720
Bottom Line: Jurassic Park
The 1993 sci-fi adventure "Jurassic Park" grossed over $914 million worldwide in its original theatrical run, making it the highest-grossing film of 1993 and the highest-grossing film to date, a record it maintained until "Titanic" came along in 1997.
The multi-award-winning movie was rereleased in 3D in 2013 to mark its 20th anniversary, and at this point, it became the 17th film to surpass $1 billion at the global box office.
36. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
Year released: 2017
Lifetime gross: $404,540,171
Bottom Line: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
The 2017 comedy adventure "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" was a direct sequel to 1995’s "Jumanji," and it's the 18th-highest-grossing domestic movie of 2017.
According to a Deadline calculation, it was also the year’s fourth-most-profitable release, based on a net profit of $305.7 million.
This serves as a reminder that the highest-grossing movies aren’t always the most profitable.
35. Spider-Man
Year released: 2002
Lifetime gross: $407,022,860
34. The Hunger Games
Year released: 2012
Lifetime gross: $408,010,692
Bottom Line: The Hunger Games
Taking its $78 million budget into account, "The Hunger Games" was a huge box-office success when it was released in 2012.
It grossed over $694 million worldwide, securing its spot as the third-highest-grossing film in the U.S. and the ninth-highest-grossing film of the year.
Amongst its multiple records, "The Hunger Games" achieved the strongest opening weekend total for a spring release, not accounting for inflation.
33. Captain America: Civil War
Year released: 2016
Lifetime gross: $408,084,349
Bottom Line: Captain America: Civil War
The sequel to 2011's "Captain America: The First Avenger" and 2014's "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," "Captain America: Civil War" was the 13th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
It was briefly the highest-grossing film of 2016, before being overtaken by "Finding Dory" and "Star Wars: Rogue One — A Star Wars Story."
After its initial release, "Captain America: Civil War" was the 12th-highest-grossing film of all time.
32. Iron Man 3
Year released: 2013
Lifetime gross: $409,013,994
Bottom Line: Iron Man 3
The highest-grossing film in the "Iron Man" series is the third and final instalment — 2013’s "Iron Man 3."
It grossed $409 million in North America and $1.215 billion globally, more than both of its predecessors combined. After its initial release, it was the fifth-highest-grossing movie of all time.
Additionally, "Iron Man 3" is the sixth-highest-grossing Marvel movie to date.
31. Wonder Woman
Year released: 2017
Lifetime gross: $412,563,408
Bottom Line: Wonder Woman
If the world needed proof that a female superhero could kick ass and bring in the money just as well as her male counterparts, it came in 2017 in the form of Gal Gadot’s "Wonder Woman."
The Warner Bros. release became the highest-grossing superhero origin movie of all time, surpassing the box office takings of "Spider-Man" (2002).
In the U.S., "Wonder Woman" was the third highest-grossing film of 2017. As of December 2020, it also ranks fourth on Rotten Tomatoes' list of the Best Superhero Movies of All Time.
30. Toy Story 3
Year released: 2010
Lifetime gross: $415,004,880
Bottom Line: Toy Story 3
Not far behind "Toy Story 4" is the third adventure from Woody, Buzz and company. Released in 2010, "Toy Story 3" earned more than the previous two movies combined.
It also became the second Pixar film (after "Up") and third animated film overall (after "Beauty and the Beast" and "Up") to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.
It didn’t win, but it did take home the golden statuettes for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song.
29. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Year released: 2018
Lifetime gross: $417,719,760
Bottom Line: Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
The second-highest-grossing film in the "Jurassic World" franchise, 2018’s "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" was the third release of the year to surpass the $1 billion mark, after "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Black Panther."
It became the 35th film of all time to reach the milestone, without adjusting for inflation.
A month after its release, "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" was the fifth-highest-grossing movie of all time.
28. The Lion King
Year released: 1994
Lifetime gross: $422,783,777
Bottom Line: The Lion King
Disney’s original "Lion King" of 1994 may trail behind the 2019 remake in terms of box office success, but roles would be reversed if figures were adjusted for inflation.
In 2020 money, the first movie’s lifetime gross is worth $835,301,768. The fact that it was released 25 years ago makes its No. 28 position on this list all the more impressive.
"The Lion King" also won two Academy Awards for its achievement in music and the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy.
27. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
Year released: 2006
Lifetime gross: $423,315,812
Bottom Line: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
Of the five movies in Disney’s "Pirates of the Caribbean" series, the second instalment, "Dead Man’s Chest," is the most successful.
Three years after the release of the first movie, "Dead Man’s Chest" became only the third film to make over $1 billion at the global box office.
At the time of release, "Dead Man’s Chest" was the third-highest-grossing film of all time, behind "Titanic" and "The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King."
26. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Year released: 2013
Lifetime gross: $424,668,047
Bottom Line: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," the 2013 sequel to 2012’s "The Hunger Games," wasn’t quite the biggest U.S. opener of the year. Its $158 million takings fell short of the $174 million for "Iron Man 3." However, it outperformed "The Hunger Games" and became the most successful November opener of all time.
Overall, it ranked as the fourth biggest U.S. opening of all time, behind "The Avengers," "Iron Man 3" and "Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part II."
25. Captain Marvel
Year released: 2019
Lifetime gross: $426,829,839
Bottom Line: Captain Marvel
In true superhero fashion, 2019’s "Captain Marvel," starring Brie Larson as Marvel Comics’ cosmic-powered Carol Danvers, shattered multiple box-office records. It became the highest-grossing female-led superhero movie of all time, crossing the $1 billion mark within a month of its release.
It also ranks as the 10th-biggest comic-book movie release of all time, leaving the likes of "Thor: Ragnarok" ($854 million), "Venom" ($855 million), and "Spider-Man: Homecoming" ($880 million) in its wake.
24. Toy Story 4
Year released: 2019
Lifetime gross: $434,038,008
Bottom Line: Toy Story 4
The long-awaited fourth instalment in the "Toy Story" series is the most successful of them all, earning $318 million globally on its opening weekend and breaking worldwide box-office records for an animated movie.
Clearly, concerns that "Toy Story 4" wouldn’t live up to its predecessor, 2010’s "Toy Story 3," which became the first animated film to gross over $1 billion worldwide in ticket sales, were unfounded.
23. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Year released: 1982
Lifetime gross: $435,110,553
Bottom Line: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial’
All-time family favorite "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" recouped its $10 million budget with its domestic opening and went on to gross $793,482,178 worldwide.
When lifetime grosses are adjusted for inflation, the heartwarming tale ranks fourth overall (after "Gone with the Wind," "Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope" and "The Sound of Music").
22. Shrek 2
Year released: 2004
Lifetime gross: $441,226,247
Bottom Line: Shrek 2
In 2004, "Shrek 2" became even more of a box-office hit than its prequel, 2001’s "Shrek."
The return of everyone’s favorite ogres enjoyed the biggest single day gross ever, the second-best weekend ever ($110 million, compared to $114.8 million for "Spider-Man"), and was the highest-grossing movie of 2004 — both in the U.S. and worldwide.
21. The Dark Knight Rises
Year released: 2012
Lifetime gross: $448,139,099
Bottom Line: The Dark Knight Rises
Until "Aquaman" was released in 2019, "The Dark Knight Rises" (2012) held the record for DC’s highest-grossing movie of all time.
The worldwide total for the final film in "The Dark Knight Trilogy" is $1,084,939,099: $448,139,099 domestic and $636,800,000 foreign. Domestically, "The Dark Knight Rises" was the second-highest-grossing film of 2012.
Worldwide, it became the 13th film in cinematic history to cross the $1 billion mark.
20. Avengers: Age of Ultron
Year released: 2015
Lifetime gross: $459,005,868
Bottom Line: Avengers: Age of Ultron
The sequel to 2012’s "Avengers," "Avengers: Age of Ultron" enjoyed the biggest opening day for a superhero movie ($84.46 million) and the second-biggest opening and second-biggest single-day gross (behind "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2," which grossed $91.7 million).
Worldwide, the film grossed over $1.4 billion, becoming the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2015 as well as the fifth-highest-grossing film at the time (it’s now 10th on that chart.)
19. Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope
Year released: 1977
Lifetime gross: $460,998,507
Bottom Line: Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope
The original 1977 "Star Wars" film (later subtitled "Episode IV — A New Hope" for a rerelease in 1981), an epic space movie written and directed by George Lucas, was met with great critical acclaim.
It was initially released in only a limited number of theaters in the U.S., but the response from the public led to it being expanded to a much wider release. Only six months after its initial release, "Star Wars" replaced "Jaws" as the highest-earning film in the U.S., eventually earning over $220 million during its initial theatrical run.
To put that into perspective, it’s around $945 million in 2020 money.
18. Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
Year released: 1999
Lifetime gross: $474,544,677
Bottom Line: Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace
In 1999, 16 years after "Return of the Jedi," "Star Wars: Episode — The Phantom Menace" was released. The first installment in the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy and the beginning of the "Skywalker saga" (although it was the fourth film to be produced chronologically), it was eagerly anticipated.
Although it got mixed reviews, "Star Wars" fans from around the world ensured that "The Phantom Menace" grossed more than $924.3 million during its initial release, making it the highest-grossing film of 1999.
It’s since been surpassed many times over, but at the time, it was the highest-grossing "Star Wars" film and the second-highest-grossing film worldwide and in North America (after "Titanic").
17. Frozen II
Year released: 2019
Lifetime gross: $477,373,578
Bottom Line: Frozen II
Fans of Anna, Elsa, Hans and Sven had to wait six years for the follow-up to 2013’s hugely successful "Frozen," but it was worth the wait.
In fact, the Disney sequel exceeded all expectations, both in terms of critical response and box-office takings. "Frozen II" took $1.28 billion globally at its box-office debut, making it the top-grossing animated release ever.
"Granted, it's not easy following up on the first film," Disney distribution chief Cathleen Taff told The Hollywood Reporter. "Six years is a pretty big gap, but the length of time doesn't matter when people feel invested in the characters."
16. Finding Dory
Year released: 2016
Lifetime gross: $486,295,561
Bottom Line: Finding Dory
In 2016, "Finding Dory" received the widest release to date for a Pixar film, showing in 4,305 theaters, breaking the record for "Brave"), of which 3,200 venues were in 3D.
It was the fourth Disney movie to take more than $900 million at the global box office and became the third-highest-grossing Pixar release of all time (after "Toy Story 3" and its 2003 prequel "Finding Nemo").
It became the third film of 2016 (after "Captain America: Civil War" and "Zootopia") to pass the $1 billion worldwide threshold.
15. Beauty and the Beast
Year released: 2017
Lifetime gross: $504,481,165
Bottom Line: Beauty and the Beast
Upon its 2017 release, "Beauty and the Beast," starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens, set a number of new box-office records.
With a whopping $170 million opener, the live-action remake of the 1991 animated classic became the top domestic opening of all time for a film rated PG, surpassing the previous U.S. record-holder "Finding Dory." "Beauty and the Beast" was also the top opener for a PG film worldwide.
It was the biggest debut of all time for a female-led film as well, eclipsing 2009’s "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" ($142 million) and 2014’s "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" ($158.1 million).
14. Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker
Year released: 2019
Lifetime gross: $515,202,542
Bottom Line: Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker
Released in December 2019, the latest instalment in the "Star Wars" franchise brings the Skywalker saga to an end.
Less than two weeks into its initial theater run, it was the 10th-highest grossing movie of the year worldwide and the seventh-biggest in the U.S. On Christmas Day, the film’s worldwide total reached $500 million.
In the United States alone, "The Rise of Skywalker" brought in $32 million, the best Christmas Day gross since "The Force Awakens."
13. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Year released: 2016
Lifetime gross: $532,177,324
Bottom Line: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
It didn’t perform as well as "Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens" of the previous year, but 2016’s "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," the first installment of the "Star Wars" anthology series, still grossed over $1 billion worldwide, making it the 20th-highest-grossing film of all time at the time of its release.
It was also the second-highest-grossing film of 2016 (in the U.S.) and remains the third-highest-grossing film in the "Star Wars" franchise.
12. The Dark Knight
Year released: 2008
Lifetime gross: $535,234,033
Bottom Line: The Dark Knight
Warner Bros.' "The Dark Knight," the second installment of Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight Trilogy," smashed the box office when it premiered in 2008.
It broke the single day domestic record with $67 million on Friday and set a weekend domestic record of $158 million, one that it would keep hold of for three years. This figure gives it the third-highest opening weekend of all DC Comics films.
Worldwide, "The Dark Knight" is the 47th highest grossing movie of all time.
11. The Lion King
Year released: 2019
Lifetime gross: $543,638,043
Bottom Line: The Lion King
Disney’s remake of their 1994 animated movie of the same name, "The Lion King" was one of the most hotly anticipated releases of 2019.
Directed and produced by Jon Favreau, it got mixed reviews from critics, but that didn’t put moviegoers off. With a gross of over $1.6 billion worldwide, it surpassed 2013’s "Frozen" as the highest-grossing animated film, and is also the second-highest-grossing film of 2019, and the seventh-highest of all time.
Two months after its release, "The Lion King" became the second animated film to gross $500 million at the U.S. box office, after "Incredibles 2."
10. Incredibles 2
Year released: 2018
Lifetime gross: $608,581,744
9. Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi
Year released: 2017
Lifetime gross: $620,181,382
Bottom Line: Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi
The 2017 installment of the "Star Wars" franchise, "Episode VIII — The Last Jedi," was critically acclaimed and got four Oscar nominations, including Best Visual Effects and Best Original Score. It also did pretty well at the box office, both domestically and globally.
It grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2017, the seventh-highest-ever grossing film in North America, and the ninth-highest-grossing film of all time during its theatrical run.
It is also the second-highest-grossing Star Wars film after "Episode VII — The Force Awakens."
8. The Avengers
Year released: 2012
Lifetime gross: $623,357,910
Bottom Line: The Avengers
"The Avengers," the first film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name and the sixth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, set or tied several box-office records, including the biggest opening weekend in the U.S. and Canada.
Worldwide, "The Avengers" grossed over $1.5 billion and became the third-highest-grossing film of all time. It was also the highest-grossing film of 2012 and the first Marvel movie to generate $1 billion in ticket sales.
7. Jurassic World
Year released: 2015
Lifetime gross: $652,270,625
6. Titanic
Year released: 1998
Lifetime gross: $659,363,944
Bottom Line: Titanic
"Titanic," James Cameron’s epic romance movie that brought the formidable duo Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio together on-screen for the first time, was a huge commercial and critical success. It also smashed several records.
Worldwide, with an initial gross of over $1.84 billion, "Titanic" was the first film to reach the billion-dollar mark, and became the highest-grossing film ever at the time, until Cameron’s "Avatar" surpassed it in 2010. It was also the first foreign-language film to succeed in India, which has the largest movie-going audience in the world.
And it set records outside the box office, too: Gloria Stuart, who played Old Rose in the film, was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the age of 87, making her the oldest person to ever be nominated for an Oscar.
5. Avengers: Infinity War
Year released: 2018
Lifetime gross: $678,815,482
Bottom Line: Avengers: Infinity War
The third movie in the "Avengers" franchise, "Infinity War" became the first superhero film to gross over $2 billion worldwide when it was released in 2018.
It was also the highest-grossing film of 2018, the highest-grossing Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film and broke the record previously set by "The Fate of the Furious" (2017) for the biggest worldwide opening weekend of all time.
4. Black Panther
Year released: 2018
Lifetime gross: $700,426,566
Bottom Line: Black Panther
When it was released in March 2018, Marvel’s "Black Panther" quickly broke pretty much every superhero movie record.
It also set new records for the biggest February opening day and weekend and took the title as the highest-grossing movie — both domestically and globally — from an African-American director (Ryan Coogler).
"Black Panther" still holds the best Rotten Tomatoes score for a Marvel movie. Its 97 percent beats the 94 percent for "Avengers: Endgame."
3. Avatar
Year released: 2009
Lifetime gross: $760,507,625
Bottom Line: Avatar
James Cameron’s epic sci-fi adventure "Avatar," starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Michelle Rodriguez and Sigourney Weaver, set domestic records for highest-grossing film and fastest film to gross $500 million through $750 million.
According to experts, the huge success of the movie was partly due to a clever marketing strategy that emphasized the novelty of the cinematic experience. (In other words, this wasn’t one to wait to watch on DVD.)
Until it was usurped by "Avengers: Endgame" in 2019, Avatar was the highest-grossing movie of all time (globally) for 10 years.
2. Avengers: Endgame
Year released: 2019
Lifetime gross: $858,373,000
Bottom Line: Avengers: Endgame
The most recent installment in the "Avengers" saga, 2019’s "Endgame," in which the surviving members of the superhero team try to repair some of the damage done by Thanos in "Infinity War," broke several box-office records.
It set a new record for the biggest opening weekend in the U.S. and was the fastest movie to reach a domestic gross of $50 million.
"Endgame" also set the record for the highest-grossing film of all time on a global scale. After only 11 days, it had grossed over $2 billion worldwide.
1. Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens
Year released: 2015
Lifetime gross: $936,662,225
Bottom Line: Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens
It never ranks as the best Star Wars movie of all time, but "Episode VII — The Force Awakens" has certainly been the most lucrative in terms of box-office ticket sales.
Released in 2015 and set 30 years after "Return of the Jedi," "The Force Awakens" introduced fans to new characters Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver).
"The Force Awakens" also set a new record for the biggest opening weekend in U.S. box-office history.