You won’t be shocked by any of the names on this list of the highest-grossing films of all time. Although films generate cash from a variety of sources, box office profits are the primary indicator used to assess a film’s success. Even if you haven’t seen these multi-million dollar films, you’ve undoubtedly heard of them.
Franchises have fared exceptionally well over the last decade, climbing to the top of the list. While war pictures and historical dramas do well, the Marvel Universe and Star Wars have long been top earners. Now that the main Avengers plot has concluded, we may expect other films to rank in the top 10 in the coming years.
The film business is one of the world’s most competitive markets. While each year sees a great number of new releases, only a few will have a big influence at the box office. To achieve this coveted position, films must feature all of the elements that make them appealing to audiences. One of these characteristics is the star power of its main men and ladies.
While stars can assist catapult films to success, they can also be a detriment. Many prominent performers have failed to create great work over time, resulting in lower box office profits. Fortunately for moviegoers, many performers continue to excite fans and give entertainment throughout their careers.
Every year, studios such as Paramount, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros, and 20th Century Fox release a number of blockbuster films. This helps to maintain the film industry at the top of the market and provides many possibilities for actors and actresses to flourish.
Furthermore, directors such as Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, and George Lucas have produced great films throughout their careers. Each of these directors has had a significant effect on the business and continues to generate blockbusters that are sure to satisfy audiences.
From Aladdin, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and Toy Story to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), many legendary performers have helped their individual films become box office smashes.As a consequence, we’ve prepared a list of the top five highest-grossing movies of all time, along with some background on the performers and filmmakers who contributed to their success.
The top grossing films of all time: The top five
Let us take a closer look at the top five highest-grossing films of all time.
1.Avengers: Endgame
Lifetime Gross Earnings: $2,797,800,564
Release Date: April 26, 2019
Budget: $356 million USD
Directors: Joe Russo, Anthony Russo
Avengers: Endgame generated a lot of buzz before it ever came out, so Hollywood insiders knew it was going to be a tremendous hit. Audiences were anticipating the resolution of the one-year-long cliffhanger and the conclusion of a journey that began with the original Iron Man in 2008. Nonetheless, no one anticipated the film to gross $1.2 billion in its first weekend.
While the American box office took the top spot with $858,373,000, the film also performed exceptionally well in China ($614,316,021), the United Kingdom ($114,995,529), and South Korea ($100,016,554). This was the first film to do what seemed impossible: dethrone Avatar from top place despite years of other films attempting to do so (and failing).
Avengers: Endgame, starring Tom Holland, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Mark Ruffalo, Danai Gurira, Don Cheadle, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, and Bradley Cooper, is undeniably one of the most anticipated films of 2019.
Endgame continues off where Infinity War left off, with the heroes attempting to preserve their universe from catastrophe. A number of well-known performers, including Tom Holland, appear in the film. Furthermore, the actor’s Spider-Man series (Spider-Man: No Way Home and Spider-Man: Far From Home) were both critically acclaimed, with Holland receiving accolades for his work in both.
The late Chadwick Boseman, who played Black Panther, appears in the film as well.Captain Marvel is played by Brie Larson, who has had a number of notable performances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Stars such as Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johansson also appear in the film.
The success of Endgame can be due to the return of several founding Avengers. In addition to the film’s prequels (Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Iron Man, Iron Man 2, and Iron Man 3), it includes a well-rounded ensemble that keeps the picture engaging throughout.
The movie from Marvel Studios has been known to gross massive sums at the global box office. Endgame is one of the most successful films of all time, as well as one of the most successful superhero films.
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2. Avatar
Lifetime Gross Earnings: $2,790,439,000
Release date: December 18, 2009
Director: James Cameron
Budget: 237 million USD
For an astounding ten years, Avatar remained at the top of the box office. Avatar is also an exception in that it earned 72.7% of its box office gross internationally, which is more than the average for most films. James Cameron’s film surpassed Titanic, which was also directed by Cameron, to take second position. Until Avengers: End Game smashed every potential movie record in history, Avatar was the highest domestic grossing film in history.
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3. Titanic
Lifetime Gross Earnings: $2,194,439,542
Release date: November 18, 1997
Director: James Cameron
Budget: 200 million USD
Titanic is the oldest film on the top ten list of highest-grossing films. It was released in 1997 and was just recently moved to third position due to the new Avengers film. Titanic was a $200 million film that took a long time to complete. According to CBC, it was the most costly film ever filmed at the time. Of course, Avengers: End Game cost more, but it was several years later and with a big cast of highly costly performers.
While the film made a lot of money when it first came out, it made even more in 2012, when a 3D version of it was released on the 100th anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking. Titanic has been re-released several times since its first release, the most recent being in 2010. It may also be viewed on Netflix. The film’s re-release and remake versions were also regarded as among the finest remakes of all time.
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4. The Force Awakens (Star Wars: Episode VII).
Lifetime Gross Earnings: $2,068,223,624
Release date: December 18, 2015
Director: J.J. Abrams
Budget: 306 million USD
Prior to the exploding world of the Avengers taking up the box office, Star Wars had a few movies that earned the most money. Only Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens is now in the top ten, however another Star Wars film, 2017’s The Last Jedi, is ranked 14th. The Force Awakens, like the previous Avengers film, was highly anticipated by fans. It was released twelve years after the conclusion of the prequel trilogy, promising a brand-new universe but also answering many old mysteries.
Star Wars (directed by J.J. Abrams) has had its fair share of successful films as one of the most popular series in history.Many well-known characters have been created by the sci-fi series, including Han Solo, Princess Leia, and Darth Vader. Based on the original trilogy, the franchise has also given rise to one of the most popular movie series of all time.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the franchise’s most recent entry, was a great success, becoming the highest earning film of all time. To resurrect this blockbuster brand, Disney chose to bring back the original cast members, including Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher.
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5. Avengers: InfinityÂ
WarLifetime Gross Earnings: $1,670,400,637
Release date: April 27, 2018
Director: Joe Russo, Anthony Russo
Budget: 316 million USD
It’s perhaps unsurprising that another Avengers film is at the top. Especially when that film is the first half of the breathtaking clash that culminates in End Game. While the picture did not do as well as other films in the top ten in the United States, it had a spectacular foreign launch, shattering all kinds of records in its first month.
Marvel Studios is in the business of ensuring that its films are watched by as many people as possible, which includes setting records for the highest grossing films in history. DC’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was also a hit, albeit not nearly as big as Infinity War. That’s most likely due to the hype surrounding Infinity War, which is a phenomenon in and of itself.
Despite the fact that there are many fans of the Batman film, The Dark Knight was not well welcomed by reviewers or moviegoers alike. It also fared poorly at the box office, despite including a lot of talented actors and actresses. When compared to Infinity War and Endgame, the two were just unable to equal their predecessors’ box office.
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Inflation-adjusted Grosses of the Year
It is difficult to include ancient films on a list of high-earning films. A film launched in the 1950s would make far less than one released two years ago. However, after inflation is factored in, it’s absolutely feasible that movie made substantially more for its premiere date. Experts occasionally take on the chore, compensating for inflation and changes in ticket prices – but the technique isn’t ideal, especially when it comes to including overseas grosses and currency exchange rates.
The gist of it? A list that has been corrected for inflation is not particularly accurate.
Having said that, most film experts believe that Gone with the Wind is the highest-grossing inflation-adjusted film at the global box office. According to the Guinness World Records, the 1939 picture grossed “just” US$393.4 million worldwide at the time, but when adjusted for inflation, the total profit rises to $3.44 billion. This would place Gone with the Wind at the top of our previous ranking.
While other inflation-adjusted films aren’t very surprising (Avatar, Avengers: Endgame, and Titanic remain at the top), a list of inflation-adjusted films would contain two pleasant surprises: The Sound of Music from 1965 and E.T. the Extraterrestrial from 1982 are ranked sixth and seventh, respectively.
The Top 100 Grossing Films of All Time
Movies such as Jaws, Spider-Man, and the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise have all contributed to the list of the biggest earning films of all time.Some of the films on this list have been released many times and have grossed billions of dollars.
While new blockbusters may one day overtake the champions on this list, certain films will be difficult to top for years to come. Fast and Furious 7, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2, The Incredibles 2, The Jungle Book, Aquaman, Frozen II, Despicable Me, Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone, The Fate of the Furious, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Transformers: Dark of the Moon round out the list. The following is a comprehensive list of the top 100 most successful blockbuster films of all time.
| RANK | TITLE | LIFETIME GROSS | YEAR |
| 1 | Avengers: Endgame | $2,797,800,564 | 2019 |
| 2 | Avatar | $2,790,439,000 | 2009 |
| 3 | Titanic | $2,194,439,542 | 1997 |
| 4 | Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens | $2,068,223,624 | 2015 |
| 5 | Avengers: Infinity War | $2,048,359,754 | 2018 |
| 6 | Jurassic World | $1,670,400,637 | 2015 |
| 7 | The Lion King | $1,656,943,394 | 2019 |
| 8 | The Avengers | $1,518,812,988 | 2012 |
| 9 | Furious 7 | $1,515,047,671 | 2015 |
| 10 | Frozen II | $1,450,026,933 | 2019 |
| 11 | Avengers: Age of Ultron | $1,402,805,868 | 2015 |
| 12 | Black Panther | $1,346,913,161 | 2018 |
| 13 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 | $1,341,932,398 | 2011 |
| 14 | Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi | $1,332,539,889 | 2017 |
| 15 | Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom | $1,308,467,944 | 2018 |
| 16 | Frozen | $1,280,802,282 | 2013 |
| 17 | Beauty and the Beast | $1,263,521,126 | 2017 |
| 18 | Incredibles 2 | $1,242,805,359 | 2018 |
| 19 | The Fate of the Furious | $1,236,005,118 | 2017 |
| 20 | Iron Man 3 | $1,214,811,252 | 2013 |
| 21 | Minions | $1,159,398,397 | 2015 |
| 22 | Captain America: Civil War | $1,153,296,293 | 2016 |
| 23 | Aquaman | $1,148,461,807 | 2018 |
| 24 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | $1,142,219,401 | 2003 |
| 25 | Spider-Man: Far from Home | $1,131,927,996 | 2019 |
| 26 | Captain Marvel | $1,128,274,794 | 2019 |
| 27 | Transformers: Dark of the Moon | $1,123,794,079 | 2011 |
| 28 | Skyfall | $1,108,561,013 | 2012 |
| 29 | Transformers: Age of Extinction | $1,104,054,072 | 2014 |
| 30 | The Dark Knight Rises | $1,081,041,287 | 2012 |
| 31 | Joker | $1,074,251,311 | 2019 |
| 32 | Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker | $1,074,144,248 | 2019 |
| 33 | Toy Story 4 | $1,073,394,593 | 2019 |
| 34 | Toy Story 3 | $1,066,969,703 | 2010 |
| 35 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest | $1,066,179,725 | 2006 |
| 36 | Rogue One: A Star Wars Story | $1,056,057,273 | 2016 |
| 37 | Aladdin | $1,050,693,953 | 2019 |
| 38 | Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides | $1,045,713,802 | 2011 |
| 39 | Despicable Me 3 | $1,034,799,409 | 2017 |
| 40 | Jurassic Park | $1,032,020,521 | 1993 |
| 41 | Finding Dory | $1,028,570,889 | 2016 |
| 42 | Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace | $1,027,082,707 | 1999 |
| 43 | Alice in Wonderland | $1,025,467,110 | 2010 |
| 44 | Zootopia | $1,023,784,195 | 2016 |
| 45 | The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey | $1,017,003,568 | 2012 |
| 46 | The Dark Knight | $1,004,934,033 | 2008 |
| 47 | Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone | $978,087,613 | 2001 |
| 48 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 | $976,920,103 | 2010 |
| 49 | Despicable Me 2 | $970,766,005 | 2013 |
| 50 | The Lion King | $968,511,805 | 1994 |
| 51 | The Jungle Book | $966,550,600 | 2016 |
| 52 | Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle | $962,102,237 | 2017 |
| 53 | Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End | $960,996,492 | 2007 |
| 54 | The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug | $958,366,855 | 2013 |
| 55 | The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies | $956,019,788 | 2014 |
| 56 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | $951,208,089 | 2002 |
| 57 | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | $942,044,510 | 2007 |
| 58 | Finding Nemo | $940,343,261 | 2003 |
| 59 | Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | $934,326,396 | 2009 |
| 60 | Shrek 2 | $928,760,770 | 2004 |
| 61 | Bohemian Rhapsody | $903,655,259 | 2018 |
| 62 | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire | $896,346,229 | 2005 |
| 63 | Spider-Man 3 | $894,983,373 | 2007 |
| 64 | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | $887,832,826 | 2001 |
| 65 | Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs | $886,686,817 | 2009 |
| 66 | Spectre | $880,674,609 | 2015 |
| 67 | Spider-Man: Homecoming | $880,166,924 | 2017 |
| 68 | Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | $879,465,594 | 2002 |
| 69 | Ice Age: Continental Drift | $877,244,782 | 2012 |
| 70 | The Secret Life of Pets | $875,457,937 | 2016 |
| 71 | Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice | $873,634,919 | 2016 |
| 72 | Wolf Warrior 2 | $870,325,439 | 2017 |
| 73 | Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith | $868,390,560 | 2005 |
| 74 | The Hunger Games: Catching Fire | $865,011,746 | 2013 |
| 75 | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 | $863,756,051 | 2017 |
| 76 | Inside Out | $857,611,174 | 2015 |
| 77 | Venom | $856,085,151 | 2018 |
| 78 | Thor: Ragnarok | $853,977,126 | 2017 |
| 79 | Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen | $836,303,693 | 2009 |
| 80 | Inception | $829,895,144 | 2010 |
| 81 | The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 | $829,746,820 | 2012 |
| 82 | Spider-Man | $825,025,036 | 2002 |
| 83 | Wonder Woman | $821,847,012 | 2017 |
| 84 | Independence Day | $817,400,891 | 1996 |
| 85 | Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them | $814,037,575 | 2016 |
| 86 | Shrek the Third | $813,367,380 | 2007 |
| 87 | Coco | $807,082,196 | 2017 |
| 88 | Jumanji: The Next Level | $796,575,993 | 2019 |
| 89 | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | $796,093,802 | 2004 |
| 90 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales | $794,861,794 | 2017 |
| 91 | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial | $793,482,178 | 1982 |
| 92 | 2012 | $791,217,826 | 2009 |
| 93 | Mission: Impossible – Fallout | $791,115,104 | 2018 |
| 94 | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull | $790,653,942 | 2008 |
| 95 | Spider-Man 2 | $788,976,453 | 2004 |
| 96 | Fast & Furious 6 | $788,679,850 | 2013 |
| 97 | Deadpool 2 | $785,794,179 | 2018 |
| 98 | Deadpool | $782,612,155 | 2016 |
| 99 | Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope | $775,512,064 | 1977 |
| 100 | Guardians of the Galaxy | $772,776,600 | 2014 |
Last Thoughts
While it is difficult to rate every film ever made, several of these films have been part of blockbuster series. Some were successful because of their stars, while others made the most of their finances and were enormous box office blockbusters. Some Oscar winners, like as Titanic, have gone on to become classics that many moviegoers still enjoy.
Other films were simply successful because of their original conceptions and subjects. These films had a huge effect on the business and are still relevant to audiences today. The Avengers series from Marvel has become one of the most popular in the world, and its actors continue to be a big draw for moviegoers.The Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise has also had a tremendous influence on the business and remains popular among moviegoers.
At the end of the day, these films remain relevant and play an important role in the entertainment business. While several of these films have gone on to become classics, others have simply been highly acclaimed by audiences. Regardless of their quality, these films continue to smash records and excite moviegoers all around the world.
