As anyone familiar with the movie industry knows, creating a blockbuster hit is a perfect combination of hard work, dedication and a decent amount of luck. Creating a film that rakes in money isn’t easy — and often the films we love the most weren’t massive box-office hits.
But then there are those films that audiences adored to the tune of millions of dollars. This list takes a look at movies that have earned more than $1 billion in global box-office revenue, according to data from Box Office Mojo and public announcements from movie producers. Here are the highest-grossing movies of all time.
‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)
Total gross revenue: $1,004,558,444
When the Joker reappears, Batman must do his best to fight injustice.
‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ (2012)
Total gross revenue: $1,021,103,568
Follow Bilbo Baggins on the most epic adventure.
‘Zootopia’ (2016)
Total gross revenue: $1,023,784,195
Not only is this movie good, but the soundtrack rocks, too. Gotta love Shakira’s “Try Everything” song!
‘Alice in Wonderland’ (2010)
Total gross revenue: $1,025,467,110
With Tim Burton directing and Johnny Depp starring as the Mad Hatter, is there any surprise this remake did so well at the box office?
‘Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace’ (1999)
Total gross revenue: $1,027,044,677
One of the “Star Wars” movies directed by George Lucas, “The Phantom Menace” was a big hit with audiences (along with the rest of the “Star Wars” franchise).
‘Finding Dory’ (2016)
Total gross revenue: $1,028,570,889
The sequel to the beloved movie “Finding Nemo” did better than the original at the box office. Nemo garnered just $940 million, which isn’t bad at all.
‘Jurassic Park’ (1993)
Total gross revenue: $1,029,153,882
This is definitely the oldest movie on the list, but people love their “Jurassic Park.”
‘Despicable Me 3’ (2017)
Total gross revenue: $1,034,799,409
The third movie in the “Despicable Me” franchise came out in the summer of 2017 and quickly became the highest-earning movie in the series.
‘Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides’ (2011)
Total gross revenue: $1,045,713,802
The fourth installment in the “Pirates” franchise bounced back from the relatively underwhelming numbers for 2007’s “At World’s End.” “Stranger Tides” featured Johnny Depp in his now-iconic role as Captain Jack Sparrow, as well as Penelope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush and Ian McShane as Blackbeard.
‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ (2016)
Total gross revenue: $1,056,057,273
“Star Wars” is always a hit at the box office and “Rogue One” was no different.
‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest’ (2006)
Total gross revenue: $1,066,179,725
The second “Pirates of the Caribbean” hit the $1 billion mark after three months, proving just how popular this franchise really is.
‘Toy Story 3’ (2010)
Total gross revenue: $1,066,969,703
Pixar’s highest-grossing film ever warmed hearts and sent Kleenex sales skyrocketing around the world. This was originally supposed to be the final installment in the “Toy Story” saga, but it was so successful that a fourth “Toy Story” is now in the works for 2019.
‘The Dark Knight Rises’ (2012)
Total gross revenue: $1,084,939,099
“The Dark Knight,” starring Heath Ledger as the Joker, may be the favorite among fans of Chris Nolan’s dark take on Gotham, but “The Dark Knight Rises” is the series’ breadwinner. The final film in the “Dark Knight” trilogy features a whole crew of Nolan regulars, including Christian Bale, Tom Hardy and Marion Cotillard.
‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’ (2014)
Total gross revenue: $1,104,054,072
The “Transformers” films are living proof that quality and popularity aren’t always related. The fourth movie in the explosive franchise was made specifically to appeal to international audiences. Apparently it worked — almost a third of the movie’s total revenue came from China alone.
‘Skyfall’ (2012)
Total gross revenue: $1,108,561,013
Powered by Adele’s incredible title track, “Skyfall” became the only Bond movie to ever crack the $1 billion ceiling. The dark, brooding entry in the 007 saga, starring Daniel Craig, Judi Dench and Javier Bardem, is still Sony’s highest-grossing film.
‘Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’ (2003)
Total gross revenue: $1,119,929,521
2003 was the Year of Middle Earth. Peter Jackson’s sweeping finale to the epic trilogy made $1 billion in just 10 weeks, then added the cherry on top by winning all 11 awards for which it was nominated at the Oscars.
‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’ (2011)
Total gross revenue: $1,123,794,079
Like “Age of Extinction,” most of the revenue for the third film in the “Transformers” franchise (and the last one starring Shia LaBeouf) came from audiences outside the U.S.
‘Captain America: Civil War’ (2016)
Total gross revenue: $1,153,304,495
One of the latest additions to the Marvel juggernaut, “Civil War” picked up where “Avengers: Age of Ultron” left off. The second “Captain America” movie starring Chris Evans, “Civil War” ended up as one of the most popular films of 2016.
‘Minions’ (2015)
Total gross revenue: $1,159,398,397
Not all of the top-grossing films are doom-and-gloom superhero epics. The cheerful, colorful prequel to “Despicable Me,” featuring the endearing yellow Minions, made more money than either of the “Despicable Me” films.
‘Iron Man 3’ (2013)
Total gross revenue: $1,214,811,252
The third time was the charm for Robert Downey Jr.’s irrepressible Tony Stark and his flying metallic suit. The last “Iron Man” film brought in $1 billion in just over three weeks.
‘Incredibles 2’ (2018)
Total gross revenue: $1,227,440,149
The second movie in the popular animated series, “Incredibles 2” follows the Parrs as they try to navigate being superheroes as a family.
‘The Fate of the Furious’ (2017)
Total gross revenue: $1,236,005,118
This is the eighth installment of “The Fast and the Furious” series (yes, eighth). This movie stars Vin Diesel, Jason Statham and Dwayne Johnson.
‘Beauty and the Beast’ (2017)
Total gross revenue: $1,263,521,126
People were so excited about the live-action remake of the Disney classic “Beauty and the Beast” that it’s no surprise this movie is making tons of money.
‘Frozen’ (2013)
Total gross revenue: $1,276,480,335
If you’ve got little ones at home, you might have watched this movie a time or two — and you might know all the words to “Let It Go.”
‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ (2018)
Total gross revenue: $1,304,892,547
The fifth installment in the “Jurassic Park” series stars Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt.
‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ (2017)
Total gross revenue: $1,332,539,889
“The Last Jedi” is the popular eighth installment of the “Star Wars” film franchise and the second film in the sequel trilogy. It stars Daisy Ridley, Mark Hamil and John Boyega.
‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two’ (2011)
Total gross revenue: $1,341,511,219
Continuing the trend of last films in franchises hitting the box-office jackpot, the emotional conclusion to the “Harry Potter” saga was the most profitable of all eight “Potter” films.
‘Black Panther’ (2018)
Total gross revenue: $1,346,909,636
Marvel created an instant hit with “Black Panther,” which takes place in the African nation of Wakanda.
‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ (2015)
Total gross revenue: $1,405,403,694
The gang got back together to take down some scary AI held in place by the voice of James Spader, and audiences around the world loved it. “Ultron” didn’t quite meet the bar set by the first “Avengers” movie, but it definitely wasn’t a loss for Marvel Studios.
‘Furious 7’ (2015)
Total gross revenue: $1,516,045,911
Getting the family back together worked out well for the seventh installment of the “Fast and Furious” franchise, which brought in $1 billion in a very speedy 17 days. “Furious 7” was also the last movie to star Paul Walker, and ended with a touching tribute to the actor.
‘The Avengers’ (2012)
Total gross revenue: $1,518,812,988
Breaking the “Potter” trend, the first “Avengers” movie actually made more than its sequel. This could be a result of the novelty of so many stars together in one film for the first time, or it could just be that we’re finally reaching the saturation point for the Marvel universe.
‘Jurassic World’ (2015)
Total gross revenue: $1,671,713,208
This fast-paced reboot of the beloved dinosaur franchise, starring Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard and some impossibly sturdy high heels, earned a whopping $1 billion in just 13 days.
‘Avengers: Infinity War’ (2018)
Total gross revenue: $2,046,627,471
Yet another in the “Avengers” series wowed audiences, this one impressively topping $2 billion in revenue.
‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ (2015)
Total gross revenue: $2,068,223,624
Not to be outdone by some prehistoric creatures, J.J. Abrams’ new installment of the Star Wars saga knocked off “Jurassic Park” by pulling in $1 billion worldwide in a record-breaking 12 days. “The Force Awakens” is currently the highest-grossing Star Wars movie of all time.
‘Titanic’ (1997)
Total gross revenue: $2,187,463,944
Yes, it’s still here, and going strong. Twenty years after it first took over the world and shot Leo to superstardom, this star-crossed love story still has a solid lock on second place. This is even more impressive when you consider how many more movie theaters there are in the world — and how much more expensive ticket prices are — compared to 1997.
‘Avatar’ (2009)
Total gross revenue: $2,787,965,087
James Cameron goes two-for-two on the top of the list with his visually-stunning alien adventure. While the film’s nearly $2.8 billion in box-office revenue looks safe from challengers for the time being, rising ticket prices and even more billion-dollar movies means its record may topple sooner than we think.
