Not much can beat going to the movies. They transport us out of our everyday realities and see us crying and laughing as they weave the magic of a special story like a web around us. Many films do very well, but there are some that rise above the rest and turn into cultural phenomena that have us glued to our seats! This translates to money for the movie makers, and this list outlines those films that have made more money than any other movie in the history of the industry.
Avatar
Year of Release: 2009
Worldwide Revenue: US$2.92 Billion
When Avatar was released in 2009, it made a powerful impact with its pioneering visual effects and motion capture, incredible 3D technology, and a world called Pandora that has gone on to become a staple at Disney World. People could not get enough of the movie, and ticket sales were excellent from the start and didn’t stop until the film had more than covered its nearly US$240 billion budget.
Avengers: Endgame
Year of Release: 2019
Worldwide Revenue: US$2.79 Billion
The only movie to ever come close to toppling Avatar was Avengers: Endgame. This film was the culmination of a 20+ year journey, the Infinity Saga, that started in 2008 with Iron Man. Moviegoers had to wait a full 12 months to see what would happen after Thanos’ Snap, and excitement reached fever pitch. Interestingly, Avengers: Endgame was one of the most expensive movies ever made, with a reported budget of US$4 million.
Avatar: The Way of Water
Year of Release: 2022
Worldwide Revenue: US$2.31 Billion
The sequel to the 2009 film Avatar: The Way of the Water was supposed to be released in 2014 but only made its way to our screens by the end of 2022. When it did land, however, it did so with a boom heard all over the world. While it did not quite soar to the heights of the original film, US$2.31 billion in global box office revenue is a more-than-adequate consolation prize!
Titanic
Year of Release: 1997
Worldwide Revenue: US$2.26 Billion
As impressive as it is that James Cameron directed the first two movies on this list, he went and tacked on a third as well! 1998’s Titanic was the first movie to ever make more than US$1 billion worldwide and stood as the highest-grossing movie of all time until Avatar scooped that title up in 2009. During its 3D re-release in 2012, Titanic became the first film to earn more than US$2 billion after the Avatar movies.
Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens
Year of Release: 2015
Worldwide Revenue: US$2.07 Billion
Although opinions are divided about how the Star Wars’ sequel trilogy ended, the news and the arrival of Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens caused a huge stir. This is because it was the first film following the Walt Disney Company’s purchase of Lucasfilm as well as the first movie in the franchise since Revenge of the Sith in 2005 and the controversial prequel trilogy.
Avengers: Infinity War
Year of Release: 2018
Worldwide Revenue: US$2.05 Billion
Avengers: Infinity War was released a year after Avengers: Endgame, and it is the film that proved to moviegoers that Marvel has what it takes. When you consider that there was an 18-film leadup to this iteration of Avengers, you can say that it more than lived up to the hype. The promise of what was in store brought millions of bums to seats the world over and translated to more than US$2 billion in revenue.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Year of Release: 2021
Worldwide Revenue: US$1.92 Billion
A rom-com for comic book fans, Spider-Man: No Way Home united so many personas from the Spider-Man universe that it turned out to be as big an event as any of the other films on this list. The mere fact that it got Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland together in one room ensured that people bought tickets to the tune of nearly US$2 billion.
Jurassic World
Year of Release: 2015
Worldwide Revenue: US$1.67 Billion
This list more than illustrates that movies from well-known franchises that return years later with some of the original characters are sure-fire successes. Jurassic World had this fact going for it along with everyone’s fascination with prehistoric creatures. The nearly US$2 billion that Jurassic World brought in the world over dwarfs the original’s US$978.16 million in revenue.
The Lion King
Year of Release: 2019
Worldwide Revenue: US$1.66 Billion
As popular as the original released in 1994, the live action remake of The Lion King left the original’s revenue in the dust. The CGI characters in the 2019 remake left many people scratching their heads, wondering if they were real animals. From grazing rhinos to roaming giraffes, the reality in this movie drew millions of eyes and packed out movie theatres globally.
The Avengers
Year of Release: 2012
Worldwide Revenue: US$1.52 Billion
2012’s The Avengers proved that bringing together the most amazing heroes and bad guys from the Marvel comics was an excellent idea. With a worldwide gross of more than US$1.5 billion, this movie paved the way for many get-togethers that have gone on to prove that Marvel Studios’ ambitions were not misplaced. The movie also inspired a slots game based on the franchise bringing the superhero action to sites like Treasure Mile casino.
Furious 7
Year of Release: 2015
Worldwide Revenue: US$1.51 Billion
Ever since the release of the first Fast and the Furious movie in 2001, the car racing and action franchise has gotten bigger with every new film. Each one has performed very well at the global box office; only two films, Furious 7 and The Fate of the Furious, were able to get on the list of the Top 100 Worldwide Highest-Grossing Films Ever. Furious 7 stands out because it also serves as a send off to Brian O’Connor, the character played by the late Paul Walker.
Now that you’ve read the list, take some downtime and catch the film on it that you may have missed!
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