The Highest Grossing Movies Of All Time

Many people enjoy watching movies because it takes them to new places. They can experience adventures they could never have in real life, and they can forget about the issues surrounding the world for a few hours.

Overall, making movies is a lucrative business. Though it started out as small skits in black and white with no sound, films have come a long way. Whether you like action or drama movies, there’s something for everyone, as long as you enjoy visual media.

While there’s something for everyone, some things might appeal more to people, and those movies tend to bank more. Here are some of the highest-grossing films of all time.

Jurassic Park (1993)

Steven Spielberg created a technological masterpiece of a movie, and it still awes and shocks people decades later. Though the sequels made more money, none of them come close to the original wonder. Its lifetime gross is way over $1 billion, currently at $1,033,917,066.

Despicable Me 3 (2017)

In most cases, a sequel doesn’t gross as much from the box office, so a third movie is even less likely to make the big bucks. However, that doesn’t stop Despicable Me 3 from doing it all. Its lifetime gross is $1,034,800,131.

Pirates of the Caribbean - Stranger Tides (2011)

The fourth installment of Pirates of the Caribbean is still one of the highest-grossing films throughout the years. It seems everyone loves the quirky antics of Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp). It doesn’t hurt that Penelope Cruz popped up, too. Its lifetime gross is right at $1,045,713,802.

Aladdin (2019)

Walt Disney Pictures did it again with the 2019 version of Aladdin. This musical fantasy comedy doesn’t have Robin Williams, sadly, but Will Smith is still a hilarious wise-cracking genie. Its lifetime gross is currently at $1,050,693,953!

Rogue One - Star Wars Story (2016)

Everyone loves Star Wars, so it’s no wonder that it keeps popping out new ways to enjoy it. Rogue One is a space opera film, and it’s also a female-led story that breaks new ground in the fantasy world. Its lifetime gross is $1,056,057,720!

Pirates of the Caribbean - The Dead Man’s Chest (2006)

Who knew you could create a blockbuster franchise from a simple theme-park ride? Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films did! This is the second in the series and got an Oscar nomination for Johnny Depp. Its lifetime gross is right at $1,066,179,747!

Toy Story 3 (2010)

Now that Andy is off to college, this might be the end of Woody and Buzz Lightyear, or is it? Toy Story 3 was a huge hit because fans couldn’t get enough of the fun-loving toys and wanted to know what might happen as Andy got older. Its lifetime gross is currently at $1,066,969,703.

Toy Story 4 (2019)

Pixar’s storytelling is a true powerhouse. How could it unspool a fourth installment of the beloved series? Though it’s probably the last, Buzz, Woody, and all the gang now have a plastic spork to play with! Its lifetime gross is $1,073,000,000!

Star Wars - Episode IX (2019)

The saga spanning over four decades is finally coming to an end. The Rise of Skywalker had an all-star cast, which is probably one of the reasons why it did so well at the box office. Plus, it didn’t hurt that the movie stuck its landing. It’s already earned $1,074,144,248!

Joker (2019)

This modern-day masterpiece was created from the same person who did The Hangover. Though it’s ultra-violent and ultra-dark, it’s the origin story for Joker, Gotham City’s infamous villain, and it has everything you could want in a psychological thriller. Its lifetime gross is $1,074,000,000!

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

The Batman trilogy is something everyone should see, and the conclusion, The Dark Knight Rises, features Anne Hathaway as Catwoman and Christian Bale as Bane. These two professionals have what it takes. Its current lifetime gross is $1,081,000,000.

Transformers - The Age of Extinction (2004)

For the fourth installment of the Transformers franchise, you have Mark Wahlberg instead of Shia LaBoeuf. Though some worried about the three-hour runtime, even that wasn’t enough to keep the fans away. This movie has a lifetime gross of about $1,104,000,000!

Skyfall (2012)

If you like spy films and the James Bond series, you’re sure to appreciate the 23rd installment called Skyfall. This is the first mission in over 50 years to cross the span of a billion dollars at the box office. Everyone enjoyed the film, apparently, because it grossed $1,109,000,000!

Transformers - The Dark of the Moon (2011)

The third installment of Transformers was a bit of a clunker in the critique’s corner because it only received a 35 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, it has a low budget and still managed to get the all-time highest gross for the series worldwide. It’s sitting at $1,124,000,000 right now!

Captain Marvel (2019)

Everyone seems to enjoy the Marvel comics, and if you’re a fan of Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers, you’re sure to appreciate the Captain Marvel film. It’s based on those beloved characters, and most people seem to feel the way you do. It has a lifetime gross right now of $1,128,000,000!

Spiderman - Far From Home (2019)

The sequel to the 2017 Spiderman - Homecoming features the fun character while he goes to Europe on a school trip. However, the vacation goes awry when the Elementals and Mysterio show up! Though it’s a newer film, it still managed to gross $1,131,927,996 at the box office!

Lord of the Rings - Return of the King (2003)

The ending of the Lord of the Rings trilogy was very highly anticipated before it got released. Everyone wanted to see the end, which means tons of people went to the theater to see it. Overall, this film grossed a whopping $1,146,030,912, which is the highest for any trilogy and the highest-grossed film for Peter Jackson’s career!

Aquaman (2018)

Most people didn’t think that a film about the DC Comics water guy was likely to be good. Though it wasn’t perfect, it had many great moments and was entertaining for the most part. In short, it revitalized the DC cinematic universe, grossing $1,148,485,886 at the box office.

Captain America - The Civil War (2016)

The third installment of the Captain America franchise was also the 12th film for the Marvel Universe. Overall, Civil War had big-name actors like Scarlett Johansson and Robert Downey, Jr. playing iconic roles. However, it was also the debut film for Spiderman and Black Panther. Overall, it grossed $1,153,329,473!

Minions (2015)

You might not find one adult who claims to have enjoyed the movie, but kids everywhere loved it. Enough of them talked their parents into going to see Minions, so it was one of the highest-grossing options at the time. Plus, it outshined the other Despicable Me films to gross $1,159,398,397.

Iron Man 3 (2013)

Flying off The Avengers back, Iron Man 3 featured one of the most beloved characters from the Marvel Universe. Therefore, it was actually the highest-grossing movie of the trilogy. Its plot twist was controversial, but it still managed to gross $1,214,811,252!

Fate of the Furious (2017)

Fate of the Furious was the eighth film for the franchise, but what made it special was being the first film after Paul Walker’s death. There isn’t much to say that fans don’t already know about it. However, you might be surprised to learn that it grossed $1,238,764,765 at the box office!

Incredibles 2 (2018)

Pixar waited a long 14 years before it released its highly anticipated sequel to Incredibles. While some people don’t agree on the film’s quality compared to the first, it outgrossed the original movie. Did you know it grossed a total of $1,242,805,359?

Beauty and the Beast (2017)

Overall, Beauty and the Beast was the first-ever reboot of the Disney film, and it outgrossed the animated version by a huge margin. As with Minions, it had a high all-time placement at the 10th spot in this list. While it is now at 17, the film did gross a whopping $1,263,521,126.

Frozen (2013)

Once Frozen was released, everyone was happy. Disney immediately doubled down on the merchandise because of its popularity. In a sense, the other iconic characters were outshined by the beautiful ice queen Elsa. It peaked at fifth place and is now at 16 on the list. Overall, it grossed $1,290,000,000!

Jurassic World - The Fallen Kingdom (2018)

The sequel to the sequel, or the reboot as it’s often called, wasn’t as beloved as the original movie. However, The Fallen Kingdom still grossed $1,309,484,461 since it debuted. Though it’s now the 15th highest, it had been at 12th place originally.

Star Wars - Last Jedi (2017)

Having a sequel trilogy to Star Wars seems a bit strange, and The Last Jedi cut the whole fandom in half. Some hated it, claiming that it ruined the franchise. However, others liked the subversive take it offered. Regardless, people wanted to see it since it grossed $1,332,539,889!

Harry Potter - Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011)

The Harry Potter franchise encompasses the books and films, and they are the most beloved media to be created for fantasy. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the conclusion made the list. Overall, the second part of the Deathly Hallows used to sit at the third spot and is now at 13, grossing $1,342,025,430.

Black Panther (2018)

Black Panther is a highly popular movie because of its primarily black cast. It’s also the 18th installment for the Marvel Universe, and it features the character with the same name. Overall, it was a smash hit, grossing $1,347,280,838 at the box office.

Avengers - The Age of Ultron (2015)

Overall, Age of Ultron had a challenging time trying to live up to all the hype the predecessor had. However, the film managed to make a huge wad of money for the franchise. The 11th film ended up grossing $1,402,805,868. While that kept it at the fifth spot for a while, it finally dropped down to where it is now.

Frozen 2 (2019)

As soon as Frozen got released, people demanded a sequel, and they got it. Overall, it was that excitement that got the behinds in the seats whenever Frozen II was finally out. The film actually grossed $200 million more than its original, coming in at $1,402,805,868!

Furious 7 (2015)

There was only one other Furious franchise film to make the highest-grossing list, and that was Furious 7. It actually featured the last performance of Paul Walker. Though his death was tragic, it might have helped sell more tickets because the film grossed right at $1,516,045,911, about $300 million more than the sequel.

The Avengers (2012)

It’s no surprise to most that The Avengers is within the top 10 on the list. Though Iron Man helped to kick off the MCU, this one made each of the films a major blockbuster. Though it’s eighth on the list now, this film had been the third highest-grossing movie at $1,518,812,988.

The Lion King (2019)

The second remake and the final one on the list is the live-action film from the 1994 animated classic. The Lion King used computer-generated characters with realistic backgrounds and was a nostalgic trip, to say the least. Overall, it grossed $1,656,943,394 at the box office!

Jurassic World (2015)

In a sense, Jurassic World is the one in the franchise to gross the highest amount of cash. It added more levels of danger because there was a chance for more civilian casualties once the park was open. Overall, it was third on the list before dropping to the sixth position. It grossed $1,671,713,208!

Avengers - The Infinity War (2018)

Overall, Infinity War was heralded as the gathering of everything that the Marvel Universe was building for 10 years. It was a cultural phenomenon and generated hype for the next movie and the next. However, people wanted to re-watch this one, seeing as it grossed an amazing $2,048,359,754!

Star Wars - Force Awakens (2015)

Overall, The Force Awakens was the highest-grossing movie of all time for this media franchise. Regardless of what you thought of it, it brought forth the resurgence that Star Wars needed. Overall, it made a whopping $2,068,223,624 at the box office.

Titanic (1997)

Titanic was at the number-one spot when it first came out, and it’s likely the highest-grossing dram movie of all time. It stands apart from other films listed here. Plus, it’s the oldest on the list, holding its top spot crown until 2009. It’s actually grossed $2,187,425,379!

Avengers - Endgame (2019)

Endgame held the number-one spot for a brief moment, but it’s been edged out of that position. As with other films in the franchise, it was a cultural phenomenon, capping the Infinity Saga while still leaving it open to move forward. It grossed $2,797,501,328 at the box office!

Avatar (2009)

Avatar from James Cameron isn’t what you think of first when you imagine the highest-grossing film in forever. Though it’s recognized for its tech advancements in visual effects, the plot doesn’t stand up well to scrutiny. Regardless, it made more money than all the others, grossing $2,847,246,203!