document_title: List of highest-grossing films

question_text: who has made the most money in movies

question_tokens: who has made the most money in movies

text: List of highest-grossing films

text: Highest-grossing films

text: With a worldwide box-office gross of over $2.7 billion, Avatar is often proclaimed to be the "highest-grossing" film, but such claims usually refer to theatrical revenues only and do not take into account home video and television income, which can form a significant portion of a film's earnings. Once revenue from home entertainment is factored in it is not immediately clear which film is the most successful. Titanic earned $1.2 billion from video and DVD sales and rentals,[1] in addition to the $2.2 billion it grossed in theaters. While complete sales data are not available for Avatar, it earned $345 million from the sale of sixteen million DVD and Blu-ray units in North America,[2] and ultimately sold a total of thirty million DVD and Blu-ray units worldwide.[3] After home video income is accounted for, both films have earned over $3 billion. Television broadcast rights will also substantially add to a film's earnings, with a film often earning as much as 20–25% of its theatrical box-office for a couple of television runs on top of pay-per-view revenues;[4] Titanic earned a further $55 million from the NBC and HBO broadcast rights,[1] equating to about 9% of its North American gross.

text: When a film is highly exploitable as a commercial property, its ancillary revenues can dwarf its income from direct film sales.[5] The Lion King earned over $2 billion in box-office and home video sales,[6] but this pales in comparison to the $6 billion earned at box offices around the world by the stage adaptation.[7] Merchandising can be extremely lucrative too: The Lion King also sold $3 billion of merchandise,[8] while Pixar's Cars—which earned $462 million in theatrical revenues and was only a modest hit by comparison to other Pixar films[9]—generated global merchandise sales of over $8 billion in the five years after its 2006 release.[10][11] Pixar also had another huge hit with Toy Story 3, which generated almost $10 billion in merchandise retail sales in addition to the $1 billion it earned at the box office.[12]

text: On this chart, films are ranked by the revenues from theatrical exhibition at their nominal value, along with the highest positions they attained. Thirty-one films in total have grossed in excess of $1 billion worldwide, of which three have grossed over $2 billion, with Avatar ranked in the top position. All of the films have had a theatrical run (including re-releases) in the 21st century, and films that have not played during this period do not appear on the chart because of ticket-price inflation, population size and ticket purchasing trends not being considered.

text:
Highest-grossing films[13]

Rank
Peak
Title
Worldwide gross
Year
Reference(s)

1
1
Avatar
$2,787,965,087
2009
[# 1][# 2]

2
1
Titanic
$2,186,772,302
1997
[# 3][# 4]

3
3
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
$2,068,223,624
2015
[# 5][# 6]

4
3
Jurassic World
$1,671,713,208
2015
[# 7][# 8]

5
3
The Avengers
$1,518,812,988
2012
[# 9][# 10]

6
4
Furious 7
$1,516,045,911
2015
[# 11][# 12]

7
5
Avengers: Age of Ultron
$1,405,403,694
2015
[# 13][# 12]

8
3
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
$1,341,511,219
2011
[# 14][# 15]

9F
5
Frozen
$1,287,000,000
2013
[# 16][# 17]

10
10
Beauty and the Beast
$1,262,937,952
2017
[# 18][# 19]

11
11
The Fate of the Furious
$1,238,764,765
2017
[# 20][# 19]

12
5
Iron Man 3
$1,214,811,252
2013
[# 21][# 22]

13
10
Minions
$1,159,398,397
2015
[# 23][# 8]

14
12
Captain America: Civil War
$1,153,304,495
2016
[# 24][# 25]

15
4
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
$1,123,794,079
2011
[# 26][# 15]

16
2
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
$1,120,237,002
2003
[# 27][# 28]

17
7
Skyfall
$1,108,561,013
2012
[# 29][# 30]

18
10
Transformers: Age of Extinction
$1,104,054,072
2014
[# 31][# 32]

19
7
The Dark Knight Rises
$1,084,939,099
2012
[# 33][# 34]

20
4TS3
Toy Story 3
$1,066,969,703
2010
[# 35][# 36]

21
3
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
$1,066,179,725
2006
[# 37][# 38]

22
20
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
$1,056,057,273
2016
[# 39][# 40]

23
6
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
$1,045,713,802
2011
[# 41][# 42]

24
1
Jurassic Park
$1,029,939,903
1993
[# 43][# 44]

25
22
Finding Dory
$1,028,570,889
2016
[# 45][# 46]

26
2
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
$1,027,044,677
1999
[# 47][# 4]

27
5
Alice in Wonderland
$1,025,467,110
2010
[# 48][# 49]

28
24
Zootopia
$1,023,784,195
2016
[# 50][# 25]

29
14
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
$1,021,103,568
2012
[# 51][# 52]

30
30
Despicable Me 3
$1,019,616,915
2017
[# 53]

31
4
The Dark Knight
$1,004,558,444
2008
[# 54][# 55]

32
2
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
$974,755,371
2001
[# 56][# 57]

33
19DM2
Despicable Me 2
$970,761,885
2013
[# 58][# 59]

34
2
The Lion King
$968,483,777
1994
[# 60][# 44]

35
30
The Jungle Book
$966,550,600
2016
[# 61][# 62]

36
5
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
$963,420,425
2007
[# 63][# 64]

37
10
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1
$960,283,305
2010
[# 65][# 66]

38
24
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
$958,366,855
2013
[# 67][# 68]

39
26
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
$956,019,788
2014
[# 69][# 70]

40
8FN
Finding Nemo
$940,335,536
2003
[# 71][# 28]

41
6
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
$939,885,929
2007
[# 72][# 64]

42
8
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
$934,416,487
2009
[# 73][# 74]

43
4
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
$926,349,708
2002
[# 75][# 76]

44
6
Shrek 2
$919,838,758
2004
[# 77][# 78]

45
8
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
$896,911,078
2005
[# 79][# 80]

46
10
Spider-Man 3
$890,871,626
2007
[# 81][# 82]

47
15
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
$886,686,817
2009
[# 83][# 74]

48
40
Spectre
$880,674,609
2015
[# 84][# 6]

49
6
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
$878,979,634
2002
[# 85][# 86]

50
29
Ice Age: Continental Drift
$877,244,782
2012
[# 87][# 34]

text:
FBox Office Mojo stopped updating its main total for Frozen in August 2014, while it was still in release. The total listed here incorporates subsequent earnings in Japan, Nigeria, Spain, the United Kingdom and Germany up to the end of 2015 but omits earnings in Turkey, Iceland, Brazil, and Australia (2016) which amount to a few hundred thousand dollars. The total is rounded to $1 million to compensate for the numerical inaccuracy.
TS3The gross for Toy Story 3 has been corrected to $1,066,969,703, meaning that it finished one place higher at the end of its release.
DM2Disney issued an erratum to the gross for The Lion King, correcting its gross from $987.5 million to $968.5 million. This means that Despicable Me 2 finished its run ahead of it and would have ranked one place higher at the end of its release.
FNFinding Nemo finished one place higher at the end of its original release, after taking corrections into account. Its total now stands at $940.3 million, which would put the first run at $871.0 million after deducting the 3D reissue gross of $69.3 million. Meanwhile, the total gross for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring has been corrected to $871.5 million, which would rank below Finding Nemo's first run once its 2011 reissue gross is deducted.

text: Because of the long-term effects of inflation, notably the significant increase of movie theater ticket prices, the list unadjusted for inflation gives far more weight to later films.[14] The unadjusted list, while commonly found in the press, is therefore largely meaningless for comparing films widely separated in time, as many films from earlier eras will never appear on a modern unadjusted list, despite achieving higher commercial success when adjusted for price increases.[15] To compensate for the devaluation of the currency, some charts make adjustments for inflation, but not even this practice fully addresses the issue since ticket prices and inflation do not necessarily parallel one another. For example, in 1970, tickets cost $1.55 or about $6.68 in inflation-adjusted 2004 dollars; by 1980, prices had risen to about $2.69, a drop to $5.50 in inflation-adjusted 2004 dollars.[16] Ticket prices have also risen at different rates of inflation around the world, further complicating the process of adjusting worldwide grosses.[14]

text: Another complication is release in multiple formats for which different ticket prices are charged. One notable example of this phenomenon is Avatar, which was also released in 3D and IMAX: almost two-thirds of tickets for that film were for 3D showings with an average price of $10, and about one-sixth were for IMAX showings with an average price over $14.50, compared to a 2010 average price of $7.61 for 2D films.[17] Social and economic factors such as population change[18] and the growth of international markets[19][20][21] also impact on the number of people purchasing theater tickets, along with audience demographics where some films sell a much higher proportion of discounted children's tickets, or perform better in big cities where tickets cost more.[15]

text: The measuring system for gauging a film's success is based on unadjusted grosses, mainly because historically this is the way it has always been done because of the practices of the film industry: the box office receipts are compiled by theaters and relayed to the distributor, which in turn releases them to the media.[22] Converting to a more representative system that counts ticket sales rather than gross is also fraught with problems because the only data available for older films are the sale totals.[18] As the motion picture industry is highly oriented towards marketing currently released films, unadjusted figures are always used in marketing campaigns so that new blockbuster films can much more easily achieve a high sales ranking, and thus be promoted as a "top film of all time",[16][23] so there is little incentive to switch to a more robust analysis from a marketing or even newsworthy point of view.[22]

text: Despite the inherent difficulties in accounting for inflation, several attempts have been made. Estimates depend on the price index used to adjust the grosses,[23] and the exchange rates used to convert between currencies can also impact upon the calculations, both of which can have an effect on the ultimate rankings of an inflation adjusted list. Gone with the Wind—first released in 1939—is generally considered to be the most successful film, with Guinness World Records in 2014 estimating its adjusted global gross at $3.4 billion. Estimates for Gone with the Wind's adjusted gross have varied substantially: its owner, Turner Entertainment, estimated its adjusted earnings at $3.3 billion in 2007, a few years earlier than the Guinness estimate;[24] other estimates fall either side of this amount, with one putting its gross just under $3 billion in 2010,[25] while another provided an alternative figure of $3.8 billion in 2006.[26] Which film is Gone with the Wind's nearest rival depends on the set of figures used: Guinness had Avatar in second place with $3 billion, while other estimates saw Titanic in the runner-up spot with first-run worldwide earnings of almost $2.9 billion at 2010 prices. The only other film that all sources agreed grossed in excess of $2 billion at recent prices is Star Wars; according to Guinness it has earned $2.8 billion at 2014 price levels, while other sources from 2010/2011 put its adjusted earnings at $2.2–2.6 billion.[25][27]

text:
Highest-grossing films adjusted for inflation as of 2014[update][28][29][TFA]

Rank
Title
Worldwide gross
(2014 $)
Year

1
Gone with the Wind
$3,440,000,000
1939

2
Avatar
$3,020,000,000
2009

3
Star Wars
$2,825,000,000
1977

4
Titanic
$2,516,000,000T$2,516,000,000
1997

5
The Sound of Music
$2,366,000,000
1965

6
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
$2,310,000,000
1982

7
The Ten Commandments
$2,187,000,000
1956

8
Doctor Zhivago
$2,073,000,000
1965

9
Jaws
$2,027,000,000
1975

10
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
$1,819,000,000S$1,819,000,000
1937

text: TFAEven though the nominal gross for Star Wars: The Force Awakens surpasses the inflation-adjusted gross for both Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Jaws, inflation has occurred in the interim so it is not possible to rank it until Guinness World Records provide an updated chart of adjusted grosses.

text: TThe figure for Titanic is most likely based on the gross from its 1997 theatrical release, and does not incorporate earnings from the 2012 reissue. According to the 2012 edition of Guinness World Records, the adjusted total for Titanic as of 2011 stood at $2,413,800,000, and a re-release in 2012 added a further $343,550,770 to the total.[30] However, the 2015 edition put the adjusted total at $2,516,000,000—an increase of just $102,000,000; this is a rise of 4.2% since 2011, an increase shared by the other adjusted totals in the chart.

text: SThe 2015 edition of Guinness World Records does not provide an explicit figure for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. However, it does state that it is one of only two pre-1955 films—the other being Gone with the Wind—that are among the adjusted top ten. It placed tenth in the 2012 edition, and the eleventh highest-grossing film according to the 2015 edition is The Exorcist, which has grossed $1.794 billion adjusted to 2014 prices. The adjusted grosses for the other films on the chart increased by 4.2 percent between 2011 and 2014 according to Guinness, and using this apparent rate of inflation would take the adjusted gross for Snow White from $1.746 billion at 2011 prices to $1.819 billion at 2014 prices.

text: High-grossing films by year

text:
Glossary: Distributor rentals

Box-office figures are reported in the form of gross or distributor rentals, the latter being especially true of older films. Commonly mistaken for home video revenue, the rentals are the distributor's share of the film's theatrical revenue i.e. the box office gross less the exhibitor's cut.[31][32] Historically, the rental price averaged at 35–40% when the distributors owned the theater chains, equating to just over a third of the gross being paid to the distributor of the film.[33] In the modern marketplace, rental fees can vary greatly—depending on a number of factors—although the films from the major studios average out at 43%.[31]

text: Audience tastes were fairly eclectic during the 20th century, but several trends did emerge. During the silent era, films with war themes were popular with audiences, with The Birth of a Nation (American Civil War), The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Big Parade and Wings (all World War I) becoming the most successful films in their respective years of release, with the trend coming to an end with All Quiet on the Western Front in 1930. With the advent of sound in 1927, the musical—the genre best placed to showcase the new technology—took over as the most popular type of film with audiences, with 1928 and 1929 both being topped by musical films. The genre continued to perform strongly in the 1930s, but the outbreak of World War II saw war themed films dominate again during this period, starting with Gone with the Wind (American Civil War) in 1939, and finishing with The Best Years of Our Lives (World War II) in 1946. Samson and Delilah (1949) saw the beginning of a trend of increasingly expensive historical dramas set during Ancient Rome/biblical times throughout the 1950s as cinema competed with television for audiences,[34] with Quo Vadis, The Robe, The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur and Spartacus all becoming the highest-grossing film of the year during initial release, before the genre started to wane after several high-profile failures.[35] The success of White Christmas and South Pacific in the 1950s foreshadowed the comeback of the musical in the 1960s with West Side Story, Mary Poppins, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music and Funny Girl all among the top films of the decade. The 1970s saw a shift in audience tastes to high concept films, with six such films made by either George Lucas or Steven Spielberg topping the chart during the 1980s. The 21st century has seen an increasing dependence on franchises and adaptations, with the box office dominance of films based on pre-existing intellectual property at record levels.[36]

text: Steven Spielberg is the most represented director on the chart with six films to his credit, occupying the top spot in 1975, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1989 and 1993. Cecil B. DeMille (1932, 1947, 1949, 1952 and 1956) and William Wyler (1942, 1946, 1959 and 1968) are in second and third place with five and four films respectively, while D. W. Griffith (1915, 1916 and 1920), George Roy Hill (1966, 1969 and 1973) and James Cameron (1991, 1997 and 2009) all feature heavily with three films apiece. George Lucas directed two chart-toppers in 1977 and 1999, but also served in a strong creative capacity as a producer and writer in 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984 and 1989 as well. The following directors have also all directed two films on the chart: Frank Lloyd, King Vidor, Frank Capra, Michael Curtiz, Leo McCarey, Alfred Hitchcock, David Lean, Stanley Kubrick, Guy Hamilton, Mike Nichols, William Friedkin, Peter Jackson, Gore Verbinski and Michael Bay; Mervyn LeRoy, Ken Annakin and Robert Wise are each represented by one solo credit and one shared credit, and John Ford co-directed two films. Disney films are usually co-directed and some directors have served on several winning teams: Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Clyde Geronimi, David Hand, Ben Sharpsteen, Wolfgang Reitherman and Bill Roberts have all co-directed at least two films on the list. Only five directors have topped the chart in consecutive years: McCarey (1944 and 1945), Nichols (1966 and 1967), Spielberg (1981 and 1982), Jackson (2002 and 2003) and Verbinski (2006 and 2007).

text: Because of release schedules—especially in the case of films released towards the end of the year—and different release patterns across the world, many films can do business in two or more calendar years; therefore the grosses documented here are not confined to just the year of release. Grosses are not limited to original theatrical runs either, with many older films often being re-released periodically so the figures represent all the business a film has done since its original release; a film's first-run gross is included in brackets after the total if known. Because of incomplete data it cannot be known for sure how much money some films have made and when they made it, but generally the chart chronicles the films from each year that went on to earn the most. In the cases where estimates conflict both films are recorded, and in cases where a film has moved into first place because of being re-released the previous record-holder is also retained. At least one film every year has generated $100 million in gross revenue at the box office since 1967, and from 2008 each year has succeeded in producing a billion dollar grossing film.

text:
High-grossing films by year of release[37][38][39]

Year
Title
Worldwide gross
Budget
Reference(s)

1915
The Birth of a Nation
7007500000000000000♠$50,000,000–7008100000000000000♠100,000,000
7007200000000000000♠$20,000,000+R (7006520000000000000♠$5,200,000)R
7005110000000000000♠$110,000
[# 88][# 89][# 90]

1916
Intolerance
7006100000000000000♠$1,000,000*R IN
7005489653000000000♠$489,653
[# 91][# 92]

1917
Cleopatra
7005500000000000000♠$500,000*R
7005300000000000000♠$300,000
[# 91]

1918
Mickey
7006800000000000000♠$8,000,000
7005250000000000000♠$250,000
[# 93]

1919
The Miracle Man
7006300000000000000♠$3,000,000R
7005120000000000000♠$120,000
[# 94]

1920
Way Down East
7006500000000000000♠$5,000,000R (7006400000000000000♠$4,000,000)R
7005800000000000000♠$800,000
[# 95][# 96]

1921
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
7006500000000000000♠$5,000,000R (7006400000000000000♠$4,000,000)R
7005600000000000000♠$600,000–7005800000000000000♠800,000
[# 97]

1922
Robin Hood
7006250000000000000♠$2,500,000R
7005930042780000000♠$930,042.78
[# 98][# 99]

1923
The Covered Wagon
7006500000000000000♠$5,000,000R
7005800000000000000♠$800,000
[# 100][# 101]

1924
The Sea Hawk
7006300000000000000♠$3,000,000R
7005700000000000000♠$700,000
[# 100]

1925
The Big Parade
7007180000000000000♠$18,000,000–7007220000000000000♠22,000,000R
(7006613100000000000♠$6,131,000)R
7005382000000000000♠$382,000
[# 102][# 103][# 104]

Ben-Hur
7006938600000000000♠$9,386,000R
7006396700000000000♠$3,967,000
[# 105]

1926
For Heaven's Sake
7006260000000000000♠$2,600,000R FH
7005150000000000000♠$150,000
[# 95][# 106]

1927
Wings
7006360000000000000♠$3,600,000R
7006200000000000000♠$2,000,000
[# 95][# 107][# 108]

1928
The Singing Fool
7006590000000000000♠$5,900,000R
7005388000000000000♠$388,000
[# 108][# 109]

1929
The Broadway Melody
7006440000000000000♠$4,400,000–7006480000000000000♠4,800,000R
7005379000000000000♠$379,000
[# 110][# 111]

Sunny Side Up
7006350000000000000♠$3,500,000*R SS
7005600000000000000♠$600,000
[# 112][# 113]

1930
All Quiet on the Western Front
7006300000000000000♠$3,000,000R
7006125000000000000♠$1,250,000
[# 95][# 114][# 115][# 116]

1931
Frankenstein
7007120000000000000♠$12,000,000R (7006140000000000000♠$1,400,000)R
7005250000000000000♠$250,000
[# 117][# 118]

City Lights
7006500000000000000♠$5,000,000R
7006160735100000000♠$1,607,351
[# 119]

1932
The Sign of the Cross
7006273899300000000♠$2,738,993R
7005694065000000000♠$694,065
[# 101][# 120][# 121][# 122]

1933
King Kong
7006534700000000000♠$5,347,000R (7006185600000000000♠$1,856,000)R
7005672255750000000♠$672,255.75
[# 123]

I'm No Angel
7006325000000000000♠$3,250,000+R
7005200000000000000♠$200,000
[# 124][# 125]

Cavalcade
7006300000000000000♠$3,000,000–7006400000000000000♠4,000,000R
7006111600000000000♠$1,116,000
[# 96][# 115]

She Done Him Wrong
7006300000000000000♠$3,000,000+R
7005274076000000000♠$274,076
[# 126][# 127][# 128]

1934
The Merry Widow
7006260800000000000♠$2,608,000R
7006160500000000000♠$1,605,000
[# 129][# 121]

It Happened One Night
7006100000000000000♠$1,000,000R ON
7005325000000000000♠$325,000
[# 130][# 131]

1935
Mutiny on the Bounty
7006446000000000000♠$4,460,000R
7006190500000000000♠$1,905,000
[# 121]

1936
San Francisco
7006604400000000000♠$6,044,000+R (7006527300000000000♠$5,273,000)R
7006130000000000000♠$1,300,000
[# 129][# 121]

1937
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
7008418000000000000♠$418,000,000+S7 (7006850000000000000♠$8,500,000)R
7006148842300000000♠$1,488,423
[# 132][# 133]

1938
You Can't Take It With You
7006500000000000000♠$5,000,000R
7006120000000000000♠$1,200,000
[# 134][# 135]

1939
Gone with the Wind
7008390525192000000♠$390,525,192–7008401776459000000♠401,776,459
(7007320000000000000♠$32,000,000)R GW
7006390000000000000♠$3,900,000–7006425000000000000♠4,250,000
[# 136][# 137][# 138][# 139]

1940
Pinocchio
7007870008620000000♠$87,000,862* (7006350000000000000♠$3,500,000)R
7006260000000000000♠$2,600,000
[# 140][# 133][# 141]

Boom Town
7006460000000000000♠$4,600,000*R
7006210000000000000♠$2,100,000
[# 142][# 143]

1941
Sergeant York
7006780000000000000♠$7,800,000R
7006160000000000000♠$1,600,000
[# 144][# 145]

1942
Bambi
7008267997843000000♠$267,997,843 (7006344935300000000♠$3,449,353)R
7006170000000000000♠$1,700,000–7006200000000000000♠2,000,000
[# 146][# 147][# 148]

Mrs. Miniver
7006887800000000000♠$8,878,000R
7006134400000000000♠$1,344,000
[# 149][# 150]

1943
For Whom the Bell Tolls
7007110000000000000♠$11,000,000R
7006268129800000000♠$2,681,298
[# 151][# 152][# 153]

This Is the Army
7006955558644000000♠$9,555,586.44*R
7006140000000000000♠$1,400,000
[# 154][# 155][# 153]

1944
Going My Way
7006650000000000000♠$6,500,000*R
7006100000000000000♠$1,000,000
[# 156][# 157][# 158]

1945
Mom and Dad
7007800000000000000♠$80,000,000MD/7007220000000000000♠$22,000,000R
7004650000000000000♠$65,000
[# 159]

The Bells of St. Mary's
7007112000000000000♠$11,200,000R
7006160000000000000♠$1,600,000
[# 160]

1946
Song of the South
7007650000000000000♠$65,000,000* (7006330000000000000♠$3,300,000)R
7006212500000000000♠$2,125,000
[# 161][# 162][# 163]

The Best Years of Our Lives
7007147500000000000♠$14,750,000R
7006210000000000000♠$2,100,000
[# 164][# 165]

Duel in the Sun
7007100000000000000♠$10,000,000*R
7006525500000000000♠$5,255,000
[# 156][# 166]

1947
Forever Amber
7006800000000000000♠$8,000,000R
7006637500000000000♠$6,375,000
[# 112][# 166]

Unconquered
7006750000000000000♠$7,500,000R UN
7006420000000000000♠$4,200,000
[# 167][# 168]

1948
Easter Parade
7006591813400000000♠$5,918,134R
7006250000000000000♠$2,500,000
[# 158][# 169]

The Red Shoes
7006500000000000000♠$5,000,000*R
7006200000000000000♠7005505581000000000♠£505,581 (7006200000000000000♠~$2,000,000)
[# 156][# 170][# 171]

The Snake Pit
7006410000000000000♠$4,100,000*R
7006380000000000000♠$3,800,000
[# 172][# 173]

1949
Samson and Delilah
7007142092500000000♠$14,209,250R
7006309756300000000♠$3,097,563
[# 174][# 101]

1950
Cinderella
7008263591415000000♠$263,591,415
(7007200000000000000♠$20,000,000/7006780000000000000♠$7,800,000R)
7006220000000000000♠$2,200,000
[# 175][# 176][# 177]

King Solomon's Mines
7007100500000000000♠$10,050,000R
7006225800000000000♠$2,258,000
[# 178]

1951
Quo Vadis
7007210370000000000♠$21,037,000–7007267000000000000♠26,700,000R
7006762300000000000♠$7,623,000
[# 174][# 179][# 180]

1952
This Is Cinerama
7007500000000000000♠$50,000,000CI
7006100000000000000♠$1,000,000
[# 181][# 182]

The Greatest Show on Earth
7007183500000000000♠$18,350,000R GS
7006387394600000000♠$3,873,946
[# 183][# 184][# 101]

1953
Peter Pan
7008145000000000000♠$145,000,000
7006300000000000000♠$3,000,000–7006400000000000000♠4,000,000
[# 185]

The Robe
7007250000000000000♠$25,000,000–7007261000000000000♠26,100,000R
7006410000000000000♠$4,100,000
[# 186][# 187][# 180]

1954
Rear Window
7007245000000000000♠$24,500,000* (7006530000000000000♠$5,300,000)*R
7006100000000000000♠$1,000,000
[# 188][# 179]

White Christmas
7007260000500000000♠$26,000,050* (7007120000000000000♠$12,000,000)*R
7006380000000000000♠$3,800,000
[# 189][# 190][# 191]

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
7007250001340000000♠$25,000,134*
(7006680000000000000♠$6,800,000–7006800000000000000♠8,000,000)*R
7006450000000000000♠$4,500,000–7006900000000000000♠9,000,000
[# 192][# 193][# 156][# 194]

1955
Lady and the Tramp
7007883002000000000♠$88,300,200* (7006650000000000000♠$6,500,000)*R
7006400000000000000♠$4,000,000
[# 195][# 156][# 196]

Cinerama Holiday
7007210000000000000♠$21,000,000CI
7006200000000000000♠$2,000,000
[# 197][# 198]

Mister Roberts
7006990000000000000♠$9,900,000R
7006240000000000000♠$2,400,000
[# 199]

1956
The Ten Commandments
7007900662300000000♠$90,066,230R
(7008122700000000000♠$122,700,000/7007552000000000000♠$55,200,000R)
7007132700000000000♠$13,270,000
[# 101][# 200][# 201]

1957
The Bridge on the River Kwai
7007306000000000000♠$30,600,000R
7006284000000000000♠$2,840,000
[# 201]

1958
South Pacific
7007300000000000000♠$30,000,000R
7006561000000000000♠$5,610,000
[# 202]

1959
Ben-Hur
7007900000000000000♠$90,000,000R
(7008146900000000000♠$146,900,000/7007661000000000000♠$66,100,000R)
7007159000000000000♠$15,900,000
[# 203][# 204]

1960
Swiss Family Robinson
7007300000000000000♠$30,000,000R
7006400000000000000♠$4,000,000
[# 205]

Spartacus
7007600000000000000♠$60,000,000 (7007221052250000000♠$22,105,225)R
7007102840140000000♠$10,284,014
[# 206][# 207]

Psycho
7007500000000000000♠$50,000,000+ (7007140000000000000♠$14,000,000)R
7005800000000000000♠$800,000
[# 208]

1961
One Hundred and One Dalmatians
7008215880212000000♠$215,880,212
7006360000000000000♠$3,600,000–7006400000000000000♠4,000,000
[# 209][# 210][# 148]

West Side Story
7008105000000000000♠$105,000,000 (7007318000000000000♠$31,800,000)R
7006700000000000000♠$7,000,000
[# 211][# 212]

1962
Lawrence of Arabia
7007773248520000000♠$77,324,852 (7007699953850000000♠$69,995,385)
7007138000000000000♠$13,800,000
[# 213][# 214]

How the West Was Won
7007350000000000000♠$35,000,000R
7007144830000000000♠$14,483,000
[# 215]

The Longest Day
7007332000000000000♠$33,200,000R
7006860000000000000♠$8,600,000
[# 212][# 214]

1963
Cleopatra
7007403000000000000♠$40,300,000R
7007311150000000000♠$31,115,000
[# 212][# 214]

From Russia with Love
7007789000000000000♠$78,900,000/7007294000000000000♠$29,400,000R
(7007125000000000000♠$12,500,000)R
7006200000000000000♠$2,000,000
[# 216][# 217][# 218]

1964
My Fair Lady
7007550000000000000♠$55,000,000R
7007170000000000000♠$17,000,000
[# 219]

Goldfinger
7008124900000000000♠$124,900,000 (7007460000000000000♠$46,000,000)R
7006300000000000000♠$3,000,000
[# 216][# 218]

Mary Poppins
7007440000000000000♠$44,000,000–7007500000000000000♠$50,000,000R
7006520000000000000♠$5,200,000
[# 220][# 219]

1965
The Sound of Music
7008286214076000000♠$286,214,076 (7008114600000000000♠$114,600,000)R
7006800000000000000♠$8,000,000
[# 221][# 212]

1966
The Bible: In the Beginning
7007253000000000000♠$25,300,000R
7007180000000000000♠$18,000,000
[# 207]

Hawaii
7007345622220000000♠$34,562,222* (7007156000000000000♠$15,600,000)*R
7007150000000000000♠$15,000,000
[# 222][# 156]

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
7007300000000000000♠$30,000,000* (7007145000000000000♠$14,500,000)*R
7006761300000000000♠$7,613,000
[# 223][# 156][# 224]

1967
The Jungle Book
7008170800000000000♠$170,800,000–7008199475744000000♠199,475,744
7006390000000000000♠$3,900,000–7006400000000000000♠4,000,000
[# 225][# 226][# 148]

The Graduate
7007850000000000000♠$85,000,000R
7006310000000000000♠$3,100,000
[# 227][# 228]

1968
2001: A Space Odyssey
7008138000000000000♠$138,000,000–7008190000000000000♠190,000,000
(7007219000000000000♠$21,900,000)R
7007103000000000000♠$10,300,000
[# 229][# 230][# 212]

Funny Girl
7007800000000000000♠$80,000,000–7008100000000000000♠100,000,000
7006880000000000000♠$8,800,000
[# 231][# 232]

1969
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
7008152308525000000♠$152,308,525 (7007371000000000000♠$37,100,000)R
7006660000000000000♠$6,600,000
[# 233][# 212][# 228]

1970
Love Story
7007800000000000000♠$80,000,000R
7006226000000000000♠$2,260,000
[# 234][# 235]

Airport
7007750000000000000♠$75,000,000R
7007100000000000000♠$10,000,000
[# 236][# 237]

1971
The French Connection
7007750000000000000♠$75,000,000R
7006330000000000000♠$3,300,000
[# 112]

Fiddler on the Roof
7007494000000000000♠$49,400,000R
(7008100000000000000♠$100,000,000/7007451000000000000♠$45,100,000R)
7006900000000000000♠$9,000,000
[# 238][# 239]

Diamonds Are Forever
7008116000000000000♠$116,000,000 (7007457000000000000♠$45,700,000)R
7006720000000000000♠$7,200,000
[# 216][# 217]

1972
The Godfather
7008245066044000000♠$245,066,044–7008286000000000000♠286,000,000
(7008127600000000000♠$127,600,000–7008142000000000000♠142,000,000)R
7006620000000000000♠$6,200,000
[# 240][# 239][# 241][# 242]

1973
The Exorcist
7008413071948000000♠$413,071,948 (7008110000000000000♠$110,000,000)R
7007100000000000000♠$10,000,000
[# 243][# 244]

The Sting
7008115000000000000♠$115,000,000R
7006550000000000000♠$5,500,000
[# 245][# 246]

1974
The Towering Inferno
7008139700000000000♠$139,700,000/7007886500000000000♠$88,650,000R
7007140000000000000♠$14,000,000–7007150000000000000♠15,000,000
[40][# 247]

Blazing Saddles
7007800000000000000♠$80,000,000+R
7006260000000000000♠$2,600,000
[# 248][# 249]

1975
Jaws
7008470653591000000♠$470,653,591 (7008193700000000000♠$193,700,000)R
7006900000000000000♠$9,000,000
[# 250][# 251][# 252]

1976
Rocky
7008225000000000000♠$225,000,000 (7007771000000000000♠$77,100,000)R
7006107500000000000♠$1,075,000
[# 253][# 239][# 254]

1977
Star Wars
7008775398007000000♠$775,398,007
(7008530000000000000♠$530,000,000SW/7008268500000000000♠$268,500,000R)
7007112931510000000♠$11,293,151
[# 255][# 256][# 239][# 257]

1978
Grease
7008394954752000000♠$394,954,752 (7008341000000000000♠$341,000,000)
7006600000000000000♠$6,000,000
[# 258][# 259][# 227]

1979
Moonraker
7008210300000000000♠$210,300,000
7007310000000000000♠$31,000,000
[# 216][# 260]

Rocky II
7008200182289000000♠$200,182,289
7006700000000000000♠$7,000,000
[# 261][# 262][# 260]

1980
The Empire Strikes Back
7008547969004000000♠$547,969,004 (7008413562607000000♠$413,562,607)SW
7007230000000000000♠$23,000,000–7007320000000000000♠32,000,000
[# 263][# 264]

1981
Raiders of the Lost Ark
7008389925971000000♠$389,925,971
(7008321866000000000♠$321,866,000–7008353988025000000♠353,988,025)
7007180000000000000♠$18,000,000–7007228000000000000♠22,800,000
[# 265]

1982
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
7008792910554000000♠$792,910,554
(7008619000000000000♠$619,000,000–7008664000000000000♠664,000,000)
7007105000000000000♠$10,500,000–7007122000000000000♠12,200,000
[# 266][# 256][# 267][# 268]

1983
Return of the Jedi
7008475106177000000♠$475,106,177 (7008385845197000000♠$385,845,197)SW
7007325000000000000♠$32,500,000–7007427000000000000♠42,700,000
[# 269][# 264]

1984
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
7008333107271000000♠$333,107,271
7007270000000000000♠$27,000,000–7007282000000000000♠28,200,000
[# 270][# 271][# 272]

1985
Back to the Future
7008389053797000000♠$389,053,797 (7008381109762000000♠$381,109,762)
7007190000000000000♠$19,000,000–7007220000000000000♠22,000,000
[# 273][# 274]

1986
Top Gun
7008356830601000000♠$356,830,601 (7008345000000000000♠$345,000,000)
7007140000000000000♠$14,000,000–7007190000000000000♠19,000,000
[# 275][# 276][# 271]

1987
Fatal Attraction
7008320145905000000♠$320,145,905
7007140000000000000♠$14,000,000
[# 277][# 271]

1988
Rain Man
7008354825476000000♠$354,825,476
7007300000000000000♠$30,000,000
[# 278][# 279]

1989
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
7008474171806000000♠$474,171,806–7008494000000000000♠494,000,000
7007360000000000000♠$36,000,000–7007554000000000000♠55,400,000
[# 280][# 271][# 281]

1990
Ghost
7008505702423000000♠$505,702,423
7007220000000000000♠$22,000,000
[# 282][# 271]

1991
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
7008522123387000000♠$522,123,387 ($519,843,345)
7007940000000000000♠$94,000,000
[# 283][# 284]

1992
Aladdin
7008504050045000000♠$504,050,045
7007280000000000000♠$28,000,000
[# 285][# 148]

1993
Jurassic Park
7009102993990300000♠$1,029,939,903 (7008914691118000000♠$914,691,118)
7007630000000000000♠$63,000,000–7007700000000000000♠70,000,000
[# 43]

1994
The Lion King
7008968483777000000♠$968,483,777 (7008763455561000000♠$763,455,561)
7007450000000000000♠$45,000,000–7007793000000000000♠79,300,000
[# 60]

1995
Toy Story
7008373554033000000♠$373,554,033 (7008364873776000000♠$364,873,776)
7007300000000000000♠$30,000,000
[# 286][# 287]

Die Hard with a Vengeance
7008366101666000000♠$366,101,666
7007700000000000000♠$70,000,000
[# 288][# 289]

1996
Independence Day
7008817400891000000♠$817,400,891
7007750000000000000♠$75,000,000
[# 290]

1997
Titanic
7009218677230200000♠$2,186,772,302 (7009184320126800000♠$1,843,201,268)
7008200000000000000♠$200,000,000
[# 3]

1998
Armageddon
7008553709626000000♠$553,709,626
7008140000000000000♠$140,000,000
[# 291][# 292]

1999
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
7009102704467700000♠$1,027,044,677 (7008924317558000000♠$924,317,558)
7008115000000000000♠$115,000,000–7008127500000000000♠127,500,000
[# 47][# 264]

2000
Mission: Impossible 2
7008546388105000000♠$546,388,105
7008100000000000000♠$100,000,000–7008125000000000000♠125,000,000
[# 293][# 271]

2001
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
7008974755371000000♠$974,755,371
7008125000000000000♠$125,000,000
[# 56]

2002
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
7008926349708000000♠$926,349,708 (7008921780457000000♠$921,780,457)
7007940000000000000♠$94,000,000
[# 75]

2003
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
7009112023700200000♠$1,120,237,002 (7009111911094100000♠$1,119,110,941)
7007940000000000000♠$94,000,000
[# 27]

2004
Shrek 2
7008919838758000000♠$919,838,758
7008150000000000000♠$150,000,000
[# 77]

2005
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
7008896911078000000♠$896,911,078
7008150000000000000♠$150,000,000
[# 79]

2006
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
7009106617972500000♠$1,066,179,725
7008225000000000000♠$225,000,000
[# 37]

2007
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
7008963420425000000♠$963,420,425
7008300000000000000♠$300,000,000
[# 63]

2008
The Dark Knight
7009100455844400000♠$1,004,558,444 (7008997039412000000♠$997,039,412)
7008185000000000000♠$185,000,000
[# 54]

2009
Avatar
7009278796508700000♠$2,787,965,087 (7009274906432800000♠$2,749,064,328)
7008237000000000000♠$237,000,000
[# 1][# 294]

2010
Toy Story 3
7009106696970300000♠$1,066,969,703
7008200000000000000♠$200,000,000
[# 35]

2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
7009134151121900000♠$1,341,511,219
7008250000000000000♠$250,000,000HP
[# 14][# 295]

2012
The Avengers
7009151881298800000♠$1,518,812,988
7008220000000000000♠$220,000,000
[# 9]

2013
Frozen
7009128700000000000♠$1,287,000,000
7008150000000000000♠$150,000,000
[# 16]

2014
Transformers: Age of Extinction
7009110403907600000♠$1,104,039,076
7008210000000000000♠$210,000,000
[# 31]

2015
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
7009206822362400000♠$2,068,223,624
7008245000000000000♠$245,000,000
[# 5]

2016
Captain America: Civil War
7009115330449500000♠$1,153,304,495
7008250000000000000♠$250,000,000
[# 24]

2017
Beauty and the Beast
7009126293795200000♠$1,262,937,952
7008160000000000000♠$160,000,000
[# 18]

text: ( ... ) Since grosses are not limited to original theatrical runs, a film's first-run gross is included in brackets after the total if known.

text: *Canada and U.S. gross only.

text: RDistributor rental.

text: TBATo be ascertained.

text: INNo contemporary sources provide figures for 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, although The Numbers provides a figure of $8,000,000 for the North American box office gross.[41] However, it is possible this figure has been mistaken for the gross of the 1954 remake which also earned $8,000,000 in North American rentals.[42]

text: FHSome sources such as The Numbers state that Aloma of the South Seas is the highest grossing film of the year, earning $3 million.[43] However, no contemporary sources provide figures for Aloma of the South Seas, so it is unclear what the $3 million figure relates to. If it were the rental gross then that would have made it not only the highest-grossing film of the year, but one of the highest-grossing films of the silent era, and if that is the case it would be unusual for both International Motion Picture Almanac and Variety to omit it from their lists.

text: SSIt is not clear if the figure for Sunny Side Up is for North America or worldwide. Other sources put its earnings at $2 million,[44] which may suggest the higher figure is the worldwide rental, given the confusion over international figures during this period.[45]

text: ONThe figure for It Happened One Night is not truly representative of its success: it was distributed as a package deal along with more than two dozen other Columbia films, and the total earnings were averaged out; the true gross would have been much higher.

text: S7Snow White's $418 million global cume omits earnings outside of North America from 1987 onwards.

text: GWIt is not absolutely clear how much Gone with the Wind earned from its initial release. Contemporary accounts often list it as earning $32 million in North American rentals and retrospective charts have often duplicated this claim; however, it is likely this was the worldwide rental figure. Trade journals would collate the data by either obtaining it from the distributors themselves, who were keen to promote a successful film, or by surveying theaters and constructing an estimate. Distributors would often report the worldwide rental since the higher figure made the film appear more successful, while estimates were limited to performance in North America; therefore it was not unusual for worldwide and North American rentals to be mixed up. Following the outbreak of World War II, many of the foreign markets were unavailable to Hollywood so it became standard practice to just report on North American box-office performance.[45] In keeping with this new approach, the North American rental for Gone with the Wind was revised to $21 million in 1947 ($11 million lower than the previous figure),[46] and as of 1953—following the 1947 re-release—Variety was reporting earnings of $26 million.[47] Through 1956, MGM reported cumulative North American earnings of $30,015,000 and foreign earnings of $18,964,000, from three releases.[48] Worldwide rentals of $32 million from the initial release is consistent with the revised figures and later reported worldwide figures: they indicate that the film earned $21 million in North America and $11 million overseas from the initial release, and added a further $9 million in North America and $8 million overseas from subsequent re-releases up to 1956.

text: MDMom and Dad does not generally feature in 'high-gross' lists such as those published by Variety due to its independent distribution. Essentially belonging to the exploitation genre, it was marketed as an educational sex hygiene film in an effort to circumvent censorship laws. Falling foul of the Motion Picture Production Code, Mom and Dad was prevented from obtaining mainstream distribution and restricted to independent and drive-in theaters. It was the biggest hit of its kind, and remained in continual distribution until the 1970s when hardcore pornography eventually took over. At the end of 1947 it had earned $2 million, and by 1949, $8 million; by 1956 it had earned $22 million in rentals, representing a gross of $80 million, and would have easily placed in the top ten films in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Estimates of its total earnings are as high as $100 million.

text: UNChopra-Gant stipulates that the figure given for Unconquered is for North American box-office, but as was common at the time, the chart confuses worldwide and North American grosses. Other sources state that the takings for Forever Amber ($8 million) and Life with Father ($6.5 million)[49] were in fact worldwide rental grosses, so it is possible this is also true of Unconquered.

text: CIThe Cinerama figures represent gross amounts. Since the Cinerama corporation owned the theaters there were no rental fees for the films, meaning the studio received 100% of the box-office gross, unlike the case with most other films where the distributor typically receives less than half the gross. Since Variety at the time ranked films by their US rental, they constructed a hypothetical rental figure for the Cinerama films to provide a basis for comparison to other films in their chart: in the case of This Is Cinerama, the $50 million worldwide gross was reconfigured as a $12.5 million US rental gross; this is exactly 25% of the amount reported by Cinerama, so Variety's formula seemingly halved the gross to obtain an estimate for the US share, and halved it again to simulate a rental fee. Variety's 'rental' amounts are often repeated, but have no basis in the reality of what the films actually earned—they are hypothetical figures conceived for comparative analysis.[50] All five Cinerama features collectively generated $120 million in worldwide box office receipts.[51]

text: GSVariety put the worldwide rental for The Greatest Show on Earth at around $18.35 million (with $12.8 million coming from the United States[42]) a year after its release; however, Birchard puts its earnings at just over $15 million up to 1962. It is likely that Birchard's figure is just the North American gross rental, and includes revenue from the 1954 and 1960 reissues.

text: SWThe "first run" Star Wars grosses do not include revenue from the 1997 special-edition releases; however, the figure does include revenue from the re-releases prior to the special editions.

text: HPProduction costs were shared with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1.

text: Timeline of highest-grossing films

text: At least ten films have held the record of 'highest-grossing film' since The Birth of a Nation assumed the top spot in 1915. Both The Birth of a Nation and Gone with the Wind spent twenty-five consecutive years apiece as the highest-grosser, with films directed by Steven Spielberg holding the record on three occasions and James Cameron—the current holder—twice. Spielberg became the first director to break his own record when Jurassic Park overtook E.T., and Cameron emulated the feat when Avatar broke the record set by Titanic.

text: Some sources claim that The Big Parade superseded The Birth of a Nation as highest-grossing film, eventually being replaced by Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which in turn was quickly usurped by Gone with the Wind.[52] Exact figures are not known for The Birth of a Nation, but contemporary records put its worldwide earnings at $5.2 million as of 1919.[53] Its international release was delayed by World War I, and it was not released in many foreign territories until the 1920s; coupled with further re-releases in the United States, its $10 million earnings as reported by Variety in 1932 are consistent with the earlier figure.[54] At this time, Variety still had The Birth of a Nation ahead of The Big Parade ($6,400,000) on distributor rentals and—if its estimate is correct—Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ($8,500,000)[55] would not have earned enough on its first theatrical run to take the record;[56] although it would have been the highest-grossing 'talkie',[57] displacing The Singing Fool ($5,900,000).[58] Although received wisdom holds that it is unlikely The Birth of a Nation was ever overtaken by a silent-era film,[59] the record would fall to 1925's Ben-Hur ($9,386,000) if The Birth of a Nation earned significantly less than its estimated gross.[60] In addition to its gross rental earnings through public exhibition, The Birth of a Nation played at a large number of private, club and organizational engagements which figures are unavailable for.[61] It was hugely popular with the Ku Klux Klan who used it to drive recruitment,[62] and at one point Variety estimated its total earnings to stand at around $50 million.[63] Despite later retracting the claim, the sum has been widely reported even though it has never been substantiated.[53] While it is generally accepted that Gone with the Wind took over the record of highest-grossing film on its initial release—which is true in terms of public exhibition—it is likely it did not overtake The Birth of a Nation in total revenue until a much later date, with it still being reported as the highest earner up until the 1960s.[61] Gone with the Wind itself may have been briefly overtaken by The Ten Commandments (1956), which closed at the end of 1960 with worldwide rentals of $58–60 million[64][65] compared to Gone with the Wind's $59 million;[66] if it did claim the top spot its tenure there was short-lived, since Gone with the Wind was re-released the following year and increased its earnings to $67 million. Depending on how accurate the estimates are, the 1959 remake of Ben-Hur may also have captured the record from Gone with the Wind: as of the end of 1961 it had earned $47 million worldwide,[67] and by 1963 it was trailing Gone with the Wind by just $2 million with international takings of $65 million,[68] ultimately earning $66 million from its initial release.[69]

text: Another film purported to have been the highest-grosser is the 1972 pornographic film, Deep Throat. In 1984, Linda Lovelace testified to a United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on juvenile justice that the film had earned $600 million;[70] this figure has been the subject of much speculation, since if it is accurate then the film would have made more money than Star Wars, and finished the 1970s as the highest-grossing film. The main argument against this figure is that it simply did not have a wide enough release to sustain the sort of sums that would be required for it to ultimately gross this amount.[71] Exact figures are not known, but testimony in a federal trial in 1976—about four years into the film's release—showed the film had grossed over $25 million.[72] Roger Ebert has reasoned it possibly did earn as much as $600 million on paper, since mobsters owned most of the adult movie theaters during this period and would launder income from drugs and prostitution through them, so probably inflated the box office receipts for the film.[73]

text: The Birth of a Nation, Gone with the Wind, The Godfather, Jaws, Star Wars, E.T. and Avatar all increased their record grosses with re-releases. The grosses from their original theatrical runs are included here along with totals from re-releases up to the point that they lost the record; therefore the total for The Birth of a Nation includes income from its reissues up to 1940; the total for Star Wars includes revenue from the late 1970s and early 1980s reissues but not from the 1997 Special Edition; the total for E.T. incorporates its gross from the 1985 reissue but not from 2002; the total for Avatar—as the current record-holder—includes all its earnings at the present time. Gone with the Wind is represented twice on the chart: the 1940 entry includes earnings from its staggered 1939–1942 release (roadshow/general release/second-run)[74] along with all of its revenue up to the 1961 reissue prior to losing the record to The Sound of Music in 1966; its 1971 entry—after it took back the record—includes income from the 1967 and 1971 reissues but omitting later releases. The Godfather was re-released in 1973 after its success at the 45th Academy Awards, and Jaws was released again in 1976, and their grosses here most likely include earnings from those releases. The Sound of Music, The Godfather, Jaws, Jurassic Park and Titanic increased their earnings with further releases in 1973, 1997, 1979, 2013 and 2012 respectively, but they are not included in the totals here since they had already conceded the record prior to being re-released.

text:
Timeline of the highest-grossing film record

Established
Title
Record setting gross
Reference(s)

1915[52]
The Birth of a Nation
$5,200,000R
[# 89]

1940
$15,000,000R ‡
[# 296]

1940[24]
Gone with the Wind
$32,000,000R
[# 138]

1963
$67,000,000R ‡
[# 297]

1966[52]
The Sound of Music
$114,600,000R
[# 212]

1971[52]
Gone with the Wind
$116,000,000R ‡
[# 298]

1972[52]
The Godfather
$127,600,000–142,000,000R
[# 239][# 299]

1976[75][76]
Jaws
$193,700,000R
[# 251]

1978[77][78]
Star Wars
$410,000,000/$268,500,000R
[# 300][# 239]

1982
$530,000,000 ‡
[# 256]

1983[79]
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
$619,000,000–664,000,000
[# 256][# 267]

1993
$701,000,000 ‡
[# 301]

1993[52]
Jurassic Park
$914,691,118
[# 43]

1998[80]
Titanic
$1,843,201,268
[# 3]

2010[81][82]
Avatar
$2,749,064,328
[# 1]

$2,787,965,087 ‡

text: RDistributor rental.

text: Includes revenue from re-releases. If a film increased its gross through re-releases while holding the record, the year in which it recorded its highest gross is also noted in italics.

text: Prior to 2000, only seven film series had grossed over $1 billion at the box office: James Bond,[83] Star Wars,[84] Indiana Jones,[85] Rocky,[86][87][88] Batman,[89] Jurassic Park[90] and Star Trek.[91] Since the turn of the century that number has increased to over fifty (not including one-off hits such as Avatar, Titanic and Frozen).[92] This is partly due to inflation and market growth, but also to Hollywood's adoption of the franchise model: films that have built-in brand recognition, such as being based on a well known literary source or an established character. The methodology is based on the concept that films associated with things audiences are already familiar with can be more effectively marketed to them, and as such are known as "pre-sold" films within the industry.[27]

text: The films in the cross-franchise Marvel Cinematic Universe have collectively grossed the most, amassing over $12 billion at the box office, although the Eon James Bond films have earned over $14 billion in total when adjusted to current prices.[93] The Harry Potter films are the highest-grossing series based on a single property, earning nearly $8 billion at the box office; Harry Potter has also generated at least $3.5 billion in home video revenue,[94] taking total consumer spending on the films to over $11 billion. If ancillary income from merchandise is included, then Star Wars is the most lucrative property;[95] it holds the Guinness world record for the "most successful film merchandising franchise" and was valued at £19.51 billion in 2012 (approximately $30 billion).[96][97] With four billion-dollar grossers, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the only series where more than three films have grossed in excess of $1 billion (Star Wars is the only franchise with three such films), and the two Avengers films comprise the only franchise where each installment has grossed over $1 billion. Avengers is also the only franchise to have a series average of over $1 billion per film, although the Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jurassic Park and Finding Nemo franchises, Harry Potter films, and Peter Jackson's Middle-earth adaptation also average over $1 billion adjusted for inflation.[27][98]

text:
Highest-grossing franchises and film series[§]
(The films in each franchise can be viewed by selecting "show".)

Rank
Series
Total worldwide gross
No. of films
Average of films
Highest-grossing film

1
[show]Marvel Cinematic Universe
$12,651,766,211
16
$790,735,388
The Avengers ($1,518,812,988)

[show]Phase Two
$5,271,691,209
6
$878,615,202
Avengers: Age of Ultron ($1,405,403,694)

1
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
$1,405,403,694

2
Iron Man 3 (2013)
$1,214,811,252

3
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
$773,328,629

4
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
$714,264,267

5
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
$644,571,402

6
Ant-Man (2015)
$519,311,965

[show]Phase One
$3,811,244,484
6
$635,207,414
The Avengers ($1,518,812,988)

1
The Avengers (2012)
$1,518,812,988

2
Iron Man 2 (2010)
$623,933,331

3
Iron Man (2008)
$585,174,222

4
Thor (2011)
$449,326,618

5
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
$370,569,774

6
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
$263,427,551

[show]Phase Three
$3,568,830,518
4
$892,207,630
Captain America: Civil War ($1,153,304,495)

1
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
$1,153,304,495

2
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
$874,393,662

3
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
$863,413,966

4
Doctor Strange (2016)
$677,718,395

2
[show]J. K. Rowling's Wizarding World
$8,539,253,704
9
$948,805,967
Deathly Hallows – Part 2 ($1,341,511,219)

[show]Harry Potter series
$7,725,216,129
8
$965,652,016
Deathly Hallows – Part 2 ($1,341,511,219)

1
Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011)
$1,341,511,219

2
Philosopher's Stone (2001)
$974,755,371

3
Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010)
$960,283,305

4
Order of the Phoenix (2007)
$939,885,929

5
Half-Blood Prince (2009)
$934,416,487

6
Goblet of Fire (2005)
$896,911,078

7
Chamber of Secrets (2002)
$878,979,634

8
Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
$796,688,549

9
IMAX Marathon (2016)
$1,784,557

[show]Fantastic Beasts series
$814,037,575
1
$814,037,575
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them ($814,037,575)

1
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
$814,037,575

3
[show]Star Wars
$7,516,234,702
9
$835,137,189
The Force Awakens ($2,068,223,624)

[show]Prequel trilogy
$2,525,197,773
3
$841,732,591
The Phantom Menace ($1,027,044,677)

1
I – The Phantom Menace (1999)
$1,027,044,677

2
III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)
$848,754,768

3
II – Attack of the Clones (2002)
$649,398,328

[show]Sequel trilogy
$2,068,223,624
1
$2,068,223,624
The Force Awakens ($2,068,223,624)

1
VII – The Force Awakens (2015)
$2,068,223,624

[show]Original trilogy
$1,798,473,188
3
$599,491,063
A New Hope ($775,398,007)

1
IV – A New Hope (1977)
$775,398,007

2
V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
$547,969,004

3
VI – Return of the Jedi (1983)
$475,106,177

[show]Anthology films
$1,056,057,273
1
$1,056,057,273
Rogue One ($1,056,057,273)

1
Rogue One (2016)
$1,056,057,273

The Clone Wars (2008)
$68,282,844

4
[show]James Bond
$7,040,275,645
26
$270,779,833
Skyfall ($1,108,561,013)

[show]Eon series
$6,838,530,927
24
$284,938,789
Skyfall ($1,108,561,013)

[show]Daniel Craig's Bond
$3,174,372,309
4
$793,593,077
Skyfall ($1,108,561,013)

1
Skyfall (2012)
$1,108,561,013

2
Spectre (2015)
$880,674,609

3
Casino Royale (2006)
$599,045,960

4
Quantum of Solace (2008)
$586,090,727

[show]Pierce Brosnan's Bond
$1,479,008,618
4
$369,752,155
Die Another Day ($431,971,116)

1
Die Another Day (2002)
$431,971,116

2
The World Is Not Enough (1999)
$361,832,400

3
GoldenEye (1995)
$352,194,034

4
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
$333,011,068

[show]Roger Moore's Bond
$1,151,600,000
7
$164,514,286
Moonraker ($210,300,000)

1
Moonraker (1979)
$210,300,000

2
For Your Eyes Only (1981)
$194,900,000

3
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
$185,400,000

4
Octopussy (1983)
$183,700,000

5
A View to a Kill (1985)
$152,400,000

6
Live and Let Die (1973)
$126,400,000

7
The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
$98,500,000

[show]Sean Connery's Bond
$621,500,000
6
$103,583,333
Thunderball ($141,200,000)

1
Thunderball (1965)
$141,200,000

2
Goldfinger (1964)
$124,900,000

3
Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
$116,000,000

4
You Only Live Twice (1967)
$101,000,000

5
From Russia with Love (1963)
$78,900,000

6
Dr. No (1962)
$59,500,000

[show]Timothy Dalton's Bond
$347,400,000
2
$173,700,000
The Living Daylights ($191,200,000)

1
The Living Daylights (1987)
$191,200,000

2
Licence to Kill (1989)
$156,200,000

[show]George Lazenby's Bond
$64,600,000
1
$64,600,000
On Her Majesty's Secret Service ($64,600,000)

1
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
$64,600,000

Never Say Never Again (1983)
$160,000,000

Casino Royale (1967)
$41,744,718

5
[show]J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth
$5,884,488,087
7
$840,641,155
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King ($1,120,237,002)

[show]Jackson series
$5,853,780,255
6
$975,630,043
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King ($1,120,237,002)

[show]The Hobbit
$2,935,490,211
3
$978,496,737
An Unexpected Journey ($1,021,103,568)

1
An Unexpected Journey (2012)
$1,021,103,568

2
The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
$958,366,855

3
The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
$956,019,788

[show]The Lord of the Rings
$2,918,526,456
3
$972,842,152
The Return of the King ($1,120,237,002)

1
The Return of the King (2003)
$1,120,237,002

2
The Two Towers (2002)
$926,349,708

3
The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
$871,939,746

The Lord of the Rings (1978)
$30,471,420

6
[show]The Fast and the Furious
$5,134,895,344
8
$641,861,918
Furious 7 ($1,516,045,911)

1
Furious 7 (2015)
$1,516,045,911

2
The Fate of the Furious (2017)
$1,238,764,765

3
Fast & Furious 6 (2013)
$788,679,850

4
Fast Five (2011)
$626,137,675

5
Fast & Furious (2009)
$363,164,265

6
2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)
$236,350,661

7
The Fast and the Furious (2001)
$207,283,925

8
Tokyo Drift (2006)
$158,468,292

7
[show]X-Men
$4,996,639,039
10
$499,663,904
Deadpool ($783,112,979)

[show]Main series
$2,808,832,317
6
$468,138,720
Days of Future Past ($747,862,775)

1
Days of Future Past (2014)
$747,862,775

2
Apocalypse (2016)
$543,934,787

3
The Last Stand (2006)
$459,359,555

4
X2 (2003)
$407,711,549

5
First Class (2011)
$353,624,124

6
X-Men (2000)
$296,339,527

[show]Wolverine series
$1,404,693,743
3
$468,231,248
Logan ($616,802,633)

1
Logan (2017)
$616,802,633

2
The Wolverine (2013)
$414,828,246

3
Origins: Wolverine (2009)
$373,062,864

[show]Deadpool series
$783,112,979
1
$783,112,979
Deadpool ($783,112,979)

1
Deadpool (2016)
$783,112,979

8
[show]Batman
$4,995,812,576
15
$333,054,172
The Dark Knight Rises ($1,084,939,099)

[show]Nolan series
$2,463,716,216
3
$821,238,739
The Dark Knight Rises ($1,084,939,099)

1
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
$1,084,939,099

2
The Dark Knight (2008)
$1,004,558,444

3
Batman Begins (2005)
$374,218,673

[show]Burton/Schumacher series
$1,335,009,923
5
$267,001,985
Batman ($411,348,924)

[show]Main series
$1,252,907,544
4
$313,226,886
Batman ($411,348,924)

1
Batman (1989)
$411,348,924

2
Batman Forever (1995)
$336,529,144

3
Batman Returns (1992)
$266,822,354

4
Batman & Robin (1997)
$238,207,122

Catwoman (2004)
$82,102,379

[show]DC Extended Universe
$873,260,194
1
$873,260,194
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ($873,260,194)

1
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
$873,260,194

The Lego Batman Movie (2017)
$311,950,384

Mask of the Phantasm (1993)
$5,617,391

[show]DC Universe Animated Original Movies
$4,501,125
2
$2,250,563
The Killing Joke ($4,462,034)

1
The Killing Joke (2016)
$4,462,034

2
Batman and Harley Quinn (2017)
$39,091

[show]1960s TV series
$1,757,343
2
$878,672
Batman: The Movie ($1,700,000)

1
Batman: The Movie (1966)*R
$1,700,000

2
Return of the Caped Crusaders (2016)
$57,343

9
[show]Spider-Man
$4,837,653,166
6
$806,275,528
Spider-Man 3 ($890,871,626)

[show]Raimi series
$2,496,346,518
3
$832,115,506
Spider-Man 3 ($890,871,626)

1
Spider-Man 3 (2007)
$890,871,626

2
Spider-Man (2002)
$821,708,551

3
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
$783,766,341

[show]Webb series
$1,466,912,986
2
$733,456,493
The Amazing Spider-Man ($757,930,663)

1
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
$757,930,663

2
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
$708,982,323

[show]Marvel Cinematic Universe
$874,393,662
1
$874,393,662
Homecoming ($874,393,662)

1
Homecoming (2017)
$874,393,662

10
[show]Pirates of the Caribbean
$4,523,646,784
5
$904,729,357
Dead Man's Chest ($1,066,179,725)

1
Dead Man's Chest (2006)
$1,066,179,725

2
On Stranger Tides (2011)
$1,045,713,802

3
At World's End (2007)
$963,420,425

4
Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)
$794,068,817

5
The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
$654,264,015

11
[show]Transformers
$4,385,136,428
6
$730,856,071
Dark of the Moon ($1,123,794,079)

[show]Bay series
$4,379,286,781
5
$875,857,356
Dark of the Moon ($1,123,794,079)

1
Dark of the Moon (2011)
$1,123,794,079

2
Age of Extinction (2014)
$1,104,054,072

3
Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
$836,303,693

4
Transformers (2007)
$709,709,780

5
The Last Knight (2017)
$605,425,157

The Transformers: The Movie (1986)
$5,849,647

12
[show]Despicable Me
$3,692,891,182
4
$923,222,796
Minions ($1,159,398,397)

[show]Main series
$2,533,492,785
3
$844,497,595
Despicable Me 3 ($1,019,616,915)

1
Despicable Me 3 (2017)
$1,019,616,915

2
Despicable Me 2 (2013)
$970,761,885

3
Despicable Me (2010)
$543,113,985

Minions (2015)
$1,159,398,397

13
[show]Jurassic Park
$3,689,072,919
4
$922,268,230
Jurassic World ($1,671,713,208)

1
Jurassic World (2015)
$1,671,713,208

2
Jurassic Park (1993)
$1,029,939,903

3
The Lost World (1997)
$618,638,999

4
Jurassic Park III (2001)
$368,780,809

14
[show]Shrek
$3,510,794,482
5
$702,158,896
Shrek 2 ($919,838,758)

[show]Main series
$2,955,807,005
4
$738,951,751
Shrek 2 ($919,838,758)

1
Shrek 2 (2004)
$919,838,758

2
Shrek the Third (2007)
$798,958,162

3
Shrek Forever After (2010)
$752,600,867

4
Shrek (2001)
$484,409,218

Puss in Boots (2011)
$554,987,477

15
[show]The Twilight Saga
$3,346,157,056
5
$669,231,411
Breaking Dawn – Part 2 ($829,746,820)

1
Breaking Dawn – Part 2 (2012)
$829,746,820

2
Breaking Dawn – Part 1 (2011)
$712,205,856

3
New Moon (2009)
$709,711,008

4
Eclipse (2010)
$698,491,347

5
Twilight (2008)
$393,616,788

6
Twilight/New Moon (Combo)
$2,385,237

16
[show]Ice Age
$3,217,251,681
5
$643,450,336
Dawn of the Dinosaurs ($886,686,817)

1
Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009)
$886,686,817

2
Continental Drift (2012)
$877,244,782

3
The Meltdown (2006)
$661,483,908

4
Collision Course (2016)
$408,579,038

5
Ice Age (2002)
$383,257,136

17
[show]DC Extended Universe
$3,107,296,256
4
$776,824,064
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ($873,260,194)

1
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
$873,260,194

2
Wonder Woman (2017)
$820,390,490

3
Suicide Squad (2016)
$745,600,054

4
Man of Steel (2013)
$668,045,518

18
[show]The Hunger Games
$2,968,191,442
4
$742,047,861
Catching Fire ($865,011,746)

1
Catching Fire (2013)
$865,011,746

2
Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014)
$755,356,711

3
The Hunger Games (2012)
$694,394,724

4
Mockingjay – Part 2 (2015)
$653,428,261

19
[show]Avengers
$2,924,216,682
2
$1,462,108,341
The Avengers ($1,518,812,988)

1
The Avengers (2012)
$1,518,812,988

2
Age of Ultron (2015)
$1,405,403,694

20
[show]Mission: Impossible
$2,778,977,995
5
$555,795,599
Ghost Protocol ($694,713,380)

1
Ghost Protocol (2011)
$694,713,380

2
Rogue Nation (2015)
$682,330,139

3
Mission: Impossible II (2000)
$546,388,105

4
Mission: Impossible (1996)
$457,696,359

5
Mission: Impossible III (2006)
$397,850,012

21
[show]Superman
$2,554,201,360
8
$319,275,170
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ($873,260,194)

[show]DC Extended Universe
$1,541,305,712
2
$770,652,856
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ($873,260,194)

1
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
$873,260,194

2
Man of Steel (2013)
$668,045,518

[show]Original series
$621,814,456
5
$124,362,891
Superman ($300,218,018)

[show]Christopher Reeve films
$607,518,018
4
$151,879,505
Superman ($300,218,018)

1
Superman (1978)
$300,218,018

2
Superman II (1980)
$190,400,000

3
Superman III (1983)
$80,200,000

4
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
$36,700,000

Supergirl (1984)*
$14,296,438

Superman Returns (2006)
$391,081,192

22
[show]Iron Man
$2,423,918,805
3
$807,972,935
Iron Man 3 ($1,214,811,252)

1
Iron Man 3 (2013)
$1,214,811,252

2
Iron Man 2 (2010)
$623,933,331

3
Iron Man (2008)
$585,174,222

23
[show]Star Trek
$2,266,723,196
13
$174,363,323
Into Darkness ($467,381,584)

[show]Kelvin Timeline
$1,189,710,370
3
$396,570,123
Into Darkness ($467,381,584)

1
Into Darkness (2013)
$467,381,584

2
Star Trek (2009)
$385,680,446

3
Beyond (2016)
$336,648,340

[show]The Original Series
$621,900,000
6
$103,650,000
The Motion Picture ($139,000,000)

1
The Motion Picture (1979)
$139,000,000

2
IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
$133,000,000

3
VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
$96,900,000

4
II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
$95,800,000

5
III: The Search for Spock (1984)
$87,000,000

6
V: The Final Frontier (1989)
$70,200,000

[show]The Next Generation
$455,112,826
4
$113,778,207
First Contact ($150,000,000)

1
First Contact (1996)
$150,000,000

2
Generations (1994)
$120,000,000

3
Insurrection (1998)
$117,800,000

4
Nemesis (2002)
$67,312,826

24
[show]Madagascar
$2,256,517,920
4
$564,129,480
Europe's Most Wanted ($746,921,274)

[show]Main series
$1,883,502,299
3
$627,834,100
Europe's Most Wanted ($746,921,274)

1
3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012)
$746,921,274

2
Escape 2 Africa (2008)
$603,900,354

3
Madagascar (2005)
$532,680,671

Penguins of Madagascar (2014)
$373,015,621

25
[show]Captain America
$2,238,138,536
3
$746,046,179
Civil War ($1,153,304,495)

1
Civil War (2016)
$1,153,304,495

2
The Winter Soldier (2014)
$714,264,267

3
The First Avenger (2011)
$370,569,774

text: *Canada and U.S. gross only.

text: RDistributor rental.