The 50 Top Grossing Movies of All Time

“Avengers: Age of Ultron” is the fifth-highest grossing movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe canon, whose star power includes Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, and Mark Ruffalo. The Critics Consensus on Rotten Tomatoes says the film was “Exuberant and eye-popping,” and it has an 83% approval rating from audience members on the site.

Director Christopher Nolan’s follow-up to “The Dark Knight” (2008) is the second most successful Batman movie to date at the domestic box office. It is also the second most critically acclaimed live-action Batman movie, behind only its predecessor.

The family comedy about an 8-year-old boy who must defend himself and his home from a pair of criminals after his family leaves him accidentally alone over Christmas was released just in time for the 1990 holiday season. It topped the domestic box office for 12 weeks in a row, beginning in mid-November, and peaked once again in February 1991.

Mel Brooks’s iconoclastic comedy “Blazing Saddles” about a corrupt governor who appoints the first black sheriff of a Western town is equally loved by critics and viewers. The movie holds a 91% positive ratings from both on Rotten Tomatoes.

Though he had previously starred in “48 Hrs.” (1982) and “Trading Places” (1983), “Beverly Hills Cop” is the movie that launched Eddie Murphy to superstardom. Starring as street smart Detroit cop Axel Foley who finds himself working in the alien Beverly Hills, Murphy had the biggest hit of his career with the comedy.

The final film in Peter Jackson’s exceedingly popular Lord of the Rings trilogy was the most successful at the domestic box office, grossing more than $500 million adjusted for inflation. The fantasy flick won 11 Oscars, including Best Picture. The movie has a 93% Freshness rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Pixar-produced movie about a clownfish in search of his missing son topped the domestic box office in 2003. The movie, which took home the Oscar for Best Animated Film, is also the best-selling DVD of all time. Critics Consensus on Rotten Tomatoes says the movie “adds another beautifully crafted gem to Pixar’s crown.” The film has a 99% Freshness score on the site.

The sequel to “Finding Nemo” (2003) was a huge success, grossing more than half a billion dollars so far at the domestic box office when adjusted for inflation. The movie stars Ellen DeGeneres as the voice of absent-minded fish Dory on a mission to find her lost parents. Critics Consensus on Rotten Tomatoes says the film is “Funny, poignant, and thought-provoking” and critics gave it a Freshness score of 94%.

Last year’s entry to the Star Wars franchise, “The Rise of Skywalker” has the lowest critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes of all movies in the series at 51%. Despite the somewhat negative reviews, the movie has sold more than 56 million tickets since its release.

The movie about a mentally challenged, well-intentioned man whose life tracks significant moments in American history won six Oscars, including Best Picture. The movie grossed in 1994 more at the domestic box office than all other movies but one. Disney’s “The Lion King,” which was released two weeks before “Forrest Gump,” grossed slightly over $1 million more that year. Critics Consensus on Rotten Tomatoes chides “Forrest Gump” for being over sentimental. However, audiences love the movie, which holds a 95% score from viewers on the site.

“Ghostbusters” dominated the domestic box office in 1984, besting such films as “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” “Gremlins,” and “The Karate Kid.” The movie, about a group of New York City ghost exterminators, has an exceptionally high Rotten Tomatoes Freshness score of 97%.

Despite scoring significantly lower ratings than its predecessor from both critics and audiences on sites like Rotten Tomatoes, this second entry in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is the top grossing of the series. “Dead Man’s Chest” was also the top-grossing movie of 2006 and only the third movie to ever gross more than $1 billion (unadjusted) worldwide out of 46 total.

Numerous versions of “Beauty and the Beast” have been released over the years, with Disney’s 2017 live action remake the most successful at the domestic box office. For comparison, Disney’s 1991 animated version grossed $630.9 million domestically, adjusted for inflation. The Critics Consensus on Rotten Tomatoes appreciates the “faithful” retelling of the story.

George Lucas’s second full-length directorial effort (following “THX 1138”) was a box office smash. The film, which follows a group of high school graduates in the 1960s, was reportedly made for under $1 million. Lucas would, of course, go on to have even greater financial success with his numerous Star Wars movies. The film enjoys a 96% Freshness rating among Rotten Tomatoes critics.

Released in July 2019, Disney’s computer-animated remake of “The Lion King” grossed $543.6 million at the domestic box office, becoming the second biggest movie of the year. While the visually impressive movie was popular with audiences, who gave it an 88% approval score on Rotten Tomatoes, it was relatively poorly received by critics, who gave it a 52% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

“Spider-Man,” starring Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, was both the top grossing film of 2002 and the most successful of the franchise. At the time, the movie was the most successful superhero movie ever, though that’s no longer the case. Director Sam Raimi followed the blockbuster with two Spider-Man sequels that both did well at the box office.

Steven Spielberg’s “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” introduced audiences to swashbuckling archeologist Indiana Jones. The film has a 95% Freshness rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and a 96% approval rating from audiences.

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” is a standalone Star Wars film about a group of rebels attempting to steal the plans for the Death Star. The movie, which had a reported production budget of $200 million, grossed $155 million domestically in its opening weekend and remained the country’s top film at the box office for five weeks in a row.

Of the five Shrek films released to date, including “Puss in Boots,” “Shrek 2” leads with the highest total domestic box office gross. The movie had the biggest opening weekend ever for an animated film, grossing more than $108 million. This record would later be topped by “Shrek the Third.”

Steven Spielberg’s 1977 flick about a man’s experiences following an alien encounter wowed audiences. It currently has a 95% Freshness rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and an 85% approval rating from audiences. While nominated for eight Oscars, it only won one for cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond.

Actor John Travolta followed up his successful role in “Saturday Night Fever” (1977) with another smash hit, “Grease,” in which he starred alongside Australian sensation Olivia Newton-John. The musical romance about a 1950s greaser and a goody-two-shoes outgrossed all movies in 1978, including “National Lampoon’s Animal House” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” Critics Consensus on Rotten Tomatoes says the film is a “pleasing, energetic musical with infectiously catchy songs,” and 87% of audiences enjoyed the movie.

Fourteen years passed between the original “The Incredibles” movie and this sequel about the family of superheroes. Fans were clearly eager to see it, as the follow-up grossed more than $617 million (in 2019 dollars) at the domestic box office. The first film grossed $393 million.

Director Christopher Nolan’s second Batman movie is the top-grossing Batman film ever. The gritty superhero flick is notable in part due to the performance of Heath Ledger as Joker. Ledger died soon after completing filming and posthumously received an Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role.

Disney’s magical classic was nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture. The enchanting story of a young woman who is held captive by a monster whose mission is to make her fall in love with him holds an approval score of 94% among critics and 92% among viewers.

“Jurassic Park,” about a dinosaur theme park that descends into chaos, was the highest grossing movie in 1993 at the domestic box office, bringing in nearly double the gross of its closest competitor, “The Fugitive.” In addition to the money grossed during its initial release, “Jurassic Park” made more than $45 million during a 2013 re-release.

The first, and as of right now, only Star Wars film from director Rian Johnson was a hit, outgrossing all but five Star Wars films after adjusting for inflation. The movie was well received by critics, earning a 90% Freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences, however, were less enthusiastic, giving it a 43% rating on the site.

Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather” is not only considered to be one of the greatest films of all time, but it is also one of the top grossing movies ever. The Best Picture-winner about a New York City crime family was the most financially successful movie of the year at the domestic box office and also grossed more than its two sequels combined.

“The Lion King” combined innovative animation techniques with an unforgettable soundtrack — that earned two Oscars — to create an animated Disney classic. The movie had a higher gross at the domestic box office in 1994 than any other film, and then had a successful IMAX release in 2002 and a 3D release in 2011.

“Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” has relatively poor reviews online, winning over 53% of critics and 59% of audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Moviegoers were undoubtedly eager for a new Star Wars film, however, having waited 16 years since the release of “Return of the Jedi.” “The Phantom Menace” spent its first four weekends at No. 1 at the domestic box office.

“The Avengers” — the sixth entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — was the top grossing movie of 2012, taking in $175 million more than the second highest grossing movie that year, “The Dark Knight Rises.” The superhero flick has a 92% approval rating from critics and 91% score from audience members on Rotten Tomatoes.

The concluding chapter of George Lucas’s original Star Wars trilogy sold an estimated 94.1 million tickets since its release. The movie grossed over $200 million in 1983, about $100 million more than that year’s second-biggest earner, “Tootsie.”

The superhero blockbuster pits the Avengers and their allies in an epic battle against Thanos, who is set on destruction of the universe. The movie, which cost an estimated $325 million to make, grossed more than a quarter billion dollars over its opening weekend. The movie is the 19th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise.

“Jurassic World” was released 14 years after the previous film in the franchise, “Jurassic Park III.” The movie covered its nearly $160 million production budget already in its opening weekend, when it grossed more than $208 million. With a 70% Freshness rating, “Jurassic World” is the second best rated film in the franchise by critics on Rotten Tomatoes, behind the original “Jurassic Park.”

Director David Lean followed up his immensely successful “Lawrence of Arabia” with the epic romance film “Doctor Zhivago” about the life of a Russian poet and doctor during and after the Russian Revolution. The movie, which stars Omar Sharif and Julie Christie, was nominated for 10 Oscars and won five. Eighty-eight percent of audience members on Rotten Tomatoes like the epic.

“Black Panther” led the domestic box office in 2018, outgrossing blockbusters such as “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Incredibles 2.” The movie was the first from Marvel to feature a black superhero as the title character. It received seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and won three. The film holds a 96% Freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Paul Newman and Robert Redford — who had earlier collaborated on the successful “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” (1969) — star in this comedy-drama about two con men out to score big. In addition to its box office success, the movie won seven Oscars, including Best Picture.

The second film in the Star Wars saga has the highest rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes of all the movies in the saga, at 94%. The movie’s intricate plot and fleshed out characters made it a massive blockbuster and helped develop the Star Wars universe. The film won one Oscar for Best Sound and was also given a Special Achievement Award for its advanced special effects.

Based on the writings of English author Rudyard Kipling, “The Jungle Book” tells the story of a feral boy living among animals in nature. The movie’s adjusted total domestic box office gross is the result of three theatrical releases: the original release in 1967, a re-release in 1984, and another release in 1990. The Critics Consensus on Rotten Tomatoes lauds the movie for its “expressive animation, fun characters, and catchy songs.”

“Avengers: Endgame” is the top grossing film in the hugely popular Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise. The movie, which runs for more than three hours, once again finds the Avengers teaming up to restore order to the universe in the wake of Thanos’s destructive actions. The film was widely enjoyed by critics, who gave it a 94% Freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Filmmaker James Cameron’s movie about a Marine on a mission in a beautiful alien world is notable in part thanks to its cutting-edge visuals, for which it won an Oscar. The movie cost more than $276 million to produce, and it grossed more than triple that at the domestic box office.

Based on the novel by William Peter Blatty, director William Friedkin’s film about a young girl who is possessed by an evil spirit frightened millions in theaters across the country. The movie is one of the few horror films nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Though it didn’t win that award, it took home two Oscars, including Best Writing – Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium. The film holds an 83% Freshness rating among Rotten Tomatoes critics, and an 87% score among audiences.

Director James Cameron (“Avatar”) packed theaters across the country with this tale of an upper-class woman falling in love with a poor artist aboard the doomed Titanic. Part romance and part disaster film, the movie was No. 1 at the domestic box office for 14 weekends straight. “Titanic” is also tied for most Oscar wins (11) and nominations (14) in Academy Award history.

Director J.J. Abrams’ “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens” takes place 30 years after  the events portrayed in “Return of the Jedi.” For the first time, Star Wars creator George Lucas was not involved in the film, which was released a decade after “Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.” “The Force Awakens,” which cost an estimated $261 million to make, grossed $248 million its opening weekend.

Released in 1975, “Jaws” is often considered to be the first summer blockbuster. The film, about a great white shark that is terrorizing a beach town, offers a master class in suspense and scared countless viewers away from the ocean. The movie currently has a 98% Freshness score on Rotten Tomatoes, with audience members giving it a rating of 90%.

Out of Steven Spielberg’s many blockbuster films, “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” brought in the most money at the domestic box office. The movie, in which a young boy helps an alien return to his planet, grossed more than its production budget during its first wide release weekend and proceeded to spend a total of 17 weeks at the top of the box office. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 98% Freshness rating. It won four Oscars but lost Best Picture to “Gandhi.”

The production team behind “101 Dalmatians” used inexpensive animation methods to keep costs low. The movie had numerous theatrical re-releases — in 1969, 1979, 1985, and 1991 — each more lucrative than the previous one.

“The Sound of Music” stars Julie Andrews as Austrian nun Maria, who leaves her convent to take a position as a governess for a large family in the lead-up to World War II. Andrews had already won an Academy Award for Best Actress in “Mary Poppins.” “The Sound of Music” won five Oscars, including Best Picture. It is an audience favorite on Rotten Tomatoes with 91% enjoying the film.

Massive blockbuster “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope,” originally released simply as “Star Wars,” launched one of cinema’s most beloved franchises. The inventive tale of good versus evil triggered a worldwide following, leading to its initial theatrical release running for 135 continuous weeks. The movie won a total of six Oscars.

Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” is the top grossing animated film of all time when adjusting for inflation. It is the first animated feature to include sound and be in color. In addition to its theatrical success, the movie sold the most VHS copies of any film. It holds a 98% Freshness rating among Rotten Tomatoes critics.

Historical epic “Gone With the Wind,” the most expensive Hollywood film ever produced at the time, has gone on to become the top grossing of all time. It is the only movie to sell more than 200 million tickets throughout its multiple domestic releases. It is often considered to be among the most definitive of Hollywood films, and is based on Margaret Mitchell’s novel about the antebellum South. It won eight Oscars, including Best Picture. Olivia de Havilland died in July at age 104 and had been the last surviving star of the film.