Special Report

Biggest Fourth of July Blockbusters of All Time

Spencer Platt / Getty Images

As movie theaters across the country begin reopening, Americans can once again enjoy one of the most celebrated Fourth of July traditions — going to see a blockbuster movie. 

Throughout Hollywood history, some of the biggest blockbusters of all time have been released on or around the Fourth of July weekend. There are dozens of films that raked in over $10 million dollars that holiday weekend alone, and a handful have even earned over $100 million.

To determine the biggest Fourth of July weekend blockbusters of all time, 24/7 Tempo reviewed gross revenue figures adjusted for ticket price inflation from Box Office Mojo.

There is no exact recipe for what counts as an Independence Day blockbuster — some of the highest grossing films from the weekend have been action movies with superheroes and aliens, animated comedies for kids, disaster flicks, big budget comedies, and more.

For July 4th, 2021, a number of movies — like “A Quiet Place Part II” and “F9: The Fast Saga” — that were delayed by COVID-19 will be vying for the top spot at the box office. Still, going into the weekend, the U.S. box office is still lagging behind where it was at the same point in 2019, as studios are still scrambling to figure out how best to roll out the movies they held back for the last year or more. Here are 45 movies that were delayed by Coronavirus.

Click here to see the biggest Fourth of July blockbusters of all time

To determine the biggest Fourth of July weekend blockbusters of all time, 24/7 Tempo reviewed gross revenue figures adjusted for ticket price inflation from Box Office Mojo. All adjusted gross and ticket sales figures as well as the release date came from Box Office Mojo. While some of these films were released before, or after, July 4, Box Office Mojo only counted ticket sales for the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of each respective holiday weekend.

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

50. White Chicks
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $11,544,456
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 1,859,011 (ticket price: $6.21)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $104,479,698
> Release date: June 23, 2004

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Courtesy of Universal Pictures

49. The Shadow
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $11,713,845
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 2,871,040 (ticket price: $4.08)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $71,985,555
> Release date: July 1, 1994

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

48. The House
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $11,905,080
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 1,327,211 (ticket price: $8.97)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $26,126,428
> Release date: June 30, 2017

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

47. Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $12,038,626
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 3,821,786 (ticket price: $3.15)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $734,497,121
> Release date: May 25, 1983

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Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

46. Mr. & Mrs. Smith
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $12,723,583
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 1,984,958 (ticket price: $6.41)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $266,277,740
> Release date: June 10, 2005

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

45. Ghostbusters II
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $13,072,728
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 3,276,373 (ticket price: $3.99)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $258,258,597
> Release date: June 16, 1989

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Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

44. Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $13,291,659
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 2,626,810 (ticket price: $5.06)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $780,389,087
> Release date: May 19, 1999

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

43. Knight and Day
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $14,151,734
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 1,793,629 (ticket price: $7.89)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $88,724,335
> Release date: June 23, 2010

Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

42. Cars 3
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $14,160,696
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 1,578,673 (ticket price: $8.97)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $156,139,823
> Release date: June 16, 2017

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Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

41. Who Framed Roger Rabbit
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $14,517,442
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 3,532,224 (ticket price: $4.11)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $348,687,034
> Release date: June 24, 1988

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

40. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $14,774,186
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 2,919,800 (ticket price: $5.06)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $94,202,459
> Release date: June 30, 1999

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Courtesy of Warner Bros.

39. Central Intelligence
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $15,405,059
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 1,780,932 (ticket price: $8.65)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $134,954,726
> Release date: June 17, 2016

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

38. Larry Crowne
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $16,098,795
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 2,030,113 (ticket price: $7.93)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $41,131,340
> Release date: July 1, 2011

Courtesy of TriStar Pictures

37. Sleepless in Seattle
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $16,102,858
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 3,889,579 (ticket price: $4.14)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $280,289,106
> Release date: June 25, 1993

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Courtesy of Universal Pictures

36. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $16,706,592
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 5,682,514 (ticket price: $2.94)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $1,119,130,904
> Release date: June 11, 1982

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

35. Bad Teacher
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $17,261,534
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 2,176,738 (ticket price: $7.93)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $115,848,999
> Release date: June 24, 2011

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Courtesy of Warner Bros.

34. Batman Begins
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $19,339,432
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 3,017,072 (ticket price: $6.41)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $293,439,777
> Release date: June 15, 2005

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

33. Me, Myself & Irene
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $19,430,792
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 3,604,971 (ticket price: $5.39)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $153,920,288
> Release date: June 23, 2000

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

32. Coming to America
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $21,404,420
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 5,207,888 (ticket price: $4.11)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $285,614,374
> Release date: June 29, 1988

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Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

31. Independence Day: Resurgence
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $21,681,926
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 2,506,581 (ticket price: $8.65)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $109,225,625
> Release date: June 24, 2016

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

30. Batman Forever
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $21,754,239
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 5,000,974 (ticket price: $4.35)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $387,522,985
> Release date: June 16, 1995

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Courtesy of Fellowship Adventure Group LLC

29. Fahrenheit 9/11
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $22,027,125
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 3,547,041 (ticket price: $6.21)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $175,817,086
> Release date: June 25, 2004

Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

28. Cars
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $22,484,325
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 3,432,721 (ticket price: $6.55)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $341,343,529
> Release date: June 9, 2006

Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

27. The BFG
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $22,716,809
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 2,626,221 (ticket price: $8.65)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $58,755,067
> Release date: July 1, 2016

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Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

26. Transformers: The Last Knight
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $24,054,844
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 2,681,699 (ticket price: $8.97)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $132,925,879
> Release date: June 21, 2017

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

25. Wonder Woman
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $24,072,825
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 2,683,704 (ticket price: $8.97)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $421,302,209
> Release date: June 2, 2017

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Courtesy of Universal Pictures

24. Jurassic Park
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $25,296,965
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 6,110,378 (ticket price: $4.14)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $790,034,395
> Release date: June 11, 1993

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

23. Grown Ups
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $26,052,792
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 3,302,002 (ticket price: $7.89)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $188,077,423
> Release date: June 25, 2010

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

22. Click
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $29,110,313
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 4,444,323 (ticket price: $6.55)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $192,088,183
> Release date: June 23, 2006

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Courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing

21. Baby Driver
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $29,974,822
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 3,341,675 (ticket price: $8.97)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $110,109,799
> Release date: June 28, 2017

Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

20. Cars 2
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $31,629,695
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 3,988,612 (ticket price: $7.93)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $221,148,039
> Release date: June 24, 2011

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Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

19. The Firm
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $32,476,785
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 7,844,634 (ticket price: $4.14)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $350,355,324
> Release date: July 2, 1993

Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

18. The Lion King
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $34,208,876
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 8,384,528 (ticket price: $4.08)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $702,391,407
> Release date: June 24, 1994

https://www.flickr.com/photos/leewrightonflickr/

17. The Patriot
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $35,223,404
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 6,534,954 (ticket price: $5.39)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $192,598,503
> Release date: June 28, 2000

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Courtesy of Universal Pictures

16. The Purge: Election Year
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $36,139,295
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 4,177,953 (ticket price: $8.65)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $83,883,759
> Release date: July 1, 2016

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

15. Wild Wild West
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $36,434,750
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 7,200,543 (ticket price: $5.06)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $206,017,960
> Release date: June 30, 1999

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Courtesy of Universal Pictures

14. Apollo 13
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $38,469,470
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 8,843,556 (ticket price: $4.35)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $362,338,671
> Release date: June 30, 1995

Courtesy of Fox 2000 Pictures

13. The Devil Wears Prada
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $40,135,062
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 6,127,490 (ticket price: $6.55)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $174,446,201
> Release date: June 30, 2006

Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

12. Toy Story 3
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $43,057,129
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 5,457,177 (ticket price: $7.89)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $481,805,412
> Release date: June 18, 2010

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Courtesy of Warner Bros.

11. Batman
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $43,558,567
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 10,916,934 (ticket price: $3.99)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $576,664,297
> Release date: June 23, 1989

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

10. The Legend of Tarzan
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $46,582,405
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 5,385,249 (ticket price: $8.65)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $134,109,877
> Release date: July 1, 2016

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Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

9. Finding Dory
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $51,436,383
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 5,946,403 (ticket price: $8.65)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $514,967,322
> Release date: June 17, 2016

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

8. The Last Airbender
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $51,804,232
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 6,565,809 (ticket price: $7.89)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $152,982,666
> Release date: July 1, 2010

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

7. The Perfect Storm
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $62,742,422
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 11,640,524 (ticket price: $5.39)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $310,349,695
> Release date: June 30, 2000

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Courtesy of Warner Bros.

6. Superman Returns
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $76,033,267
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 11,608,132 (ticket price: $6.55)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $279,808,201
> Release date: June 28, 2006

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

5. War of the Worlds
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $77,061,953
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 12,022,146 (ticket price: $6.41)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $334,790,646
> Release date: June 29, 2005

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Courtesy of Summit Distribution

4. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $83,637,242
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 10,600,411 (ticket price: $7.89)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $348,906,317
> Release date: June 30, 2010

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

3. Despicable Me 3
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $99,020,280
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 11,039,050 (ticket price: $8.97)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $270,229,497
> Release date: June 30, 2017

Courtesy of Columbia TriStar

2. Spider-Man 2
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $115,817,364
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 18,650,139 (ticket price: $6.21)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $551,054,132
> Release date: June 30, 2004

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Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1. Transformers: Dark of the Moon
> Gross revenue during July 4 weekend: $115,886,050
> Est. ticket sales during July 4 weekend: 14,613,625 (ticket price: $7.93)
> Total lifetime revenue, inflation adjusted: $407,048,849
> Release date: June 29, 2011

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