Indie movies sometimes hit it big. The offbeat 1999 flick “The Blair Witch Project,” which cost less than $500,000 to produce and had a cast nobody had ever heard of, brought in $258 million. Two years earlier, “The Full Monty,” a wry look at working class men in the north of England and their racy plan to make some money, had earned the same amount.
Films like these are the exception, though. Major production companies tend to prefer tried and true formulas to offbeat original projects that might make a buck — but probably won’t. That’s why the top box office earners these days, the true blockbusters, tend to be sequels to previously successful properties (“Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”) or extensions of popular franchises like “Star Wars” or the seemingly endless story lines from the Marvel universe. These are the best movie franchises to marathon from home.
Also potentially very successful, to be fair, are animated features which do tend to show some originality, like “Shrek,” “Cars,” and “Finding Nemo.” And, as 24/7 Tempo discovered when we assembled this list of the biggest box office hits of the 2000s, (comparatively) low-budget indies do sometimes surprise everyone and rake in major profits. See which movies that made the most money with the fewest dollars.
Click here to see the biggest box office hits of the 2000s
For example, No. 43 on the list had a budget of $5 million and realized $368 million worldwide. And way up in the No. 11 position, controversial actor-director Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of Christ,” which cost $30 million to make, has the distinction of being the highest-grossing independent film of all time, with a box office of $622 million.
To identify the biggest box office hits of the 2000’s, 24/7 Tempo reviewed box office data as of April 2021 from The Numbers, an online movie database owned by consulting firm Nash Information Services. Rankings are out of 4,230 movies for which data was available. Information on the cast and director(s) for each movie is from IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon.
50. Rush Hour 2 (2001)
> Domestic box office: $226.2 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #169 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, John Lone, Ziyi Zhang
> Director: Brett Ratner
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49. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
> Domestic box office: $227.5 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #167 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Matt Damon, Édgar Ramírez, Joan Allen, Julia Stiles
> Director: Paul Greengrass
48. Hancock (2008)
> Domestic box office: $227.9 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #166 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman, Jae Head
> Director: Peter Berg
47. Signs (2002)
> Domestic box office: $228.0 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #165 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, Abigail Breslin
> Director: M. Night Shyamalan
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46. Cast Away (2000)
> Domestic box office: $233.6 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #158 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt, Paul Sanchez, Lari White
> Director: Robert Zemeckis
45. War of the Worlds (2005)
> Domestic box office: $234.3 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #155 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Tim Robbins, Miranda Otto
> Director: Steven Spielberg
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44. X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
> Domestic box office: $234.4 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #154 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen
> Director: Brett Ratner
43. My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)
> Domestic box office: $241.4 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #145 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Michael Constantine, Christina Eleusiniotis
> Director: Joel Zwick
42. Bruce Almighty (2003)
> Domestic box office: $242.7 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #142 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Jim Carrey, Jennifer Aniston, Morgan Freeman, Philip Baker Hall
> Director: Tom Shadyac
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41. Cars (2006)
> Domestic box office: $244.1 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #141 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Owen Wilson, Bonnie Hunt, Paul Newman, Larry the Cable Guy
> Directors: John Lasseter, Joe Ranft
40. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
> Domestic box office: $249.8 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #137 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Richard Griffiths
> Director: Alfonso Cuarón
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39. Night at the Museum (2006)
> Domestic box office: $250.9 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #135 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Ben Stiller, Carla Gugino, Ricky Gervais
> Director: Shawn Levy
38. The Blind Side (2009)
> Domestic box office: $256.0 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #130 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Quinton Aaron, Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Jae Head
> Director: John Lee Hancock
37. I Am Legend (2007)
> Domestic box office: $256.4 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #129 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Will Smith, Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, Salli Richardson-Whitfield
> Director: Francis Lawrence
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36. Star Trek (2009)
> Domestic box office: $257.7 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #128 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Leonard Nimoy
> Director: J.J. Abrams
35. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
> Domestic box office: $260.3 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #123 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Jim Carrey, Taylor Momsen, Kelley, Jeffrey Tambor
> Director: Ron Howard
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34. The Incredibles (2004)
> Domestic box office: $261.4 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #122 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson, Holly Hunter, Jason Lee
> Director: Brad Bird
33. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
> Domestic box office: $262.2 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #120 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Richard Harris
> Director: Chris Columbus
32. Shrek (2001)
> Domestic box office: $267.7 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #118 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow
> Director: Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson
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31. The Hangover (2009)
> Domestic box office: $277.3 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #112 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha, Ed Helms
> Director: Todd Phillips
30. Meet the Fockers (2004)
> Domestic box office: $279.2 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #111 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Blythe Danner, Teri Polo
> Director: Jay Roach
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29. The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
> Domestic box office: $281.6 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #108 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving
> Director: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski
28. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
> Domestic box office: $290.1 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #105 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Mary Gibbs, Steve Buscemi
> Directors: Pete Docter, David Silverman, Lee Unkrich
27. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
> Domestic box office: $290.2 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #104 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Eric Sykes
> Director: Mike Newell
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26. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
> Domestic box office: $291.7 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #102 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Tilda Swinton, Georgie Henley, William Moseley, Skandar Keynes
> Director: Andrew Adamson
25. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
> Domestic box office: $292.1 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #100 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Brendan Gleeson
> Director: David Yates
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24. Up (2009)
> Domestic box office: $293.0 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #97 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai, John Ratzenberger, Christopher Plummer
> Director: Pete Docter, Bob Peterson
23. Twilight: New Moon (2009)
> Domestic box office: $296.6 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #95 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Christina Jastrzembska
> Director: Chris Weitz
22. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
> Domestic box office: $305.4 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #91 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley
> Director: Gore Verbinski
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21. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007)
> Domestic box office: $309.4 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #88 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Geoffrey Rush
> Director: Gore Verbinski
20. Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002)
> Domestic box office: $310.7 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #87 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor, Christopher Lee
> Director: George Lucas
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19. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
> Domestic box office: $315.5 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #84 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, Sean Bean
> Director: Peter Jackson
18. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
> Domestic box office: $317.1 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #82 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Shia LaBeouf, Karen Allen
> Director: Steven Spielberg
17. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
> Domestic box office: $317.9 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #80 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Richard Harris, Maggie Smith
> Director: Chris Columbus
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16. Iron Man (2008)
> Domestic box office: $318.6 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #79 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges
> Director: Jon Favreau
15. Transformers (2007)
> Domestic box office: $319.2 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #78 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson
> Director: Michael Bay
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14. Shrek the Third (2007)
> Domestic box office: $322.7 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #77 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas
> Director: Chris Miller, Raman Hui
13. Spider-Man 3 (2007)
> Domestic box office: $336.5 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #65 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Topher Grace, Thomas Haden Church
> Director: Sam Raimi
12. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
> Domestic box office: $342.5 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #62 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom
> Director: Peter Jackson
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11. The Passion of the Christ (2004)
> Domestic box office: $370.8 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #52 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Jim Caviezel, Monica Bellucci, Maia Morgenstern, Christo Jivkov
> Director: Mel Gibson
10. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
> Domestic box office: $373.5 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #51 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Alfred Molina, James Franco
> Director: Sam Raimi
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9. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
> Domestic box office: $377.8 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #50 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom
> Director: Peter Jackson
8. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)
> Domestic box office: $380.3 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #49 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor, Samuel L. Jackson
> Director: George Lucas
7. Finding Nemo (2003)
> Domestic box office: $380.5 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #48 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould, Willem Dafoe
> Directors: Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich
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6. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
> Domestic box office: $402.1 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #44 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson
> Director: Michael Bay
5. Spider-Man (2002)
> Domestic box office: $403.7 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #42 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe, James Franco
> Director: Sam Raimi
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4. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006)
> Domestic box office: $423.3 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #32 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Jack Davenport
> Director: Gore Verbinski
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3. Shrek 2 (2004)
> Domestic box office: $441.2 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #27 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Julie Andrews
> Director: Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, Conrad Vernon
2. The Dark Knight (2008)
> Domestic box office: $533.7 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #15 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine
> Director: Christopher Nolan
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1. Avatar (2009)
> Domestic box office: $760.5 million
> Box office rank out of all movies: #4 out of all movies in database
> Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez
> Director: James Cameron
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