Special Report
This Is the Highest-Grossing R-Rated Movies of All Time
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R-rated movies are officially described as “Restricted – Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. Contains some adult material. Parents are urged to learn more about the film before taking their young children with them.” These films are less likely to draw large audiences because much of the moviegoing population is likely to avoid them.
But some R-rated movies certainly draw large audiences and make hundreds of millions from ticket sales. The highest-grossing R-rated movie is “The Passion of the Christ,” released in 2004. Its all-time domestic box office stands at $370.8 million on a production budget of $25 million. Directed by Mel Gibson, it stars Jim Caviezel, Monica Bellucci, Maia Morgenstern, and Christo Jivkov. Perhaps not the highest grossing, but this is the best R-rated movie ever made.
The current rating system for movies was put into place in 1968 and slightly changed two years later. The goal was similar to earlier rating systems for the movie industry. Some content was not appropriate for movies shown to the general public. Other content was appropriate based on age and parental decisions. The 1968 system relied on parental judgment more than any other single factor. Far from R-rated, these are the best G-rated movies ever made.
To determine the 50 R-rated movies with the biggest box office sales, 24/7 Tempo considered 3,891 R-rated movies with all-time domestic box office data from The Numbers, an online movie database owned by consulting firm Nash Information Services. Production budgets also came from The Numbers. Principle cast and genre for each movie came from the Internet Movie Database, an online movie database owned by Amazon.
Dramas, action films, and comedies are equally represented among the top grossing R-rated films, with a few sci-fi and romance films as well. Theater traffic for R-rated fare is obviously growing. Of the 50 movies on the list, only 12 are from the 20th century. The rest were released in 2000 or later. Here are the biggest box office hits of the 2000s.
Click here to see the R-rated movies with the biggest box office
50. Neighbors (2014)
> Domestic Box Office: $150.1 million
> Production budget: $18 million — #934 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Zac Efron, Lisa Kudrow
> Genre: Comedy
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49. American Hustle (2013)
> Domestic Box Office: $150.1 million
> Production budget: $40 million — #368 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence
> Genre: Crime, Drama
48. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)
> Domestic Box Office: $150.4 million
> Production budget: $170 million — #03 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Kristanna Loken, Claire Danes
> Genre: Action,Sci-Fi
47. We’re the Millers (2013)
> Domestic Box Office: $150.4 million
> Production budget: $37 million — #448 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Emma Roberts, Ed Helms
> Genre: Comedy, Crime
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46. Sex and the City (2008)
> Domestic Box Office: $152.6 million
> Production budget: $57.5 million — #199 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis
> Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
45. Beverly Hills Cop II(1987)
> Domestic Box Office: $153.7 million
> Production budget: $20 million — #822 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, Jürgen Prochnow, Ronny Cox
> Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime
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44. Jerry Maguire (1996)
> Domestic Box Office: $154.0 million
> Production budget: $50 million — #243 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., Renée Zellweger, Kelly Preston
> Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
43. Fatal Attraction (1987)
> Domestic Box Office: $156.6 million
> Production budget: $14 million — #1,092 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, Anne Archer, Ellen Latzen
> Genre: Drama, Thriller
42. Scary Movie (2000)
> Domestic Box Office: $157.0 million
> Production budget: $19 million — #914 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Anna Faris, Jon Abrahams, Marlon Wayans, Carmen Electra
> Genre: Comedy
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41. The Firm (1993)
> Domestic Box Office: $158.3 million
> Production budget: $42 million — #360 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Tom Cruise, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Gene Hackman, Hal Holbrook
> Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
40. 1917 (2019)
> Domestic Box Office: $159.2 million
> Production budget: $100 million — #35 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Dean-Charles Chapman, George MacKay, Daniel Mays, Colin Firth
> Genre: Drama, Thriller, War
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39. Halloween (2018)
> Domestic Box Office: $159.3 million
> Production budget: $10 million — #1,244 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, James Jude Courtney
> Genre: Crime, Horror, Thriller
38. The Heat (2013)
> Domestic Box Office: $159.6 million
> Production budget: $43 million — #356 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Sandra Bullock, Michael McDonald, Melissa McCarthy, Demián Bichir
> Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime
37. Straight Outta Compton (2015)
> Domestic Box Office: $161.2 million
> Production budget: $28 million — #634 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: O’Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, Neil Brown Jr.
> Genre: Biography, Drama, History
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36. Django Unchained (2012)
> Domestic Box Office: $162.8 million
> Production budget: $100 million — #35 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington
> Genre: Drama, Western
35. Hannibal (2001)
> Domestic Box Office: $165.1 million
> Production budget: $87 million — #65 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Julianne Moore, Gary Oldman, Ray Liotta
> Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
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34. Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)
> Domestic Box Office: $166.2 million
> Production budget: $40 million — #368 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Jennifer Ehle, Eloise Mumford
> Genre: Drama, Romance, Thriller
33. Gone Girl (2014)
> Domestic Box Office: $167.8 million
> Production budget: $61 million — #166 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry
> Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
32. Bridesmaids (2011)
> Domestic Box Office: $169.2 million
> Production budget: $32.5 million — #533 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Terry Crews
> Genre: Comedy, Romance
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31. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019)
> Domestic Box Office: $171.0 million
> Production budget: $40 million — #368 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne
> Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
30. Rain Man (1988)
> Domestic Box Office: $172.8 million
> Production budget: $25 million — #691 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino, Gerald R. Molen
> Genre: Drama
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29. Air Force One (1997)
> Domestic Box Office: $173.0 million
> Production budget: $85 million — #66 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, Glenn Close, Wendy Crewson
> Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
28. The Matrix (1999)
> Domestic Box Office: $173.4 million
> Production budget: $65 million — #138 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving
> Genre: Action, Sci-Fi
27. Us (2019)
> Domestic Box Office: $175.1 million
> Production budget: $20 million — #822 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker
> Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
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26. Get Out (2017)
> Domestic Box Office: $176.0 million
> Production budget: $5 million — #1,530 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford, Catherine Keener
> Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
25. There’s Something About Mary (1998)
> Domestic Box Office: $176.5 million
> Production budget: $22 million — #793 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon, Ben Stiller, Lee Evans
> Genre: Comedy, Romance
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24. Pretty Woman (1990)
> Domestic Box Office: $178.4 million
> Production budget: $14 million — #1,092 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Richard Gere, Julia Roberts, Jason Alexander, Laura San Giacomo
> Genre: Comedy, Romance
23. The Revenant (2015)
> Domestic Box Office: $183.6 million
> Production budget: $135 million — #13 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Will Poulter, Domhnall Gleeson
> Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
22. Gladiator (2000)
> Domestic Box Office: $187.7 million
> Production budget: $103 million — #31 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed
> Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
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21. 22 Jump Street (2014)
> Domestic Box Office: $191.7 million
> Production budget: $50 million — #243 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Ice Cube, Nick Offerman
> Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime
20. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
> Domestic Box Office: $203.5 million
> Production budget: $100 million — #35 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick
> Genre: Action, Sci-Fi
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19. Bad Boys for Life (2020)
> Domestic Box Office: $204.4 million
> Production budget: $90 million — #54 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig
> Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime
18. Wedding Crashers (2005)
> Domestic Box Office: $209.2 million
> Production budget: $40 million — #368 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Rachel McAdams, Christopher Walken
> Genre: Comedy, Romance
17. 300 (2006)
> Domestic Box Office: $210.6 million
> Production budget: $60 million — #168 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West
> Genre: Action, Drama
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16. It Chapter Two (2019)
> Domestic Box Office: $211.6 million
> Production budget: $70 million — #109 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader, Isaiah Mustafa
> Genre: Drama, Fantasy ,Horror
15. A Star Is Born (2018)
> Domestic Box Office: $215.3 million
> Production budget: $36 million — #455 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper, Sam Elliott, Greg Grunberg
> Genre: Drama, Music, Romance
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14. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
> Domestic Box Office: $216.3 million
> Production budget: $65 million — #138 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns
> Genre: Drama, War
13. Ted (2012)
> Domestic Box Office: $218.7 million
> Production budget: $50 million — #243 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Seth MacFarlane, Joel McHale
> Genre: Comedy
12. Logan (2017)
> Domestic Box Office: $226.3 million
> Production budget: $127 million — #16 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen, Boyd Holbrook
> Genre: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
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11. The Exorcist (1973)
> Domestic Box Office: $230.3 million
> Production budget: $12 million — #1,167 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Linda Blair, Lee J. Cobb
> Genre: Horror
10. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
> Domestic Box Office: $234.8 million
> Production budget: $15 million — #1,014 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Lisa Eilbacher
> Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime
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9. The Hangover Part II (2011)
> Domestic Box Office: $254.5 million
> Production budget: $80 million — #76 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Justin Bartha
> Genre: Comedy
8. The Hangover (2009)
> Domestic Box Office: $277.3 million
> Production budget: $35 million — #461 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha, Ed Helms
> Genre: Comedy
7. The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
> Domestic Box Office: $281.6 million
> Production budget: $150 million — #06 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving
> Genre: Action, Sci-Fi
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6. Deadpool 2 (2018)
> Domestic Box Office: $324.6 million
> Production budget: $110 million — #22 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Morena Baccarin, Julian Dennison
> Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
5. It (2017)
> Domestic Box Office: $328.8 million
> Production budget: $35 million — #461 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Bill Skarsgård, Jaeden Martell, Finn Wolfhard, Sophia Lillis
> Genre: Horror
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4. Joker (2019)
> Domestic Box Office: $335.5 million
> Production budget: $55 million — #204 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy
> Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
3. American Sniper (2014)
> Domestic Box Office: $350.1 million
> Production budget: $58 million — #195 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Kyle Gallner, Cole Konis
> Genre: Action, Biography, Drama
2. Deadpool (2016)
> Domestic Box Office: $363.1 million
> Production budget: $58 million — #195 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller, Ed Skrein
> Genre: Action, Adventure,Comedy
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1. The Passion of the Christ (2004)
> Domestic Box Office: $370.8 million
> Production budget: $25 million — #691 highest out of 4,678 movies
> Starring: Jim Caviezel, Monica Bellucci, Maia Morgenstern, Christo Jivkov
> Genre: Drama
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