- The only animated film to reach the ranks of highest-grossing movies of all time is Frozen II.
- Six Marvel films rank in the top 14 most-profitable box office films worldwide.
- The Lion King is the only remake to make the ranks in this list.
- The top-grossing movie of all time grossed $2,845,899,541 globally during its run in theaters
Everyone loves movies, but there are some movies that people seem to love more than others. The highest-grossing movies of all time were beloved while they were in the theaters and did better than any other movies on a global scale. However, these movies are ranked based on global standings, not domestic, and they aren’t adjusted for inflation. The rankings below are based purely on the actual figures each movie pulled in during its run in the global box offices.
14. Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)
The 10th film released in Lucasfilm’s beloved Star Wars saga brought in $1,331,635,141 at the global box offices, making it the 14th highest-grossing movie globally. The Last Jedi also falls 10th in domestic box office sales.
The story of Rey on her quest to find Luke Skywalker so that she can be trained to use the Force is the ninth best-performing Disney movie globally and the sixth highest-grossing Disney film domestically. Disney has held the rights to the Star Wars saga since 2012.
Disney/Lucasfilm13. Black Panther (2018)
In Black Panther, King T’Challa returns home to Wakanda to serve as the country’s new leader after his father’s death. The Marvel film follows King T’Challa as he uncovers secrets about the past and tries to stop a war from breaking out in the earliest days of his rule.
Besides being the 13th highest-grossing film globally, Black Panther is also the fifth highest-grossing domestic film and the third most-profitable superhero film domestically. Globally, the film ranked No. 6 for superhero films and No. 8 for Disney movies.
Disney/Marvel12. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
In Avengers: Age of Ultron, Tony Stark (Iron Man) tries to kick-start a defunct peacekeeping program. At the same time, the planet’s fate hangs in the balance. Unexpected alliances are made during these trying times.
The Marvel film grossed $1,395,316,979 to grab the 12th spot on this list. Additionally, the film is ranked No. 4 in the all-time international box offices for superhero movies and No. 5 on the worldwide superhero movie charts. Globally, Age of Ultron is the seventh most-profitable Disney movie ever.
Disney/Marvel11. Frozen II (2019)
Frozen II reveals the truth about Elsa’s strange ice powers as she embarks on an adventure with her sister and closest friends. Although the $1,445,182,280 grossed makes this Disney film 11th overall, it’s enough to make it the top-grossing digital animation movie in the international and worldwide rankings.
Domestically, Frozen II is the third top-grossing digital animation film. Disney found great success with this sequel, which outdid the original Frozen film, which sits at No. 18 on the list of the top-grossing movies.
Disney10. The Avengers (2012)
In The Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury finds himself in need of a team that can save the world from an unprecedented disaster. This need causes Fury to develop a group of extraordinary beings he dubs the Avengers.
The Avengers grossed $1,515,100,211 in the worldwide box office. It also ranks globally as the fourth highest-grossing superhero movie and the fifth most-profitable Disney film. In all-time domestic box office ratings, The Avengers falls in ninth place.
Disney/Marvel9. Furious 7 (2015)
Furious 7 grossed $1,516,881,526 during its run in theaters. This seventh installment of the Fast and Furious series shows Dom accepting a trade-off from a government agent. The agent agrees to help Dom (and his friends) in exchange for rescuing a computer hacker who developed a powerful surveillance program.
Furious 7 also ranks No. 5 on the list of highest-grossing international movies. However, it falls surprisingly short in the all-time domestic rankings, where it doesn’t even break the top 50 spots.
Universal Pictures8. The Lion King (2019)
The 2019 live-action remake of 1994’s heartfelt story of Simba and the battle for Pride Rock grossed $1,654,367,425 at the worldwide box offices. The Lion King also ranks in the top spot for remakes in the domestic, international and worldwide box office rankings.
The original animated movie barely breaks the top 50 highest-grossing list, falling at No. 48. However, 1992’s Lion King did historically well in its opening weeks, with record domestic turnouts.
Disney7. Jurassic World (2015)
Jurassic World was the long-awaited follow-up to the Jurassic Park films of the 1990s and early 2000s. It grossed $1,669,979,967 during its run in theaters. This fourth film tells the story of a dinosaur theme park gone wrong, where visitors now must run for their lives. In pursuit of guests, employees, and anything else in its path, are genetically engineered Indominus Rex, raptors, and other dinosaurs.
On the all-time domestic charts, Jurassic World falls at No. 8. This high-ranking dinosaur film falls at No. 9 on the all-time international charts, though.
Universal Pictures6. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Spider-Man: No Way Home is the most recent release on the list of the highest-grossing films, having pulled in $1,890,657,379 during its run in theaters. Your friendly neighborhood superhero starts having problems separating his normal life from his life of fighting crime and enlists Doctor Strange for assistance. However, things only get weirder from there.
Besides ranking sixth on the list of highest-grossing movies of all time, this Spider-Man film also ranks No. 2 on the all-time domestic box office listing for superhero movies.
Sony/Marvel5. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Avengers: Infinity War grossed $2,048,359,754 in the worldwide box offices and is one of an incredible six Marvel films to make this list. This particular Avengers installment finally introduces Thanos and his twisted desire for the Infinity Stones, which will allow him to bring a so-called balance to the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s world.
Infinity War is the No. 2 highest-grossing superhero movie worldwide and lands at No. 3 in the rankings for most-profitable Disney films globally. Of course, it also led directly to another movie, the conclusion of the Infinity Saga, which we’ll get to in a minute.
Disney/Marvel4. Star Wars Ep. VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
The Force Awakens is the globally top-grossing eighth-released movie in Lucasfilm’s beloved Star Wars franchise, bringing in $2,064,615,817 during its box office run. In this episode, Rey and renegade Stormtrooper Finn embark on a mission to destroy Starkiller Base and find Luke Skywalker, the last Jedi.
The Force Awakens may only rank fourth on the worldwide charts. Still, it’s the top-grossing film at the domestic box offices and the second most-profitable Disney film worldwide. It was also the first official Star Wars main installment since the much criticized prequel trilogy of the late 90s and early 00s.
Disney/Lucasfilm3. Titanic (1997)
Titanic is a heartbreaking story of love and tragedy of such epic proportions that, at 3 hours and 14 minutes, it was so long it had to be released as a two-VHS set when the movie hit shelves. James Cameron’s epic was, at the time, the most expensive movie ever made. So it’s a good thing it managed to do so well at the box office.
As the third highest-grossing film, Titanic pulled in $2,207,986,545 during its box office run. Although it only falls at No. 7 for the highest-grossing movies domestically, it holds the third spot at the international box offices.
Paramount/20th Century Fox2. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Avengers: Endgame was the climactic conclusion to the initial phase of the 22-film Marvel Cinematic Universe storyline. Avid fans had been eagerly waiting for it since Iron Man was released back in 2008. After so many years of cinematic buildup, it’s no surprise the movie grossed $2,797,800,564 during its time in theaters.
Endgame ranks as the most profitable superhero movie across the board — domestically, internationally, and globally. It’s also the highest-grossing Disney film both internationally and worldwide. On the domestic Disney charts, this Marvel film holds the second spot.
Disney/Marvel1. Avatar (2009)
Coming in at the top spot for highest-grossing films of all time is 2009’s Avatar, which brought in $2,845,899,541 during its box office run. Avatar follows a disabled ex-marine named Jake, who’s sent to an exotic planet called Pandora, rich in biodiversity and inhabited by a unique humanoid species called the Na’vi. However, not everything is as it seems, and Jake soon finds himself caught in the middle of politics.
Avatar also holds the No. 1 spot on the all-time international box office list. At the time, it was marketed heavily as being a new generation of IMAX and 3D technology. While the film was definitely visually impressive, many critics weren’t huge fans of the story itself. After more than a decade of rumors, a sequel will finally hit theaters in late 2022.
20th Century Fox
