Movies are not just products of art, but also profit-driven economic goods. Modern movie productions usually have budgets of several million dollars available. Not much of a problem for a production company as long as the movies generate profits in the end. The most financially successful films have done just that. In fact, nowadays, the top movies generate gross revenues that go well into the billions at the box office. But what movies are the most successful in that regard? The following list shows you the ranking of the global Top 10 highest-grossing movies of all time. Unsurprisingly, all of them are Hollywood productions.
Note: This is a Ranking of the Top 10 Highest-Grossing Movies of All Time, click here for the Top 10 Best Movies of All Time by critical acclaim.
For the inflation-adjusted ranking of the Top 10 Highest-Grossing Films of all time, click here.
The 10 Highest-Grossing Movies of All Time
1. Avengers: Endgame
By grossing 2.8 billion U.S. dollars worldwide, the latest installment of the extremely successful ‘Avengers’ franchise, Avengers: Endgame, has recently surpassed ‘Avatar’. It is now the most financially successful movie in history. The film was directed by the Russo brothers and stars the known actors from past movies of the Avengers and Marvel universe: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson and many more.
2. Avatar
James Cameron originally planned to make ‘Avatar’ in 1999 but then concluded that the technical possibilities weren’t developed enough to realize his vision for the film. It took another whole decade until the film then was finally made. The leading actors were Samuel Worthington and Zoe Saldana. Once it was released, ‘Avatar’ stayed the highest-grossing film for a whole entire decade, only being replaced 10 years later by the aforementioned Avengers: Endgame movie.
3. Titanic
The fact that after all these years Titanic still is the third highest-grossing movie in history, should tell you all about the extraordinary impact the movie had. Based on the real life 1912 sinking of the Titanic, the movie tells a fascinating, romantic and dramatic story at once. James Cameron also was spot-on with the casting for his movie. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet proved to be the perfect pair to tell a love story in the middle of a tragedy in the middle of the Sea.
4. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Star Wars in itself is the most financially successful movie franchise in history. Aside from the box office, much of the money it generated came and still comes from merchandise sales or licensing revenue however. With ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’, director JJ Abrams managed to bring George Lucas’ creation onto a whole new level. The 2015 movie (still) starring Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill, was the most financially successful of the entire franchise. It is also the fourth highest-grossing movie in history.
5. Avengers: Infinity War
Just a year before the Endgame movie, the Russo brothers gave the world ‘Avengers: Infinity War’. The movie was slightly less financially successful than its successor, but still managed to break the 2 billion U.S. dollar mark. The strong Marvel universe star lineup consisting of the already mentioned Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson certainly helped.
6. Jurassic World
7. The Lion King
8. The Avengers
9. Furious 7
10. Avengers: Age of Ultron
The 10 Highest-Grossing Movies of All Time
(at a glance)
(as of November 2019)
| Top 10 Highest-Grossing Movies of All Time: |
|---|
| 1. AVENGERS: ENDGAME $2.80 billion |
| 2. AVATAR $2.79 billion |
| 3. TITANIC $2.19 billion |
| 4. STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS $2.07 billion |
| 5. AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR $2.05 billion |
| 6. JURASSIC WORLD $1.67 billion |
| 7. THE LION KING $1.63 billion |
| 8. THE AVENGERS $1.519 billion |
| 9. FURIOUS 7 $1.516 billion |
| 10. AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON $1.41 billion |