List of highest-grossing films

The allure of cinema isn't just about captivating stories; it's also about monumental financial success. This list explores the films that have dominated the global box office, revealing fascinating trends in audience tastes and the ever-shifting economics of moviemaking. Prepare to discover which cinematic masterpieces truly stand at the pinnacle of commercial achievement. Box office earnings, while a primary metric, represent only one part of a film's total financial success, with other revenue streams often dwarfing theatrical sales. Comparing film grosses across different eras is misleading due to inflation, making older blockbusters appear less successful than modern ones without proper adjustment. Modern cinema is increasingly dominated by expansive franchises and adaptations, while historical genres and standalone original works once reigned supreme.

Source: Wikipedia

AI Summary

Box office earnings, while a primary metric, represent only one part of a film's total financial success, with other revenue streams often dwarfing theatrical sales.
Comparing film grosses across different eras is misleading due to inflation, making older blockbusters appear less successful than modern ones without proper adjustment.
Modern cinema is increasingly dominated by expansive franchises and adaptations, while historical genres and standalone original works once reigned supreme.

When we talk about a film's success, we often jump straight to its 'box office' numbers. But what does that really mean? Theatrical exhibition—the money earned from tickets sold in cinemas worldwide—is indeed the primary metric most widely reported, largely due to its public availability and historical practice.

Rank	Peak	Title	Worldwide gross	Year
1	1	Avatar	$2,923,710,708	2009
2	1	Avengers: Endgame	$2,797,501,328	2019
3	3	Spider-Man: Brand New Day †	$2,415,442,530	2026
4	3	Avatar: The Way of Water	$2,334,484,620	2022
5	1	Titanic	T$2,257,906,828	1997
6	5	Ne Zha 2	NZ$2,217,758,382	2025
7	3	Star Wars: The Force Awakens	$2,068,223,624	2015
8	4	Avengers: Infinity War	$2,048,359,754	2018
9	6	Spider-Man: No Way Home	SM$1,922,598,800	2021
10	9	Zootopia 2	$1,866,647,950	2025
11	8	Inside Out 2	$1,698,863,816	2024
12	3	Jurassic World	$1,671,537,444	2015
13	7	The Lion King	$1,656,943,394	2019
14	14	The Odyssey †	$1,644,112,332	2026
15	3	The Avengers	$1,518,815,515	2012
16	4	Furious 7	$1,515,341,399	2015
17	11	Top Gun: Maverick	$1,503,260,455	2022
18	16	Avatar: Fire and Ash	$1,485,999,890	2025
19	10	Frozen 2	$1,450,026,933	2019
20	14	Barbie	$1,447,138,421	2023
21	5	Avengers: Age of Ultron	$1,402,809,540	2015
22	15	The Super Mario Bros. Movie	$1,360,783,214	2023
23	9	Black Panther	$1,347,280,838	2018
24	3	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2	$1,342,139,727	2011
25	20	Deadpool & Wolverine	$1,338,073,645	2024
26	9	Star Wars: The Last Jedi	$1,332,539,889	2017
27	12	Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom	$1,308,476,166	2018
28	5	Frozen	F$1,290,000,000	2013
29	10	Beauty and the Beast	$1,263,521,126	2017
30	15	Incredibles 2	$1,242,805,359	2018
31	11	The Fate of the Furious	F8$1,238,764,765	2017
32	5	Iron Man 3	$1,214,811,252	2013
33	10	Minions	$1,159,444,662	2015
34	12	Captain America: Civil War	$1,153,337,496	2016
35	20	Aquaman	$1,148,528,393	2018
36	2	The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King	$1,147,997,407	2003
37	37	Toy Story 5 †	$1,141,606,989	2026
38	24RK	Spider-Man: Far From Home	$1,132,679,685	2019
39	23RK	Captain Marvel	$1,128,274,794	2019
40	5RK	Transformers: Dark of the Moon	$1,123,794,079	2011
41	7	Skyfall	$1,108,594,137	2012
42	10	Transformers: Age of Extinction	$1,104,054,072	2014
43	7	The Dark Knight Rises	DKR$1,081,169,825	2012
44	31	Joker	$1,074,458,282	2019
45	32	Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker	$1,074,144,248	2019
46	30	Toy Story 4	$1,073,394,593	2019
47	4TS3	Toy Story 3	$1,066,970,811	2010
48	3	Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest	$1,066,179,747	2006
49	44	Moana 2	$1,059,242,164	2024
50	20	Rogue One: A Star Wars Story	$1,057,420,387	2016

The Money-Making Magic of Movies

However, theatrical gross is just one piece of a much larger financial puzzle. Films generate revenue from a multitude of sources, including home video sales and rentals, lucrative television broadcast rights, and vast merchandising empires. These often-overlooked streams can significantly inflate a film's total earnings.

Beyond the Big Screen: Ancillary Riches

Consider a film like 'Titanic.' While its theatrical run famously sailed past $2.2 billion, it also raked in an additional $1.2 billion from video and DVD sales and rentals. Then factor in television broadcast rights, which, for a major film, can add 20-25% of its box office gross for just a couple of runs.

And for some, merchandising truly takes the cake! 'The Lion King' (1994) earned over $2 billion from box office and home video, but its stage adaptation alone brought in a staggering $8 billion. Even Pixar's 'Cars,' a modest theatrical hit at $462 million, generated over $8 billion in merchandise sales in its first five years. These numbers paint a far richer picture of a film's true economic power.

Shifting Tastes: From Musicals to Marvel

Audience preferences have dramatically evolved over the decades. Historically, genres like war films, elaborate musicals, and grand historical dramas captivated moviegoers and topped the charts. Think about the epic scope of 'Gone with the Wind' or the enduring melodies of 'The Sound of Music.'

Rank	Title	Worldwide gross (2025 $)	Year
1	Gone with the Wind	GW$4,561,000,000	1939
2	Avatar	A1$4,157,000,000	2009
3	Titanic	T$3,864,000,000	1997
4	Star Wars	$3,743,000,000	1977
5	Avengers: Endgame	AE$3,441,000,000	2019
6	The Sound of Music	$3,138,000,000	1965
7	E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial	ET$3,065,000,000	1982
8	The Ten Commandments	$2,898,000,000	1956
9	Doctor Zhivago	$2,747,000,000	1965
10	Jaws	J$2,709,800,000	1975

The 21st century, however, has ushered in the age of the franchise, with superhero sagas leading the charge. Films from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, such as 'Avengers: Endgame'—which holds the second-highest nominal gross—and other adaptations like 'Spider-Man' films, frequently top the charts. DC Comics adaptations, including 'Batman' and 'Superman' entries, have also seen considerable success.

Beyond superheroes, colossal franchises like 'Star Wars' consistently rank among the highest earners. Animated family films, especially from Disney and Pixar (like 'Frozen', 'Zootopia', and the 'Toy Story' series), are also global powerhouses. Interestingly, 'Avatar', the top nominal grosser, remains an original work in an era dominated by adaptations and sequels—though other animated hits like China's 'Ne Zha 2' and the 'Despicable Me' franchise also show immense global appeal.

The Nominal Crown Holders

Top Worldwide Theatrical Gross (Nominal)

Now, let's examine the films that have achieved the highest worldwide theatrical gross at their nominal value—the raw dollar amount collected without accounting for inflation. Eight films have crossed the $2 billion mark, showcasing the sheer scale of their global impact, often boosted by modern release strategies and higher ticket prices. Keep in mind, this chart focuses only on theatrical revenues, excluding home video and merchandise, and reflects a period where older films rarely compete numerically due to evolving market conditions.

You'll notice that many of the films listed here are relatively recent. This isn't just because modern movies are 'better' or more popular, but largely due to the pervasive influence of inflation, which significantly erodes the value of money over time.

The Inflation Challenge: A True Comparison

Imagine comparing the cost of a movie ticket today to one from the 1950s. Today, it might be $10-15, but back then, it was mere cents! This dramatic difference means that a film grossing $200 million in 1950 was arguably a much bigger commercial success than a film making $2 billion today. Without adjustment, older blockbusters simply can't compete numerically.

Adjusting for inflation isn't as simple as it sounds. Ticket prices don't always rise perfectly in sync with general inflation rates, and they vary wildly depending on format — a 3D or IMAX ticket costs significantly more than a standard 2D showing. International exchange rates and even audience demographics, like the proportion of discounted children's tickets, add further layers of complexity.

So, why don't we always use inflation-adjusted figures? Primarily, it's historical practice. The film industry has long reported nominal grosses, and these unadjusted numbers are incredibly effective for marketing. A new blockbuster can proudly declare itself a 'top film of all time' much more easily, even if an older film actually sold vastly more tickets.

The Undisputed Champion: 'Gone with the Wind'

Despite these complexities, experts have attempted to adjust for inflation to reveal the true titans of the box office. By almost all accounts, the 1939 classic 'Gone with the Wind' stands as the most successful film of all time. Guinness World Records, for example, estimated its adjusted global gross at $3.4 billion as of 2014, though other estimates have placed it even higher—sometimes exceeding $3.8 billion in earlier analyses.

This epic drama held the record for the highest-grossing film outright for a remarkable twenty-five years before any adjustments were even considered. In inflation-adjusted terms, its nearest rival often shifts between 'Avatar' and 'Titanic,' depending on the specific methodology. Regardless, 'Gone with the Wind' consistently maintains its top spot, a testament to its unparalleled reach and ticket sales in a bygone era.

Top Worldwide Theatrical Gross (Adjusted for Inflation to 2025 $)

Directors Who Dominated the Decades

Behind these colossal successes are visionary filmmakers who consistently struck a chord with audiences across decades. Steven Spielberg and Cecil B. DeMille notably share the honor of having five films each top the annual box office chart, a remarkable feat of consistent storytelling prowess.

James Cameron, whose credits include 'Avatar' and 'Titanic,' has also seen four of his films reach the annual top spot, demonstrating his unparalleled ability to craft cinematic events. Other luminaries such as William Wyler, the Russo brothers, and George Lucas—who also served in strong creative capacities for many other hits—have likewise left indelible marks, with many directors achieving multiple chart-toppers.

Annual Trends in Box Office Leaders

Looking back, the silent era was captivated by war themes, with films like 'The Birth of a Nation' and 'Wings' resonating deeply. The advent of sound in the late 1920s ushered in the musical era, showcasing exciting new technology with hits like 'The Singing Fool'. The 1930s and 40s saw war-themed films rise again, punctuated by epic dramas such as 'Gone with the Wind' amidst global conflicts.

The 1950s, amidst the rise of television, prompted cinema to respond with lavish historical dramas like 'The Ten Commandments' and 'Ben-Hur'. The 60s brought a musical renaissance with titles such as 'The Sound of Music'. The 70s and 80s were defined by 'high concept' blockbusters, many from the legendary duo of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. And the 21st century, as we've explored, is firmly the era of the franchise and adaptation, where established intellectual property reigns supreme.

It's important to remember that these annual grosses aren't always confined to a single calendar year or even an initial theatrical run. Many films, especially older ones, were re-released over decades, continually adding to their totals. This complexity means that tracking the true highest-grossing film for any given year can sometimes involve estimates and careful historical reconstruction.

Article

List of highest-grossing films

Gone with the Wind held the record for the highest-grossing film for twenty-five years and, when adjusted for inflation, has earned more than any other film.

Films generate income from several revenue streams, including theatrical exhibition, home video, television broadcast rights, and merchandising. However, theatrical box-office earnings are the primary metric for trade publications in assessing the success of a film, mostly because of the availability of the data compared to sales figures for home video and broadcast rights, but also because of historical practice. Included on the list are charts of the top box-office earners (ranked by both the nominal and real value of their revenue), a chart of high-grossing films by calendar year, a timeline showing the transition of the highest-grossing film record, and a chart of the highest-grossing film franchises and series. All charts are ranked by international theatrical box-office performance where possible, excluding income derived from home video, broadcasting rights, and merchandise.

Traditionally, war films, musicals, and historical dramas have been the most popular genres, but franchise films have been among the best performers of the 21st century. There is strong interest in the superhero genre, with eleven films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe featuring among the nominal top-earners. The most successful superhero film, Avengers: Endgame, is also the highest-grossing film on the nominal earnings chart, and there are four films in total based on the Avengers comic books charting in the top twenty-five. Other Marvel Comics adaptations have also had success with the Spider-Man and X-Men properties, while films based on Batman and Superman from DC Comics have generally performed well. Beyond the superhero genre, Star Wars, with four films, is the most represented franchise in the nominal earnings chart. Avatar, in second place on the nominal chart, is the highest-grossing film that is not a sequel or an adaptation of a pre-existing property. Animated family films have performed consistently well, with Disney films enjoying lucrative re-releases prior to the home-video era. Disney also enjoyed later success with films such as Frozen and its sequel, Zootopia and its sequel, and The Lion King (along with its computer-animated remake), as well as its Pixar division, of which Inside Out 2, Incredibles 2, and Toy Story 3, (/wiki/ToyStory4) and (/wiki/ToyStory5) have been the best performers. Beyond Disney and Pixar animation, China's Ne Zha 2 (the highest-grossing animated film), and the Despicable Me and Shrek series have met with the most success.

While inflation has eroded the achievements of most films from the 1960s and 1970s, there are franchises originating from that period that are still active. Besides the Star Wars franchise, James Bond films are still being released periodically; both are among the highest-grossing franchises. Some of the older films that held the record of highest-grossing film still have respectable grosses by today's standards, but no longer compete numerically against today's top-earners in an era of much higher individual ticket prices. When those prices are adjusted for inflation, however, then Gone with the Wind—which was the highest-grossing film outright for twenty-five years—is still the highest-grossing film of all time. All grosses on the list are expressed in U.S. dollars at their nominal value, except where stated otherwise.

Highest-grossing films

List of highest-grossing films

Three of the five highest-grossing films were written and directed by James Cameron.

With a worldwide box-office gross of over $2.9 billion, Avengers: Endgame is proclaimed to be the "highest-grossing" film, but such claims usually refer to theatrical revenues only and do not take into account home video and television income, which can form a significant portion of a film's earnings. Once revenue from home entertainment is factored in, it is not immediately clear which film is the most successful. Titanic earned $1.2 billion from video and DVD sales and rentals, in addition to the $2.2 billion it grossed in theaters. While complete sales data are not available for Avatar, it earned $345 million from the sale of sixteen million DVD and Blu-ray units in North America, and ultimately sold a total of thirty million DVD and Blu-ray units worldwide. After home video income is accounted for, both films have earned over $3 billion each. Television broadcast rights also substantially add to a film's earnings and, as of 2010, a film often earned the equivalent of as much as 20–25% of its theatrical box office for two television runs, on top of pay-per-view revenues; Titanic earned a further $55 million from the NBC and HBO broadcast rights, equating to about 9% of its North American gross.

When a film is highly exploitable as a commercial property, its ancillary revenues can dwarf its income from direct film sales. The Lion King (1994) earned over $2 billion in box-office and home video sales, but this pales in comparison to the $8 billion earned at box offices around the world by the stage adaptation. Merchandising can be extremely lucrative too: The Lion King also sold $3 billion of merchandise, while Pixar's Cars—which originally earned $462 million in theatrical revenues and was only a modest hit by comparison to other Pixar films—generated global merchandise sales of over $8 billion in the five years after its 2006 release. Pixar had another huge hit with Toy Story 3, which generated almost $10 billion in merchandise retail sales in addition to the $1 billion it earned at the box office.

On this chart, films are ranked by the revenues from theatrical exhibition at their nominal value, along with the highest positions they attained. Eight films in total have grossed in excess of $2 billion worldwide, with Avengers: Endgame ranked in the top position. All of the films have had a theatrical run (including re-releases) in the 21st century, and films that have not played during this period do not appear on the chart because of ticket-price inflation, population size and ticket purchasing trends not being considered.

† Background shading indicates films playing in the week commencing 16 October 2026 in theaters around the world.

<table><thead><tr><th>Rank</th><th>Peak</th><th>Title</th><th>Worldwide gross</th><th>Year</th><th>Ref</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1</td><td>1</td><th>Avengers: Endgame †</th><td>$2,938,371,784</td><td>2019</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>1</td><th>Avatar</th><td>$2,923,710,708</td><td>2009</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>3</td><th>Spider-Man: Brand New Day †</th><td>$2,513,503,453</td><td>2026</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>3</td><th>Avatar: The Way of Water</th><td>$2,334,484,620</td><td>2022</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>1</td><th>Titanic</th><td>T$2,257,906,828</td><td>1997</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>5</td><th>Ne Zha 2</th><td>NZ$2,217,758,382</td><td>2025</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>3</td><th>Star Wars: The Force Awakens</th><td>$2,068,223,624</td><td>2015</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>4</td><th>Avengers: Infinity War</th><td>$2,048,359,754</td><td>2018</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>6</td><th>Spider-Man: No Way Home</th><td>SM$1,922,598,800</td><td>2021</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>9</td><th>Zootopia 2</th><td>$1,870,309,291</td><td>2025</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>11</td><td>11</td><th>The Odyssey †</th><td>$1,783,073,069</td><td>2026</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>12</td><td>8</td><th>Inside Out 2</th><td>$1,698,863,816</td><td>2024</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>13</td><td>3</td><th>Jurassic World</th><td>$1,671,537,444</td><td>2015</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>14</td><td>7</td><th>The Lion King</th><td>$1,656,943,394</td><td>2019</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>15</td><td>3</td><th>The Avengers</th><td>$1,518,815,515</td><td>2012</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>16</td><td>4</td><th>Furious 7</th><td>$1,515,341,399</td><td>2015</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>17</td><td>11</td><th>Top Gun: Maverick</th><td>$1,503,260,455</td><td>2022</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>18</td><td>16</td><th>Avatar: Fire and Ash</th><td>$1,485,999,890</td><td>2025</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>19</td><td>10</td><th>Frozen 2</th><td>$1,450,026,933</td><td>2019</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>20</td><td>14</td><th>Barbie</th><td>$1,447,138,421</td><td>2023</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>21</td><td>5</td><th>Avengers: Age of Ultron</th><td>$1,402,809,540</td><td>2015</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>22</td><td>15</td><th>The Super Mario Bros. Movie</th><td>$1,360,783,214</td><td>2023</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>23</td><td>9</td><th>Black Panther</th><td>$1,347,280,838</td><td>2018</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>24</td><td>3</td><th>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2</th><td>$1,342,139,727</td><td>2011</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>25</td><td>20</td><th>Deadpool & Wolverine</th><td>$1,338,073,645</td><td>2024</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>26</td><td>9</td><th>Star Wars: The Last Jedi</th><td>$1,332,539,889</td><td>2017</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>27</td><td>12</td><th>Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom</th><td>$1,308,476,166</td><td>2018</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>28</td><td>5</td><th>Frozen</th><td>F$1,290,000,000</td><td>2013</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>29</td><td>10</td><th>Beauty and the Beast</th><td>$1,263,521,126</td><td>2017</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>30</td><td>15</td><th>Incredibles 2</th><td>$1,242,805,359</td><td>2018</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>31</td><td>11</td><th>The Fate of the Furious</th><td>F8$1,238,764,765</td><td>2017</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>32</td><td>5</td><th>Iron Man 3</th><td>$1,214,811,252</td><td>2013</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>33</td><td>10</td><th>Minions</th><td>$1,159,444,662</td><td>2015</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>34</td><td>12</td><th>Captain America: Civil War</th><td>$1,153,337,496</td><td>2016</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>35</td><td>20</td><th>Aquaman</th><td>$1,148,528,393</td><td>2018</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>36</td><td>36</td><th>Toy Story 5 †</th><td>$1,148,425,809</td><td>2026</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>37</td><td>2</td><th>The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King</th><td>$1,147,997,407</td><td>2003</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>38</td><td>24RK</td><th>Spider-Man: Far From Home</th><td>$1,132,679,685</td><td>2019</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>39</td><td>23RK</td><th>Captain Marvel</th><td>$1,128,274,794</td><td>2019</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>40</td><td>5RK</td><th>Transformers: Dark of the Moon</th><td>$1,123,794,079</td><td>2011</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>41</td><td>7</td><th>Skyfall</th><td>$1,108,594,137</td><td>2012</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>42</td><td>10</td><th>Transformers: Age of Extinction</th><td>$1,104,054,072</td><td>2014</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>43JP</td><td>7</td><th>The Dark Knight Rises</th><td>DKR$1,081,169,825</td><td>2012</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>44</td><td>31</td><th>Joker</th><td>$1,074,458,282</td><td>2019</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>45</td><td>32</td><th>Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker</th><td>$1,074,144,248</td><td>2019</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>46</td><td>30</td><th>Toy Story 4</th><td>$1,073,394,593</td><td>2019</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>47</td><td>4TS3</td><th>Toy Story 3</th><td>$1,066,970,811</td><td>2010</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>48</td><td>3</td><th>Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest</th><td>$1,066,179,747</td><td>2006</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>49</td><td>44</td><th>Moana 2</th><td>$1,059,242,164</td><td>2024</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>50</td><td>20</td><th>Rogue One: A Star Wars Story</th><td>$1,057,420,387</td><td>2016</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

Highest-grossing films adjusted for inflation

List of highest-grossing films

Inflation rates around the world vary, complicating inflation adjustment

Because of the long-term effects of inflation, notably the significant increase of movie theater ticket prices, the list unadjusted for inflation gives far more weight to later films. The unadjusted list, while commonly found in the press, is therefore largely meaningless for comparing films widely separated in time, as many films from earlier eras will never appear on a modern unadjusted list, despite achieving higher commercial success when adjusted for price increases. To compensate for the devaluation of the currency, some charts make adjustments for inflation, but not even this practice fully addresses the issue, since ticket prices and inflation do not necessarily parallel one another. For example, in 1970, tickets cost $1.55 or about $6.68 in inflation-adjusted 2004 dollars; by 1980, prices had risen to about $2.69, a drop to $5.50 in inflation-adjusted 2004 dollars. Ticket prices have also risen at different rates of inflation around the world, further complicating the process of adjusting worldwide grosses.

Another complication is release in multiple formats for which different ticket prices are charged. One notable example of this phenomenon is Avatar, which was also released in 3D and IMAX: almost two-thirds of tickets for that film were for 3D showings with an average price of $10, and about one-sixth were for IMAX showings with an average price over $14.50, compared to a 2010 average price of $7.61 for 2D films. Social and economic factors such as population change and the growth of international markets also have an effect on the number of people purchasing theater tickets, along with audience demographics where some films sell a much higher proportion of discounted children's tickets, or perform better in big cities where tickets cost more.

The measuring system for gauging a film's success is based on unadjusted grosses, primarily due to historical convention: box-office receipts are compiled by theaters and relayed to the distributor, who releases them to the media. Converting to a more representative system that counts ticket sales rather than gross is also fraught with problems because the only data available for older films are the sale totals. As the motion picture industry is highly oriented towards marketing currently released films, unadjusted figures are always used in marketing campaigns so that new blockbuster films can much more easily achieve a high sales ranking, and thus be promoted as a "top film of all time", so there is little incentive to switch to a more robust analysis from a marketing or even newsworthy point of view.

Despite the inherent difficulties in accounting for inflation, several attempts have been made. Estimates depend on the price index used to adjust the grosses, and the exchange rates used to convert between currencies can also affect the calculations, both of which can have an effect on the ultimate rankings of an inflation adjusted list. Gone with the Wind—first released in 1939—is generally considered to be the most successful film, with Guinness World Records in 2014 estimating its adjusted global gross at $3.4 billion. Estimates for Gone with the Wind's adjusted gross have varied substantially: its owner, Turner Entertainment, estimated its adjusted earnings at $3.3 billion in 2007, a few years earlier than the Guinness estimate; other estimates fall either side of this amount, with one putting its gross just under $3 billion in 2010, while another provided an alternative figure of $3.8 billion in 2006. Which film is Gone with the Wind's nearest rival depends on the set of figures used: Guinness had Avatar in second place with $3 billion, while other estimates saw Titanic in the runner-up spot with first-run worldwide earnings of almost $2.9 billion at 2010 prices.

<table><thead><tr><th>Rank</th><th>Title</th><th>Worldwide gross (2025 $)</th><th>Year</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1</td><th>Gone with the Wind</th><td>GW$4,561,000,000</td><td>1939</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><th>Avatar</th><td>A1$4,157,000,000</td><td>2009</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><th>Titanic</th><td>T$3,864,000,000</td><td>1997</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><th>Star Wars</th><td>$3,743,000,000</td><td>1977</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><th>Avengers: Endgame</th><td>AE$3,443,000,000</td><td>2019</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><th>The Sound of Music</th><td>$3,138,000,000</td><td>1965</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><th>E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial</th><td>ET$3,065,000,000</td><td>1982</td></tr><tr><td>8</td><th>The Ten Commandments</th><td>$2,898,000,000</td><td>1956</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><th>Doctor Zhivago</th><td>$2,747,000,000</td><td>1965</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><th>Jaws</th><td>J$2,710,000,000</td><td>1975</td></tr></tbody></table>

High-grossing films by year

List of highest-grossing films

Films directed by Steven Spielberg have been the highest-grossing film of the year on five occasions, and on three occasions have been the highest-grossing film of all time.

Audience tastes were fairly eclectic during the 20th century, but several trends did emerge. During the silent era, films with war themes were popular with audiences, with The Birth of a Nation (American Civil War), The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Big Parade and Wings (all World War I) becoming the most successful films in their respective years of release, with the trend coming to an end with All Quiet on the Western Front in 1930. With the advent of sound in 1927, the musical—the genre best placed to showcase the new technology—took over as the most popular type of film with audiences, with 1928 and 1929 both being topped by musical films. The genre continued to perform strongly in the 1930s, but the outbreak of World War II saw war-themed films dominate again during this period, starting with Gone with the Wind (American Civil War) in 1939, and finishing with The Best Years of Our Lives (World War II) in 1946. Samson and Delilah (1949) saw the beginning of a trend of increasingly expensive historical dramas set during Ancient Rome/biblical times throughout the 1950s as cinema competed with television for audiences, with Quo Vadis, The Robe, The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur and Spartacus all becoming the highest-grossing film of the year during initial release, before the genre started to wane after several high-profile failures. The success of White Christmas and South Pacific in the 1950s foreshadowed the comeback of the musical in the 1960s with West Side Story, Mary Poppins, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music and Funny Girl all among the top films of the decade. The 1970s saw a shift in audience tastes to high concept films, with five such films made by either George Lucas or Steven Spielberg topping the chart during the 1980s. The 21st century has seen an increasing dependence on franchises and adaptations, with the box-office dominance of films based on pre-existing intellectual property at record levels.

Steven Spielberg (1975, 1981, 1982, 1989 and 1993) and Cecil B. DeMille (1932, 1947, 1949, 1952 and 1956) tie as the most represented directors on the chart with five films apiece occupying the annual top spot. William Wyler (1942, 1946, 1959 and 1968) and James Cameron (1991, 1997, 2009 and 2022) are each represented by four films, whilst D. W. Griffith (1915, 1916 and 1920), George Roy Hill (1966, 1969 and 1973) and the Russo brothers (2016, 2018 and 2019) all feature heavily with three films apiece. George Lucas directed three chart-toppers in 1977, 1999 and 2005, but also served in a strong creative capacity as a producer and writer in 1980, 1981, 1983, and 1989 as well. The following directors have also all directed two films on the chart: Frank Lloyd, King Vidor, Frank Capra, Michael Curtiz, Leo McCarey, Alfred Hitchcock, David Lean, Stanley Kubrick, Guy Hamilton, Mike Nichols, William Friedkin, Peter Jackson, Gore Verbinski, and Michael Bay; Mervyn LeRoy, Ken Annakin and Robert Wise are each represented by one solo credit and one shared credit, and John Ford co-directed two films. Disney films are usually co-directed and some directors have served on several winning teams: Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Clyde Geronimi, David Hand, Ben Sharpsteen, Wolfgang Reitherman and Bill Roberts have all co-directed at least two films on the list. Only seven directors have topped the chart in consecutive years: McCarey (1944 and 1945), Nichols (1966 and 1967), Spielberg (1981 and 1982), Jackson (2002 and 2003), Verbinski (2006 and 2007) and the Russo brothers (2018 and 2019).

Because of release schedules—especially in the case of films released towards the end of the year—and different release patterns across the world, many films can do business in two or more calendar years; therefore the grosses documented here are not confined to just the year of release. Grosses are not limited to original theatrical runs either, with many older films often being re-released periodically so the figures represent all the business a film has done since its original release; a film's first-run gross is included in brackets after the total if known. Because of incomplete data, it cannot be known for sure how much money some films have made and when they made it, but generally the chart chronicles the films from each year that went on to earn the most. In the cases where estimates conflict both films are recorded, and in cases where a film has moved into first place because of being re-released the previous record-holder is also retained.

† Background shading indicates films playing in the week commencing 16 October 2026 in theaters around the world.

<table><thead><tr><th>Year</th><th>Title</th><th>Worldwide gross</th><th>Budget</th><th>References</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><th>1915</th><td>The Birth of a Nation</td><td>$50,000,000–100,000,000 $20,000,000+R ($5,200,000)R</td><td>$110,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1916</th><td>Intolerance</td><td>$1,750,000R IN</td><td>$385,907</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1917</th><td>Cleopatra</td><td>$500,000R</td><td>$300,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1918</th><td>Mickey</td><td>$8,000,000</td><td>$250,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1919</th><td>The Miracle Man</td><td>$3,000,000R</td><td>$120,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1920</th><td>Way Down East</td><td>$5,000,000R ($4,000,000)R</td><td>$800,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1921</th><td>The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse</td><td>$5,000,000R ($4,000,000)R</td><td>$600,000–800,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1922</th><td>Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood</td><td>$2,500,000R</td><td>$930,042.78</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1923</th><td>The Covered Wagon</td><td>$5,000,000R</td><td>$800,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1924</th><td>The Sea Hawk</td><td>$3,000,000R</td><td>$700,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="2">1925</th><td>The Big Parade</td><td>$18,000,000–22,000,000R ($6,131,000)R</td><td>$382,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Ben-Hur</td><td>$10,738,000R ($9,386,000)R</td><td>$3,967,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1926</th><td>For Heaven's Sake</td><td>$2,600,000R FH</td><td>$150,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1927</th><td>Wings</td><td>$3,600,000R</td><td>$2,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1928</th><td>The Singing Fool</td><td>$5,900,000R</td><td>$388,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="2">1929</th><td>The Broadway Melody</td><td>$4,400,000–4,800,000R</td><td>$379,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Sunny Side Up</td><td>$3,500,000R SS</td><td>$600,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1930</th><td>All Quiet on the Western Front</td><td>$3,000,000R</td><td>$1,250,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="2">1931</th><td>Frankenstein</td><td>$12,000,000R ($1,400,000)R</td><td>$250,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>City Lights</td><td>$5,000,000R</td><td>$1,607,351</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1932</th><td>The Sign of the Cross</td><td>$2,738,993R</td><td>$694,065</td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="4">1933</th><td>King Kong</td><td>$5,347,000R ($1,856,000)R</td><td>$672,255.75</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>I'm No Angel</td><td>$3,250,000+R</td><td>$200,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Cavalcade</td><td>$3,000,000–4,000,000R</td><td>$1,116,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>She Done Him Wrong</td><td>$3,000,000+R</td><td>$274,076</td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="2">1934</th><td>The Merry Widow</td><td>$2,608,000R</td><td>$1,605,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>It Happened One Night</td><td>$2,500,000R ON</td><td>$325,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1935</th><td>Mutiny on the Bounty</td><td>$4,460,000R</td><td>$1,905,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1936</th><td>San Francisco</td><td>$6,044,000+R ($5,273,000)R</td><td>$1,300,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1937</th><td>Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs</td><td>$418,000,000+S7 ($8,500,000)R</td><td>$1,488,423</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1938</th><td>You Can't Take It with You</td><td>$5,000,000R</td><td>$1,200,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1939</th><td>Gone with the Wind</td><td>$390,516,513–402,382,193 ($32,000,000)R GW</td><td>$3,900,000–4,250,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="2">1940</th><td>Pinocchio</td><td>$87,000,862 ($3,500,000)R</td><td>$2,600,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Boom Town</td><td>$4,600,000R</td><td>$2,100,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1941</th><td>Sergeant York</td><td>$7,800,000R</td><td>$1,600,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="2">1942</th><td>Bambi</td><td>$267,997,843 ($3,449,353)R</td><td>$1,700,000–2,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Mrs. Miniver</td><td>$8,878,000R</td><td>$1,344,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="2">1943</th><td>For Whom the Bell Tolls</td><td>$11,000,000R</td><td>$2,681,298</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>This Is the Army</td><td>$9,555,586.44R</td><td>$1,400,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1944</th><td>Going My Way</td><td>$6,500,000R</td><td>$1,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="2">1945</th><td>Mom and Dad</td><td>$80,000,000MD/$22,000,000R</td><td>$65,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Bells of St. Mary's</td><td>$11,200,000R</td><td>$1,600,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="3">1946</th><td>Song of the South</td><td>$65,000,000 ($3,300,000)R</td><td>$2,125,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Best Years of Our Lives</td><td>$14,750,000R</td><td>$2,100,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Duel in the Sun</td><td>$10,000,000R</td><td>$5,255,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="2">1947</th><td>Forever Amber</td><td>$8,000,000R</td><td>$6,375,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Unconquered</td><td>$7,500,000R UN</td><td>$4,200,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="3">1948</th><td>Easter Parade</td><td>$5,918,134R</td><td>$2,500,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Red Shoes</td><td>$5,000,000R</td><td>£505,581 (~$2,000,000)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Snake Pit</td><td>$4,100,000R</td><td>$3,800,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1949</th><td>Samson and Delilah</td><td>$14,209,250R</td><td>$3,097,563</td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="2">1950</th><td>Cinderella</td><td>$263,591,415 ($20,000,000/$7,800,000R)</td><td>$2,200,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>King Solomon's Mines</td><td>$10,050,000R</td><td>$2,258,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1951</th><td>Quo Vadis</td><td>$21,037,000–26,700,000R</td><td>$7,623,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="2">1952</th><td>This Is Cinerama</td><td>$50,000,000CI</td><td>$1,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Greatest Show on Earth</td><td>$18,350,000R GS</td><td>$3,873,946</td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="2">1953</th><td>Peter Pan</td><td>$145,000,000 ($7,000,000)R</td><td>$3,000,000–4,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Robe</td><td>$25,000,000–26,100,000R</td><td>$4,100,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="3">1954</th><td>Rear Window</td><td>$24,500,000 ($5,300,000)R</td><td>$1,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>White Christmas</td><td>$26,000,050 ($12,000,000)R</td><td>$3,800,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>20,000 Leagues Under the Sea</td><td>$25,000,134 ($6,800,000–8,000,000)R</td><td>$4,500,000–9,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="3">1955</th><td>Lady and the Tramp</td><td>$187,000,000 ($6,500,000)R</td><td>$4,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Cinerama Holiday</td><td>$21,000,000CI</td><td>$2,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Mister Roberts</td><td>$9,900,000R</td><td>$2,400,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1956</th><td>The Ten Commandments</td><td>$90,066,230R ($122,700,000/$55,200,000R)</td><td>$13,270,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1957</th><td>The Bridge on the River Kwai</td><td>$30,600,000R</td><td>$2,840,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1958</th><td>South Pacific</td><td>$30,000,000R</td><td>$5,610,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1959</th><td>Ben-Hur</td><td>$90,000,000R ($146,900,000/$66,100,000R)</td><td>$15,900,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="3">1960</th><td>Swiss Family Robinson</td><td>$30,000,000R</td><td>$4,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Spartacus</td><td>$60,000,000 ($22,105,225)R</td><td>$10,284,014</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Psycho</td><td>$50,000,000+ ($14,000,000)R</td><td>$800,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="2">1961</th><td>One Hundred and One Dalmatians</td><td>$303,000,000</td><td>$3,600,000–4,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>West Side Story</td><td>$105,000,000 ($31,800,000)R</td><td>$7,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="3">1962</th><td>Lawrence of Arabia</td><td>$77,324,852 ($69,995,385)</td><td>$13,800,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>How the West Was Won</td><td>$35,000,000R</td><td>$14,483,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Longest Day</td><td>$33,200,000R</td><td>$8,600,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="2">1963</th><td>Cleopatra</td><td>$40,300,000R</td><td>$31,115,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>From Russia with Love</td><td>$78,900,000/$29,400,000R ($12,500,000)R</td><td>$2,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="3">1964</th><td>My Fair Lady</td><td>$55,000,000R</td><td>$17,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Goldfinger</td><td>$124,900,000 ($46,000,000)R</td><td>$3,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Mary Poppins</td><td>$44,000,000–$50,000,000R</td><td>$5,200,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1965</th><td>The Sound of Music</td><td>$287,814,441 ($114,600,000)R</td><td>$8,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="3">1966</th><td>The Bible: In the Beginning</td><td>$25,325,000R</td><td>$18,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Hawaii</td><td>$34,562,222 ($15,600,000)R</td><td>$15,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?</td><td>$33,736,689 ($14,500,000)R</td><td>$7,613,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="2">1967</th><td>The Jungle Book</td><td>$378,000,000 ($23,800,000)R</td><td>$3,900,000–4,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Graduate</td><td>$85,000,000R</td><td>$3,100,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="2">1968</th><td>2001: A Space Odyssey</td><td>$141,000,000–190,000,000 ($21,900,000)R</td><td>$10,300,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Funny Girl</td><td>$80,000,000–100,000,000</td><td>$8,800,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1969</th><td>Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid</td><td>$152,308,525 ($37,100,000)R</td><td>$6,600,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1970</th><td>Love Story</td><td>$173,400,000 ($80,000,000)R</td><td>$2,260,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="3">1971</th><td>The French Connection</td><td>$75,000,000R</td><td>$3,300,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Fiddler on the Roof</td><td>$49,400,000R ($100,000,000/$45,100,000R)</td><td>$9,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Diamonds Are Forever</td><td>$116,000,000 ($45,700,000)R</td><td>$7,200,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1972</th><td>The Godfather</td><td>$246,120,974–287,000,000 ($127,600,000–142,000,000)R</td><td>$6,000,000–7,200,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="2">1973</th><td>The Exorcist</td><td>$430,872,776 ($112,300,000)R</td><td>$10,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Sting</td><td>$115,000,000R</td><td>$5,500,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1974</th><td>The Towering Inferno</td><td>$203,336,412 ($104,838,000)R</td><td>$14,300,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1975</th><td>Jaws</td><td>$495,201,848 ($193,700,000)R</td><td>$9,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1976</th><td>Rocky</td><td>$225,000,000 ($77,100,000)R</td><td>$1,075,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1977</th><td>Star Wars</td><td>$775,398,507 ($530,000,000SW/$268,500,000R)</td><td>$11,293,151</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1978</th><td>Grease</td><td>$396,271,103 ($341,000,000)</td><td>$6,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="2">1979</th><td>Moonraker</td><td>$210,308,099</td><td>$31,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Rocky II</td><td>$200,182,160</td><td>$7,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1980</th><td>The Empire Strikes Back</td><td>$550,016,086 ($413,562,607)SW</td><td>$23,000,000–32,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1981</th><td>Raiders of the Lost Ark</td><td>$389,925,971 ($321,866,000–353,988,025)</td><td>$18,000,000–22,800,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1982</th><td>E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial</td><td>$797,307,407 ($619,000,000–664,000,000)</td><td>$10,500,000–12,200,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1983</th><td>Return of the Jedi</td><td>$482,466,382 ($385,845,197)SW</td><td>$32,500,000–42,700,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1984</th><td>Ghostbusters</td><td>$370,000,000 ($355,200,000)</td><td>$25,000,000–30,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1985</th><td>Back to the Future</td><td>$402,420,713 ($381,109,762)</td><td>$19,000,000–22,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1986</th><td>Top Gun</td><td>$360,552,341 ($345,000,000)</td><td>$14,000,000–19,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1987</th><td>Fatal Attraction</td><td>$320,145,693</td><td>$14,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1988</th><td>Rain Man</td><td>$354,825,435</td><td>$30,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1989</th><td>Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade</td><td>$474,171,806–494,000,000</td><td>$36,000,000–55,400,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1990</th><td>Ghost</td><td>$505,870,681 ($505,702,588)</td><td>$22,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1991</th><td>Terminator 2: Judgment Day</td><td>$525,777,425 ($519,843,345)</td><td>$94,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1992</th><td>Aladdin</td><td>$504,050,219</td><td>$28,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1993</th><td>Jurassic Park</td><td>$1,037,535,230 ($912,667,947)</td><td>$63,000,000–70,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1994</th><td>The Lion King</td><td>$970,946,637 ($763,455,561)</td><td>$45,000,000–79,300,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="2">1995</th><td>Toy Story</td><td>$384,990,631 ($363,007,140)</td><td>$30,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Die Hard with a Vengeance</td><td>$366,101,666</td><td>$70,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1996</th><td>Independence Day</td><td>$817,400,891</td><td>$75,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1997</th><td>Titanic</td><td>$2,257,906,828 ($1,843,373,318)</td><td>$200,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1998</th><td>Armageddon</td><td>$553,709,788</td><td>$140,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1999</th><td>Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace</td><td>$1,046,515,409 ($924,317,558)</td><td>$115,000,000–127,500,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>2000</th><td>Mission: Impossible 2</td><td>$546,388,108</td><td>$100,000,000–125,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>2001</th><td>Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone</td><td>$1,014,382,248HP1 ($974,755,371)</td><td>$125,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>2002</th><td>The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers</td><td>$948,945,489 ($936,689,735)</td><td>$94,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>2003</th><td>The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King</td><td>$1,147,997,407 ($1,140,682,011)</td><td>$94,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>2004</th><td>Shrek 2</td><td>$932,542,741 ($929,098,316)</td><td>$150,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="2">2005</th><td>Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire</td><td>$896,346,413 ($895,921,036)</td><td>$150,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith</td><td>$905,595,947 ($849,997,605)</td><td>$113,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>2006</th><td>Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest</td><td>$1,066,179,747</td><td>$225,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>2007</th><td>Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End</td><td>$960,996,492</td><td>$300,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>2008</th><td>The Dark Knight</td><td>$1,008,294,632 ($997,039,412)</td><td>$185,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>2009</th><td>Avatar</td><td>$2,923,710,708 ($2,743,577,587)</td><td>$237,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>2010</th><td>Toy Story 3</td><td>$1,066,970,811</td><td>$200,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>2011</th><td>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2</td><td>$1,342,139,727 ($1,341,511,219)</td><td>$250,000,000HP8</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>2012</th><td>The Avengers</td><td>$1,518,815,515</td><td>$220,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>2013</th><td>Frozen</td><td>$1,290,000,000 ($1,287,000,000)</td><td>$150,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>2014</th><td>Transformers: Age of Extinction</td><td>$1,104,039,076</td><td>$210,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>2015</th><td>Star Wars: The Force Awakens</td><td>$2,068,223,624</td><td>$245,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>2016</th><td>Captain America: Civil War</td><td>$1,153,337,496 ($1,153,296,293)</td><td>$250,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>2017</th><td>Star Wars: The Last Jedi</td><td>$1,332,539,889</td><td>$200,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>2018</th><td>Avengers: Infinity War</td><td>$2,048,359,754</td><td>$316,000,000–400,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>2019</th><th>Avengers: Endgame †</th><td>$2,938,371,784 ($2,799,439,100)</td><td>$356,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>2020</th><td>Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train</td><td>$515,417,627 ($507,119,058)</td><td>$15,750,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>2021</th><td>Spider-Man: No Way Home</td><td>$1,922,598,800 ($1,912,233,593)</td><td>$200,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>2022</th><td>Avatar: The Way of Water</td><td>$2,334,484,620 ($2,320,250,281)</td><td>$350,000,000–460,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>2023</th><td>Barbie</td><td>$1,447,138,421</td><td>$128,000,000–145,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>2024</th><td>Inside Out 2</td><td>$1,698,863,816</td><td>$200,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>2025</th><td>Ne Zha 2</td><td>$2,217,758,382</td><td>$80,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>2026</th><th>Spider-Man: Brand New Day †</th><td>$2,513,503,453</td><td>$225,000,000</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

Timeline of highest-grossing films

List of highest-grossing films

The Birth of a Nation pioneered many of the techniques used in filmmaking today, becoming the most successful film ever made at the time of its release.

At least eleven films have held the record of 'highest-grossing film' since The Birth of a Nation assumed the top spot in 1915. Both The Birth of a Nation and Gone with the Wind spent twenty-five consecutive years apiece as the highest-grosser, with films directed by Steven Spielberg and James Cameron holding the record on three occasions each. Spielberg became the first director to break his own record when Jurassic Park overtook E.T., and Cameron emulated the feat when Avatar broke the record set by Titanic. When it took over the top spot in 2019, Avengers: Endgame became the first sequel to hold the record of highest-grossing film and, in doing so, interrupted thirty-six years of Spielberg/Cameron dominance. Since then, Avatar and Avengers: Endgame have traded the top spot on a couple more occasions, with Avatar reclaiming it two years later in 2021 following a re-release, and Avengers: Endgame doing likewise in 2026.

Some sources claim that The Big Parade superseded The Birth of a Nation as highest-grossing film, eventually being replaced by Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which in turn was quickly usurped by Gone with the Wind. Exact figures are not known for The Birth of a Nation, but contemporary records put its worldwide earnings at $5.2 million as of 1919. Its international release was delayed by World War I, and it was not released in many foreign territories until the 1920s; coupled with further re-releases in the United States, its $10 million earnings as reported by Variety in 1932 are consistent with the earlier figure. At this time, Variety still had The Birth of a Nation ahead of The Big Parade ($6,400,000) on distributor rentals and—if its estimate is correct—Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ($8,500,000) would not have earned enough on its first theatrical run to take the record; although it would have been the highest-grossing 'talkie', displacing The Singing Fool ($5,900,000). Although received wisdom holds that it is unlikely The Birth of a Nation was ever overtaken by a silent-era film, the record would fall to 1925's Ben-Hur ($9,386,000) if The Birth of a Nation earned significantly less than its estimated gross. In addition to its gross rental earnings through public exhibition, The Birth of a Nation played at a large number of private, club and organizational engagements which figures are unavailable for. It was hugely popular with the Ku Klux Klan who used it to drive recruitment, and at one point Variety estimated its total earnings to stand at around $50 million. Despite later retracting the claim, the sum has been widely reported even though it has never been substantiated. While it is generally accepted that Gone with the Wind took over the record of highest-grossing film on its initial release—which is true in terms of public exhibition—it is likely it did not overtake The Birth of a Nation in total revenue until a much later date, with it still being reported as the highest earner up until the 1960s. Gone with the Wind itself may have been briefly overtaken by The Ten Commandments (1956), which closed at the end of 1960 with worldwide rentals of $58–60 million compared to Gone with the Wind's $59 million; if it did claim the top spot its tenure there was short-lived, since Gone with the Wind was re-released the following year and increased its earnings to $67 million. Depending on how accurate the estimates are, the 1959 remake of Ben-Hur may also have captured the record from Gone with the Wind: as of the end of 1961 it had earned $47 million worldwide, and by 1963 it was trailing Gone with the Wind by just $2 million with international takings of $65 million, ultimately earning $66 million from its initial release.

The 1972 pornographic film Deep Throat reportedly earned as much as $600 million, a figure that may have been inflated by gangsters in money-laundering schemes.

Another film purported to have been the highest-grosser is the 1972 pornographic film Deep Throat. In 1984, Linda Lovelace testified to a United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on juvenile justice that the film had earned $600 million; this figure has been the subject of much speculation, since if it is accurate then the film would have made more money than Star Wars, and finished the 1970s as the highest-grossing film. The main argument against this figure is that it simply did not have a wide enough release to sustain the sort of sums that would be required for it to ultimately gross this amount. Exact figures are not known, but testimony in a federal trial in 1976—about four years into the film's release—showed the film had grossed over $25 million. Roger Ebert has reasoned it possibly did earn as much as $600 million on paper, since mobsters owned most of the adult movie theaters during this period and would launder income from drugs and prostitution through them, so probably inflated the box-office receipts for the film.

The Birth of a Nation, Gone with the Wind, The Godfather, Jaws, Star Wars, E.T., Avatar and Avengers: Endgame all increased their record grosses with re-releases. The grosses from their original theatrical runs are included here along with totals from re-releases up to the point that they lost the record; therefore the total for The Birth of a Nation includes income from its reissues up to 1940; the total for Star Wars includes revenue from the late 1970s and early 1980s reissues but not from the 1997 Special Edition; the total for E.T. incorporates its gross from the 1985 reissue but not from 2002. The total for Avatar's first appearance on the chart includes revenue from the 2010 Special Edition, which represents all of its earnings up to the point it relinquished the record; its second appearance incorporates revenue from re-releases in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2025 which helped it to reclaim the record and extend it, before losing it again following a re-release of Avengers: Endgame in 2026. Gone with the Wind is likewise represented twice on the chart: the 1940 entry includes earnings from its staggered 1939–1942 release (roadshow/general release/second-run) along with all of its revenue up to the 1961 reissue prior to losing the record to The Sound of Music in 1966; its 1971 entry—after it took back the record—includes income from the 1967 and 1971 reissues but omitting later releases. The Godfather was re-released in 1973 after its success at the 45th Academy Awards, and Jaws was released again in 1976, and their grosses here most likely include earnings from those releases. The Sound of Music, The Godfather, Jaws, Jurassic Park, and Titanic have all increased their earnings with further releases, but they are not included in the totals here because they had already conceded the record prior to being re-released.

† Background shading indicates films playing in the week commencing 16 October 2026 in theaters around the world.

<table><thead><tr><th>Established</th><th>Title</th><th>Record-setting gross</th><th>Ref</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><th>1915</th><td rowspan="2">The Birth of a Nation</td><td>$5,200,000R</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1940</th><td>$15,000,000R ‡</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1940</th><td rowspan="2">Gone with the Wind</td><td>$32,000,000R</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1963</th><td>$67,000,000R ‡</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1966</th><td>The Sound of Music</td><td>$114,600,000R</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1971</th><td>Gone with the Wind</td><td>$116,000,000R ‡</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1972</th><td>The Godfather</td><td>$127,600,000–142,000,000R</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1976</th><td>Jaws</td><td>$193,700,000R</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1978</th><td rowspan="2">Star Wars</td><td>$410,000,000/$268,500,000R</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1982</th><td>$530,000,000 ‡</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1983</th><td rowspan="2">E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial</td><td>$619,000,000–664,000,000</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1993</th><td>$701,000,000 ‡</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1993</th><td>Jurassic Park</td><td>$912,667,947</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>1998</th><td>Titanic</td><td>$1,843,373,318</td><td></td></tr><tr><th rowspan="2">2010</th><td rowspan="2">Avatar</td><td>$2,743,577,587</td><td rowspan="2"></td></tr><tr><td>$2,788,416,135 ‡</td></tr><tr><th>2019</th><td>Avengers: Endgame</td><td>$2,799,439,100</td><td></td></tr><tr><th>2021</th><td rowspan="2">Avatar</td><td>$2,847,397,339 ‡</td><td rowspan="2"></td></tr><tr><th>2025</th><td>$2,923,710,708 ‡</td></tr><tr><th>2026</th><th>Avengers: Endgame †</th><td>$2,938,371,784 ‡</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

Highest-grossing franchises and film series

List of highest-grossing films

Prior to 2000, only seven film series had grossed over $1 billion at the box office: James Bond, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Rocky, Batman, Jurassic Park, and Star Trek. Since the turn of the century, that number has increased to over a hundred. This is partly due to inflation and market growth, but it is also due to Hollywood's adoption of the franchise model: films that have built-in brand recognition such as being based on a well-known literary source or an established character. The methodology is based on the concept that films associated with things audiences are already familiar with can be more effectively marketed to them, and as such are known as "pre-sold" films within the industry.

A franchise is typically defined to be at least two works derived from a common intellectual property. Traditionally, the work has a tautological relationship with the property, but this is not a prerequisite. An enduring staple of the franchise model is the concept of the crossover, which can be defined as "a story in which characters or concepts from two or more discrete texts or series of texts meet". A consequence of a crossover is that an intellectual property may be utilized by more than one franchise. For example, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice belongs to not only the Batman and Superman franchises, but also to the DC Extended Universe, which is a shared universe. A shared universe is a particular type of crossover where a number of characters from a wide range of fictional works wind up sharing a fictional world. The most successful shared universe in the medium of film is the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a crossover between multiple superhero properties owned by Marvel Comics. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is also the highest-grossing franchise, amassing over $35 billion at the box office. The Spider-Man films are the highest-grossing series based on a single property, earning over $13 billion at the box office (although the Eon James Bond films have earned over $19 billion in total when adjusted to current prices). The Marvel Cinematic Universe has had the most films gross over $1 billion, with twelve.

† Background shading indicates that at least one film in the series is playing in the week commencing 16 October 2026 in theaters around the world.