List of highest-grossing films
The following is a non-definitive list of the all-time highest-grossing films.
- Background color indicates films currently playing in theaters around the world
Worldwide highest-grossing films
Eighty percent of the films in the top 50 were released after 2000, while no film prior to 1977 appears in the chart because ticket-price inflation, population size and ticket purchasing trends are not considered. 2009 is the most represented year on the chart with seven films. Figures are given in United States dollars (USD).
Issues with calculation
Due to 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 more recent films; a film in 1910, given much lower ticket prices at that time, would have to sell close to 100 times as many tickets as a 2007 film in order for the two to have equal gross takings.[2] Further complications are added by changing currency values. 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.[3] Some have suggested that studios prefer not to make inflation adjustments because doing so would reduce the grossing numbers and eliminate the ability to advertise new box-office records.[3] Yet another complication that has mainly arisen since 2000 is releases in multiple formats for which different ticket prices are charged. One notable example was Mamma Mia!, which benefitted from a sing-a-long rerelease for karaoke fans. Another notable example of this phenomenon is Avatar, which was 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.[4]
In the United States and Canada, which the U.S. film industry considers to be a single market, Box Office Mojo, Guinness World Records, and Entertainment Weekly all claim that Gone With The Wind is domestically the highest-grossing film of all time when adjusted for inflation.
Movie ticket prices and inflation do not necessarily parallel one another. For example, in 1970 movie tickets cost $1.55 or about $6.68 in inflation-adjusted 2004 dollars; by 1980, movie-ticket prices had risen to about $2.69, a drop to $5.50 in inflation-adjusted 2004 dollars.[5] A possible solution to this problem would be to compare the number of tickets sold rather than comparing dollar amounts. However, there may not be accurate information on the number of tickets sold, especially for older films. Box Office Mojo uses a compromise solution on its chart by adjusting the grosses for average ticket price inflation.
Social, political, and economic factors influence the number of people willing to pay to go to the movies as well.[6] These factors can be determined by calculating the per capita ticket-purchasing rate for a particular year. Normalizing this to the reference year normalizes all social, economical, and political factors such as the availability of expendable cash, number of theater screens, relative cost of tickets, competition from television, the rapid releases of movies on DVDs, the improvement of home theater equipment, and film bootlegging. For example, in 1946 the per capita movie ticket purchasing rate for the average person was 34 tickets a year. In 2004, this average rate had dropped to only five tickets per person per year, in response mainly to competition from television.[7] Another often ignored factor is population growth.[8] The 1910 Census in the United States, for example, had less than 100 million people while the 2010 Census is expected to have more than three times that at over 300 million. The measure of popularity for a movie can also be normalized for the size of the population at the time, as well as the various factors listed above.
As the motion picture industry is highly oriented towards marketing currently released films, non-inflation 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".[9] Since inflation adjusted sales figures are therefore not widely publicized by the film industry, inflation adjusted sales rankings and ticket sales comparisons across the last 100 years are difficult to compile.
Highest-grossing films by year
This is a list of the highest-grossing films by year.[10][11]
* Canada and U.S. gross only.
Highest-grossing film series
| Rank | Series | Studio(s) | Total worldwide box office |
No. of films | Average of films | Highest-grossing film of series |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harry Potter | Warner Bros. (2001–present) Heyday Films (2001–present) 1492 Pictures (2001–2004) Miracle Productions (2002) P of A Productions (2004) Patalex IV Productions (2005) |
$6196676793 | 7 | $885239542 | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone ($974,733,550) |
| 2 | James Bond | Danjaq/EON Productions (1962–present) United Artists (1987–present) Columbia Pictures (2006–present) |
$5,029,014,110 | 22 | $228,591,550 | Casino Royale ($594,239,066) |
| 3 | Star Wars | Lucasfilm (1977–present) 20th Century Fox (1977–1980) |
$4,279,632,749 | 7 | $611,376,107 | Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace ($924,317,558) |
| 4 | Shrek | Dreamworks (2001–2007)[15][16][17] Dreamworks Animation |
$2940647863 | 4 | $735161966 | Shrek 2 ($919,838,758) |
| 5 | The Lord of the Rings | New Line Cinema | $2,915,155,189 | 3 | $971,718,396 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King ($1,119,263,306) |
| 6 | Pirates of the Caribbean | Walt Disney Pictures | $2,681,440,232 | 3 | $893,813,411 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest ($1,066,200,651) |
| 7 | Batman | Warner Bros. (1989–present) PolyGram Filmed Entertainment (1989, 1992, 1995, 1997) Guber-Peters Company (1989) Patalex Productions (2005) Syncopy Films (2005–present) Legendary Pictures (2005–present) |
$2,588,156,775 | 7 | $369,736,682 | The Dark Knight ($1,001,842,429) |
| 8 | Spider-Man | Columbia Pictures | $2,496,346,518 | 3 | $831,906,025 | Spider-Man 3 ($890,449,338) |
| 9 | Indiana Jones | Paramount Pictures Lucasfilm |
$1,978,055,564 | 4 | $494,513,891 | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ($786,636,033) |
| 10 | Toy Story | Pixar Animation Studios Walt Disney Pictures |
$1948055888[nb 1] | 3 | $649351963 | Toy Story 3 ($1,063,084,173) |
| 11 | Ice Age | 20th Century Fox Blue Sky |
$1,919,941,044 | 3 | $639,980,348 | Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs ($884,784,626) |
| 12 | Jurassic Park | Universal Studios | $1,902,110,926 | 3 | $634,036,975 | Jurassic Park ($914,691,118) |
| 13 | The Twilight Saga | Summit Entertainment | $1797031725 | 3 | $599010575 | The Twilight Saga: New Moon ($709,711,008) |
| 14 | The Matrix | Warner Bros. | $1,623,967,842 | 3 | $541,322,614 | The Matrix Reloaded ($738,599,701) |
| 15 | Transformers | DreamWorks Paramount Pictures |
$1,546,007,008 | 2 | $773,003,504 | Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen ($836,297,228) |
| 16 | X-Men | 20th Century Fox | $1,536,473,200 | 4 | $384,118,300 | X-Men: The Last Stand ($459,359,555) |
| 17 | Star Trek | Paramount Pictures | $1,449,218,912 | 11 | $131,747,174 | Star Trek ($382,318,911) |
| 18 | The Mummy | Universal Studios | $1,415,408,499 | 4 | $353,852,125 | The Mummy Returns ($433,013,274) |
| 19 | Terminator | Hemdale Film Corporation (1984) Pacific Western Productions (1984) Carolco Pictures (1991) Internationale Medien und Film (2003) C2 Pictures (2003) The Halcyon Company (2009) |
$1,402,938,567 | 4 | $350,734,642 | Terminator 2: Judgment Day ($519,843,345) |
| 20 | Mission: Impossible | Paramount Pictures | $1,401,934,476 | 3 | $467,131,492 | Mission: Impossible II ($546,388,105) |
Timeline of highest-grossing films
This list includes those films which have held the record for highest grossing film, before inflation.[21] Years represent the point of establishing the box office record, not the year of release.
| Established | Title | # of years held | Worldwide Gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | The Birth of a Nation | 10 | $10,000,000 |
| 1925 | The Big Parade | ** | $18,000,000–$22,000,000 |
| 1939[22] | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | 2 | $184,925,486* |
| 1941[22] | Gone with the Wind | 26 | $400,176,459 |
| 1966 | The Sound of Music | 5 | $158,671,368* |
| 1971 | Gone with the Wind | 26 | $400,176,459 |
| 1972 | The Godfather | 3 | $245,066,411 |
| 1975 | Jaws | 2 | $470,653,000 |
| 1977 | Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope | 6 | $775,398,007 |
| 1983 | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial | 10 | $792,910,554 |
| 1993 | Jurassic Park | 5 | $914,691,118 |
| 1998[23] | Titanic | 12 | $1,843,201,268 |
| 2010[24][25] | Avatar | Current | $2,778,527,559 |
* Canada and U.S. gross only.
** It is unclear if The Big Parade remained in the top position until the record was assumed by Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It holds the record as the highest-grossing silent film,[12] but it is possible the Al Jolson musical, The Singing Fool, released in 1928, replaced it as the highest grossing film. Some sources state that The Singing Fool was the highest-grossing film until the record was taken by Snow White[22] while others state it was only the sound-era record-holder.[26]
Notes
References
- ^ "All Time Worldwide Box Office Grosses". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
- ^ Domestic Grosses: Adjusted for Ticket Price Inflation (1910 adjuster: $0.07, 2006 adjuster: $6.58.) Retrieved April 23, 2007.
- ^ a b Fallacy Files. Retrieved April 23, 2007.
- ^ Gray, Brandon. "'Avatar' Claims Highest Gross of All Time". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved February 3, 2010.
- ^ "How the motion picture industry miscalculates box office receipts Microsoft Word Document (.doc)". University of Southern Indiana. 2004. Retrieved December 14, 2008.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Bialik, Carl (2010-01-29). "How Hollywood Box-Office Records Are Made - The Numbers Guy - WSJ". Blogs.wsj.com. Retrieved 2010-03-16.
- ^ "The 20 Most Popular Movies of all Time". Retrieved December 14, 2008.
- ^ Haskell, Molly (2010-01-23). ""Avatar" vs. "Gone With the Wind": Reflections on James Cameron's Plantation in the Sky (Essay)". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2010-04-09.
- ^ "How the motion picture industry miscalculates box office receipts". Retrieved February 1, 2010.
- ^ "Yearly Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 24, 2008.
- ^ "WorldwideBoxoffice.com". WorldwideBoxoffice.com. Retrieved April 24, 2008.
- ^ a b May, Richard P. (Fall 2005), "Restoring The Big Parade", The Moving Image, 5 (2): 140–146, doi:10.1353/mov.2005.0033, ISSN 1532-3978
{{citation}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help)CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ "Movie Rocky – Box Office Data, News, Cast Information". The Numbers. Nash Information Services. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
- ^ "Franchise Index". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
- ^ a b c "Shrek (2001)". Baseline Studio Systems. The New York Times Company. 2008. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
- ^ a b c "Shrek 2 (2004)". Baseline Studio Systems. The New York Times Company. 2008. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
- ^ a b c "Shrek the Third (2007)". Baseline Studio Systems. The New York Times Company. 2008. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
- ^ "Shrek Forever After (2010)". Baseline Studio Systems. The New York Times Company. 2010. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
- ^ "Toy Story / Toy Story 2 (3D)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
- ^ "Toy Story 2 (3D)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
- ^ Dirks, T. "Top Films of All-Time: Part 1 – Box-Office Blockbusters". Filmsite.org. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
- ^ a b c Gabler, Neal (2007). Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination. New York: Random House. pp. 276–277. ISBN 0-679-75747-3.
- ^ "Titanic sinks competitors without a trace". BBC News. BBC. February 25, 1998. Retrieved August 13, 2010.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ Cieply, Michael (January 26, 2010). "He Doth Surpass Himself: 'Avatar' Outperforms 'Titanic'". The New York Times. Retrieved January 27, 2010.
- ^ Segers, Frank (January 25, 2010). ""'Avatar' breaks 'Titanic' worldwide record". The Hollywood Reporter. Nielsen Business Media. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
- ^ Bradley, Edwin M. (1996). The First Hollywood Musicals: A Critical Filmography of 171 Features, 1927 Through 1932. McFarland & Company. pp. 10–12.
- Worldwide highest-grossing films before inflation
- ^ "Avatar (2009)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 25, 2010.
- ^ "Titanic (1997)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 7, 2009.
- ^ "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 11, 2010.
- ^ "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest(2006)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 11, 2010.
- ^ "Toy Story 3 (2010)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
- ^ "Alice in Wonderland (2010)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved Aug 20, 2010.
- ^ "The Dark Knight (2008)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 25, 2009.
- ^ "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
- ^ "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
- ^ "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2793007)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
- ^ "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
- ^ "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
- ^ "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
- ^ "Shrek 2 (2002)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
- ^ "Jurassic Park (1993)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
- ^ "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 13, 2010.
- ^ "Spider-Man 3 (2007)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 13, 2010.
- ^ "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 13, 2010.
- ^ "Harry Potter and Chamber of Secrets (2002)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
- ^ "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
- ^ "Finding Nemo (2003)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
- ^ "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
- ^ "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 15, 2009.
- ^ "Inception (2010)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
- ^ "Spider-Man (2002)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
- ^ "Independence Day (1996)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
- ^ "Shrek the Third (2007)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
- ^ "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
- ^ "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
- ^ "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
- ^ "The Lion King (1994)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
- ^ "Spider-Man 2 (2004)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
- ^ "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 11, 2010.
- ^ "Star Wars (1977)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
- ^ "2012 (2009)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 3, 2010.
- ^ "The Da Vinci Code (2006)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
- ^ "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
- ^ "The Matrix Reloaded (2003)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
- ^ "Shrek Forever After (2010)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 14, 2010.
- ^ "Up (2009)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
- ^ "The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 25, 2010.
- ^ "Transformers (2007)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
- ^ "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 17, 2010.
- ^ "Forrest Gump (1994)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
- ^ "The Sixth Sense (1999)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 25, 2009.
- ^ "Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 20, 2009.
- ^ "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 3, 2009.
- ^ "Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
- ^ "Kung Fu Panda (2008)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 25, 2009.
- ^ "The Incredibles (2004)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 9, 2009.
Further reading
- Open Wide: How Hollywood Box Office Became a National Obsession. Miramax. September 22, 2004isbn=978-1401352004. p. 448.
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