Update:?Frozen II?enters the $1 billion club, becoming one of the biggest animated films of all time.?

2019 may not have been the biggest year ever at the box office, but it had a number of massive films that entered the top 50 highest-grossing movies of all time – including one that took out the number 1 slot. This year,?Avengers: Endgame?officially became the number 1 movie of all time, globally, when Disney and Marvel Studios re-released the film with a tiny amount of fan-baiting new footage (it was a gamble that paid off, as it was looking like the movie might not be able to catch previous number 1,?Avatar,?despite a record-shattering opening weekend box office). Meanwhile, the Mouse House’s live-action remake of?The Lion King?– or “computer-animated remake,” depending on which side of the argument you’re sitting on – entered the top 10 highest-grossing films of all time at number 7.

Simba’s kingly box office performance means that Disney now occupies six of the?10 top box office rankings worldwide.?Meanwhile, this year Sony released its highest-grossing film to date,?Spider-Man: Far From Home, which entered the top 25, and?Toy Story 4?and?Captain Marvel?gave Disney even more reason to celebrate as they entered the top 50. And the year’s not over, yet:?Jumanji: The Next Leveland?Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker?are both tearing up the box office, and the latter will likely soon join this list.

Perhaps the year’s biggest box office surprise?of 2019 – and maybe even its biggest box office story – was the phenomenal success of Warner Bros.’ R-rated?Joker, the standalone DC film starring Joaquin Phoenix that is currently at number 34 on this list, having surpassedAladdin,?The DarkKnight,?Jurassic Park,?The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and?Rogue One.?The movie also becomes one of the most recent of 45 movies to cross the $1 billion mark worldwide, along withFrozen II, which many expected would be big – but not as big as it’s proving to be.?Frozen II?is currently at number 19 on the list and could catch the original movie, which is at number 15.

For the list below, we’ve included global box office performance, as well as domestic, and release date. We included dollars earned in re-releases, and in each of our descriptions, we look at where the film stood record-wise at the time of its run, and dive into things like critical and audience reception.?We’ll be here to track the progress of new blockbusters and regularly update this list of top box office performers. So keep your eyes here, and check in with our.??weekly weekend box office wraps

1. $2.798 Billion?

The journey that began in 2008 withIron Man?was coming to an end – at least for some of the characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Audiences that had been holding their breath for an entire year after perhaps the biggest cliffhanger since??could not wait to buy their tickets?– and did they everbuy those tickets?when they finally could. Opening weekend forAvengers: Endgamein April 2019?surpassedInfinity War’s year-long record by nearly $100 million. In just eight days, the film had grossed a half-billion domestically. On day 10 it was over $621 million. One by one the records?fell, leading many to ignore the words “if” and “can” and focus instead on “when”’s previous record ($2.787 billion) as the highest-grossing movie would fall. ButEndgame?began to show signs early in its run that its impressive sprinting start might not be enough for it to ultimately come out ahead of James Cameron’s epic; it only had the second-biggest second weekend ever and the fourth-best third weekend. In the era of the modern blockbuster, even a record-breaker can be front-loaded and only spend three weeks atop the charts. It really all came down to a final dash near the finish line. After just six weeks of release,?Endgame?was?about?$73 million away from dethroning?Avatar –substantial ground to make up. But then Marvel and Disney re-released the film on June 28 with new goodies over its end credits. And then, over the weekend of July 19, 2019 – its 13th week of release – when another Disney release would begin its run for the top 10 all-time earners (hello,Lion King),?Endgame?squeaked ahead. It may not have been able to?catchfor the all-time domestic leader, but by the time summer was over, it would pull in front ofAvatarand become the king of the world (sorry, James).Empire Strikes BackAvatarThe Force Awakens

2. $2.790 Billion?

The world had to wait some 12 years for James Cameron to follow up the biggest film of all-time with what would becomethe new biggest film of all time. Nobody believed he was going to surpass’s numbers with this tale of an alien planet and the paraplegic Marine who teams up with its inhabitants in the battle for Unobtanium. But he did. At the peak of a 3-D reemergence, aided by the filmmaker’s usual technological gamesmanship (and higher ticket prices),Avatar‘s?seven straight weekends at number 1 led to over $595 million at the North American box office. Then, two days later on Feb. 2, 2010, its 47th day of release,?the movie became the highest domestic earner ever.Avatarheld that record for five years and eleven months and?went on to become the only film ever to earn $2 billion outside of the U.S. and Canada, making it the world’s highest grosser at the time.?It held onto its impressive global?record for nearly 10 years. UntilAvengers: Endgame.Titanic

3. $2.188 Billion?

James Cameron makes expensive movies.,, andwere all the most expensive movies of their time upon release. In 1997, Cameron?blew out the budget again and this time there was worry he may have gone too far. Though delayed from July until December,?Titanicnevertheless became a global phenomenon the likes of which the box office had never seen at the time. After 15 straight weeks at number 1, 14 Oscar nominations and 11 statuettes,Titanic, its stars and its song were ingrained in the hearts and tear ducts of the world, and the movie would hold the all-time box office record for 12 years – until Cameron would eclipse himself once again withAvatar.The AbyssTerminator 2True Lies

4. $2.068 Billion?

Twelve years after the completion of theStar Wars?prequel trilogy, J.J. Abrams was tasked with making?Episode VII –a monumental undertaking, and a risky one. Were people still?interested after the prequels? Were they burnt out? The approach was to mix the old and the new, and it worked.?Abrams gave a?brand-new cast of characters the?chance to interact with the original trio of Luke, Han, and Leia, and generations of fans were so ready for the adventure that?they?gave?the film the highest opening weekend in history ($247.9 million). In just under three weeks,The Force Awakensbecame the all-time domestic champion, passingAvatarand joining the $2 billion club?within?54 days. It still remains the highest-grossing domestic release of all time.

5. $2.048 Billion?

Just shy of 10 years since it began, the Marvel Cinematic Universe gathered nearly every one of its characters for a galaxy-wide showdown with?the series’ Big Bad,?Thanos.?The movie featured?one of the gutsiest cliffhangers in any franchise’s history, leaving audiences to wait in shock for an entire year to discover how Phase 3 of the epic series would end. The film bestedThe Force Awakens’ three-day opening weekend record with $257.6 million, and hit the $2 billion mark in 48 days. Domestically, it would ultimately come up just short of?, which was?released two?months prior.Black Panther

Check out the latestWeekend Box Office Results6. $1.672 Billion?

Twenty-two years after Steven Spielberg’s?became thefor a new generation, it was time for that generation’s kids to have their own version of dinosaur mayhem. The second-best–reviewed film in theJurassic?series?(72% on the Tomatometer vs. the original’s 91%),Jurassic World?trampled a competitive summer full of Avengers,, and inner feelings, and became just the third film sinceTitanicin 1998 to pass $600 million in domestic box office.Jurassic ParkJawsMinions

7. $1.655 Billion?

Having found success with?its?live-action re-imaginings of??and?, Disney tripled down in 2019 with three “new” remakes.??was a bit of a bust,??was a success, but?The Lion King?truly?roared. That made sense given that the 1994 original, at the time, was one of the studio’s most successful films in the middle of?its?rebirth, and director Jon Favreau’s CGI-fueled version traced it for a new generation. The result is the highest-grossing domestic release to receive a Rotten score on the Tomatometer, at 53%. But its $191 million opening was the eighth highest of all time and it became the 14th film to pass a half-billion domestically and just the ninth film to rack up $1 billion overseas.The Jungle BookBeauty and the BeastDumboAladdin

8. $1.519 Billion?

Want proof that Avengers work best together? Consider that the first combined outing for Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America bested the $1.4 billion that their origin stories had made combined. Five films into the MCU?(including Edward Norton’sThe Incredible Hulk), the team was finally assembled for a singular battle against Loki and his inherited army. Joss Whedon’s?movie became the first ever to make over $200 million in a single weekend and was Marvel’s first entry into the?Billion Dollar Club, which?had just 12 members at the time.

9. $1.516 Billion?

What started out as aderivative – with cars! – became one of the unlikeliest mega franchises ever. Vin Diesel’s return in the series’ fourth film is what really got the?Fast and Furious?franchise engines revving, and Dwayne Johnson’s addition in the fifth film added some humor and helped get the critics on board. But it was the full embrace of the series’ now-signature bombast, as well as the untimely death of Paul Walker, that brought the combo of curiosity and tribute that helped make James Wan’s?Furious 7?the franchise’s most successful entry. It hit with audiences –?the opening weekend haul of?$147 million was almost $50 million more than any previous entry – as well as with critics (it’s the highest-rated movie in the series at 81% on the Tomatameter).Point Break

10. $1.405 Billion?

If any film in the top 10 could be considered both a success and a disappointment it would be Joss Whedon’sAvengerssequel. Coming up shy of the first film’s record-breaking opening weekend – note that it wasstill?the second-best opening of all time when it was released – the movie never matched its predecessor in?dollars or affection. With a 75% Tomatometer rating, it doesn’t even rank among the top 10 Tomatometer scores of the MCU – though we think there’s a case to be made for– and it lost the summer of 2015 to the dinosaurs ofJurassic World. Still, it was just the 16th film ever to cross the $400 million line domestically in its initial run.reassessing its virtues

11. $1.347 Billion?

After an introduction in, T’Challa got his own film in February of 2019. Audiences were hungry for?representation on screen?and looking for a thrilling re-introduction to the character, and in Ryan Coogler’s action-packed, beautiful-looking epic, they got both. The movie became the fifth film in history to have a $200 million opening weekend, and just the third film ever to gross over $700 million in North America, outlasting eventhat summer. Why isn’t it evenhigher?in the list? Because it remains the only post-Avengersfilm in the MCU to make less money internationally than domestically.Captain America: Civil WarAvengers: Infinity War

12. $1.342 Billion?

Fans of J.K. Rowling’s fantasy series got to see its characters (and the actors who played them) grow up in front of their eyes. The culmination of the journey that began in 2001 also ushered in a new trend of splitting?final chapters in halves. The back half of thePotter?finale?set the new record for an opening weekend at the time with $169.1 million, and its $960 million international haul ranked only behindAvatarandTitanic. By the end of its run, the eightHarry Potter?had films grossed a combined $7.72 billion.

13. $1.333 Billion?

One of the more controversial entries in the StarWarsseries – don’t get?anyonestarted on the casino planet sequence! – Rian Johnson’s?The Last Jedi?took the standard dip that had afflicted other middle films in the franchise.The Empire Strikes Backmade 31.9% less than,?made 34.6% less than, andThe Last Jedifell 33.8% offThe Force Awakens. Still, Johnson’s film joinedEpisodes IV,V, andVIIin the 90%+ realm on the Tomatometer and may end up being the ultimate bridge to the next generation ofStar Warsfans.A New HopeAttack of the ClonesThe Phantom Menace

14. $1.309 Billion?

J.A. Bayona’s follow-up to Colin Trevorrow’s continuation of Steven Spielberg’s series received the weakest Tomatometer score of the franchise to date (48%) and, following the path of many “second” entries in franchises (even if it’s technically the fifth), dropped 36% fromJurassic World?in overall domestic box office. But it was still good enough for 23rd all-time in North America and 13th in overseas dollars. It was also the second-highest-grossing domestic film of the 2018 summer season, behind the #17 film on this list.

15. $1.277 Billion?

The Oscar-winning song that has tortured parents for nearly a decade?was just part of what made?Frozenthe highest-grossing animated film in history. The story of two sisters searching for happily-ever-after with each other rather than the standard gentlemen suitors also won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature and bested 2012’sfor the highest international haul for an animated film ever ($875.7 million compared to $715.9 million), a record it holds to this day despite challenges from?MinionsandIncredibles?2. (If you consider?the new?Lion King?animated though, this is one?crown?the Arendelle princesses no longer wear.)Ice Age: Continental Drift

16. $1.264 Billion?

Speaking of Disney soundtracks, it was the 2017 live-action redo and not the Best Picture-nominated animated?Beauty and the Beast?from 1991 that really broke the bank and?remains in?the record books. Bill Condon’s version of the tale as old as 1991, starring Emma Watson, was not the first of Disney’s splashy re-imaginings,?but it certainly was the most successful at the time, becoming the seventh film to cross a half-billion in North America and the 16th to pass three-quarters of a billion overseas.

17. $1.243 Billion?

Brad Bird’sThe Incrediblesdebuted a full four years before the MCU began, a time when the Pixar brand was as close to a guarantee of success (and quality) as the industry had. Fourteen years later and deep into the superhero cinematic explosion, Bird’s sequel more than doubled the original’s box office and became the highest-grossing animated film ever at the domestic box office. It was the ninth film to cross the $600 million mark in North America and remains in the top 10 all-time earners domestically.

Check out the latest?Weekend Box Office Results18. $1.236 Billion?

A half-billion dollars was put into the production of the seventh and eighth chapters of this franchise and they made a combined $2.75 billion globally. F. Gary Gray’s film was a bit of a comedown from the highs of James Wan’s?Furious 7.It even fell behind the sixth?Furious?film domestically, but did incredibly well abroad: it was the sixth?film ever to make a cool billion outside the?U.S. and Canada alone. Though?still Fresh (67% on the Tomatometer), it was the lowest-scoredFast and Furious?movie?among critics since the fourth film.

19. $1.218 Billion?

When a film becomes not just a global phenomenon but the highest-grossing film in your canon of animated entertainment, a sequel is inevitable. While not quite as well-received as the first film critically (77% vs. 90% on the Tomatometer),?Frozen II?virtually demanded that parents bring their children for a second adventure. It began with the third-highest opening weekend for an animated film (after Pixar sequels?Incredibles 2?and?Finding Dory) — $130.26 million — and then became the highest-grossing film over the five-day Thanksgiving holiday, which was all the more impressive given it had opened the prior weekend. In its fourth weekend of release, it became Disney’s sixth billion-dollar film of 2019, pushing?Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle?out of the Top 50 on the same weekend that its sequel?The Next Level?opened. With $796 million outside of the U.S. it has amassed the third-highest international total ever to date for an animated release.

20. $1.215 Billion?

The first Marvel film released following the massive success of Joss Whedon’sThe Avengerswas also the most successful of the individualIron Manfilms. Robert Downey Jr.’sdirector, Shane Black, took over for Jon Favreau and put a twist on some comic-book lore in ways that still draws out disappointment from some fans. The general moviegoing public ate it up, though.Iron Man 3?was?just the 13th film to reach $400 million domestic in its initial run, and is the highest-grossing non-Avengers film in the MCU overseas with over $805 million. (And, if you are are keeping track, it is the 12th Disney property in the?top 20.)Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

21. $1.159 Billion?

After two successfulDespicable Me?films it was time to give Gru’s kooky supporting?yellow folk their own story. Smart move.?Minions?had the?largest opening for Illumination Entertainment ever, earning $115.7 million on its first weekend. Though it came up shy domestically of($336 million vs. $368 million) it can still boast the second-best overseas return for any animated film ($823.4 million), behind only Disney’sFrozen, and stands as the company’s biggest global success to date.Despicable Me 2

22. $1.153 Billion?

It was not officially anAvengersfilm, but?Civil Warmay as well have been. Thor and Hulk were AWOL, sure, but Spider-Man received his welcomed introduction into the MCU, as did?Black Panther.?The movie’s run kicked off with the fifth-highest opening in history, earning $179.1 million on opening weekend (that’s now the 11th-highest opening). Another $745 million internationally made this the fourth MCU film to reach $1 billion. Another fun fact: Anthony and Joe Russo are one of only two filmmakers/filmmaking pairs on this list to have three films in the?top 50

23. $1.148 Billion?

How could the DCEU get to $1 billion??Adding Batman into their Superman storyline couldn’t do it.’s solid domestic numbers were nearly matched internationally, but even those figures came up short ofSuicide Squad –and the goal.?It?would take?Aquamanto crack the?$1 billion mark for the DC Extended Universe. James Wan’s second billion-dollar film on the list may have had the second-smallest opening weekend of the Universe, but its prolonged success?through the holiday season and beyond – the movie?made nearly five-times its opening – was greater than any DC property since Tim Burton’sin 1989.Wonder WomanBatman

24. $1.132 Billion?

No wonder Disney and Sony made up: 2019’s?Spider-Man: Far From Home, which might have been the end of their association had they?,?is?Sony’s highest-grossing film of all time. Six of the studio’s eight highest-grossing films ever have involved Spider-Man (or Venom), but this was the first Sony flick to cross the $1 billion?line, and?the ninth film in the MCU to do it. (Spider-Man appeared in four of the MCU’s other members of the $1 Billion Club). It was also the fifth stand-alone Spider-Man film (live-action or animated) to register at 90% or higher on the Tomatometer – critics love their web-slinger.not moved past their impasse

25. $1.128 Billion?

After getting tag-teased at the end of?Infinity War, Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers made her?debut in the MCU as the universe’s first headlining female superhero in 2019’s?Captain Marvel. Outgrossing DC’s?Wonder Woman?around the world and at home, the breakthrough film was?embraced by critics?(though its Certified Fresh score of 78% ranks 18th out of?the MCU’s?23 films). The space epic was only one of two films in 2018-19 to spend 10 straight weeks in the?top 10 (the other being?Black Panther), and was the seventh MCU film to reach $1 billion at the box office globally.

26. $1.124 Billion?

The onlyTransformerssequel under the direction of Michael Bay to rank higher than 20% on the Tomatometer (a whopping 35%!) is not the series’ biggest domestic or international earner. But combined it remains the champion overall in worldwide gross (and bonus for the studio: it had one of the series’ lowest budgets). Only the finalHarry Potterchapter could beat it in the summer of 2011, when they were the only films to?pass $300 million domestic.

27. $1.120 Billion?

Peter Jackson’s (first) epic trilogy unfolded over three straight holiday seasons and its finale was rewarded in every fashion:?Return of the King?historically won all 11 Oscars that it was nominated for, including Best Picture and Best Director;?it was one of the best-reviewed films of the year (Certified Fresh at 93%);?and?it?became the fourth-highest domestic grosser of all time behind justTitanic,The Phantom Menace,and Sam Raimi’s firstSpider-Manfilm. It was no slacker overseas, either: WhenReturn?finished its run, onlyTitanichad a greater number outside of the U.S. and Canada.

28. $1.109 Billion?

The?franchise got a boost with Pierce Brosnan and an even larger one with Daniel Craig. But there was no bigger boost to?the long-running franchise than Craig’sSkyfall,?the first film to cross $300 million domestically and $1 billion globally.?A series that has existed for 50-plus years is going to get a little help from inflation –?,, andwould have been $300 million grossers today – but we’re not doing inflation here.Skyfall?was also a gold standard?for Bond beyond the box office: It stands amongst the series’?top five scores on the Tomatometer, Certified Fresh at 92%.James BondGoldfingerThunderballYou Only Live Twice

29. $1.104 Billion?

Theseries was beginning to show its age in North America in 2014, but around the world it was more popular than ever. Shia LaBeouf was replaced?with Mark Wahlberg as the franchise’s central hero, and the fourth film from Michael Bay approached a near three-hour running time at 165 minutes. But even as it dipped below $300 million for the first time at home, its $858 million international haul was still the?sixth-highest total?for any movie outside the U.S. and Canada at the time. (It is now 16th.) Bay’s fifth film of the franchise,,?fell 47% in overall domestic and nearly 45% internationally. At 18% on the Tomatometer,?Age of Extinctionhas the lowest Tomatometer score of the?top 50 biggest films at the worldwide box office.TransformersThe Last Knight

30. $1.085 Billion?

The conclusion of Christopher Nolan’sBatmantrilogy gave us Bane, Catwoman, and even a surprise along the way. By the end of that summer only four films had grossed more domestically in their initial runs than?The Dark Knight Rises:?Avatar,Titanic,The Dark Knight,?andMarvel’s The Avengers, which was the only film to eclipseRises?in all of 2012. When all was said and done, Nolan’s trilogy had grossed over $2.46 billion worldwide.

Check out the latest?Weekend Box Office Results31. $1.073 Billion?

When the fourth entry of Pixar’s signature series opened to “only” $120 million, many labeled it “a disappointment.”?Some had expected?Toy Story 4?to have the studio’s biggest opening ever, and the film was then written off – by some – as part of a string of failed sequels in the summer of 2019. Well, Woody and the gang proved them all wrong. The movie went on to outgross the third film by over $12 million domestically. Even if it came up a bit short internationally, it still became the fourth billion-dollar grosser in Pixar’s history and their third-highest–grossing film overall.

32. $1.067 Billion?

We all assumed it was the end for Woody, Buzz, and all their toy friends – that bittersweet?finish was just so perfect. The series would have gone out with a box-office bang, too. The first summer release for theToy Story?franchise?turned into the first $100 million opening weekend for Pixar as well as?the studio’s?first $400 domestic tally and first worldwide haul of $1 billion. For almost two years it was the second-highest–grossing domestic release in Disney’s history; by 2019 it was 16th.

33. $1.0662 Billion?

Everyone mocked the concept of Disney turning one of their classic rides into a feature-length film. Well, some $300 million and an Oscar nomination for Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow later, we were looking at a franchise with a modicum of respect. At least, for a little while. Critics went from disdain for the concept before the first film was released to disdain for its epic-length and earnestness in the space of just two films,?with the original movie’s score of 79% dropping to 53% on the Tomatometer for the sequel.?But audiences went the other direction, givingDead Man’s Chest?a 38.6% boost in domestic?earnings and an 84.2% boost internationally. It was Disney’s first $100-plus million opening ($135 million to be precise), and the studio has had 20 more since then. From 2006 untilToy Story 3was released in 2010,Dead Man’s Chest?was the highest-grossing domestic release in Disney’s history.

34. $1.063 billion

The director of?The Hangover?films wanted to make an origin story out of Batman’s most infamous nemesis. The project was met with skepticism, and then it began a run on the festival circuit. Venice awarded the film its?top prize in the Golden Lion; some?critics were hailing it a masterpiece. Though its Tomatometer score is among the lower scores in the Top 50 (69%), Todd Phillips’?Joker?had the highest-opening ever in the month of October (passing the previous years’?Venom) and ultimately became the?highest-grossing film ever released in that month in North America, surpassing Alfonso Cuaron’s?Gravity?domestically. The film has just taken over?Pirates of the Caribbean:?On Stranger Tides,?Jurassic Park,?Finding Dory,?The Phantom Menace,?Aladdin, and?Warner Bros’?The Dark Knight?on this list, and?also earns a place as one of its?most profitable films of all time.

35. $1.056 Billion?

A year after J.J. Abrams launched the record-breaking continuation of George Lucas’ Skywalker saga, audiences were given a go-between tale to help fill in the gaps that led to the destruction of the first Death Star.-like story was an instant favorite for some and an average side-trip for others. It became just the seventh film to clear a half-billion dollars in domestic box office. A nearly-equal international haul filled in the other half needed forRogue Oneto join the $1 Billion Club,?a goal that?came up more than $600 million short of.The Magnificent SevenSolo: A Star Wars Story

36. $1.051 Billion?

Aladdin?wasn’t always a sure bet:?A blue Will Smith was mocked in early reveals of his Genie character and Tim Burton’s live-action?Dumbo?proved to be a bust just two months beforeAladdin‘s release. But Guy Ritchie’s new version of the beloved 1992 animated film took advantage of other 2019 summer?under-performers like?,?,?and?,?gobbling them all up and staying in the top five at the box office for seven straight weeks. Its international haul was only $70 million less than 2017’s?Beauty and the Beast, and was even higher than several films above it on this list including?Black Panther,?Incredibles 2, and?numbers 29-32.Godzilla: King of the MonstersDark PhoenixMen In Black International

37. $1.046 Billion?

After Gore Verbinski’sPiratestrilogy grossed a combined $2.68 billion worldwide, Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer were not about to let the series sail into the sunset.?The third film’s bloated length of 168 mins was roundly criticized (its Tomatometer score is just 45%),?and this fourth film?fared even worse with reviewers (33%), but it did the job at the box office. Domestic audiences showed up for the revamped outing with Jack Sparrow, just not in the expected droves, and a mammoth international total ($804.6 million)?keptStranger Tides?in the record books.

38. $1.035 Billion?

Though the third film in theDespicable Me?franchise made just $13 million more than the original at the domestic box office, internationally theDespicable Mefilms had a 164% increase from the first film ($543.1 million) to the third ($1.035 billion). Released in 4,529 theaters, Gru’s third chapterdidmanage to have the largest launch in film history in North America untilAvengers: Endgamecame along. Four other films during the summer of 2019 also exceeded its one-time-record theater count.

39. $1.030 Billion?

Before James Cameron owned the top two spots in all-time domestic box office (for a period), it was Steven Spielberg who had pulled off that feat. His adaptation of Michael Crichton’s novel,?Jurassic Park, was a return to the revered popcorn blockbusters he made his name on and it replaced the previous year’s??as the top opener ever with $47 million and went on to gross over $357 million that summer.?That was just a couple million dollars shy?of his 1982 classic,?, but re-releases in 2-D and 3-D over the years have put the film over $400 million domestic and $1 billion worldwide.Batman ReturnsE.T.

40. $1.029 Billion?

Thirteen years afterbecame Pixar’s first $300 million domestic grosser and its biggest hit, the sequel focusing on Ellen Degeneres’ beloved memory-challenged sidekick reclaimed the throne, becoming again the animation house’s highest domestic grosser ever.?The movie bested?Toy Story 3by over $71 million at home – even if it came up a bit short of that film internationally – and showed Pixar’s sequel business was really starting to thrive.Finding Nemo

41. $1.027 Billion?

George Lucas returned to the director’s chair after?more than two decades?to give fans what they thought they wanted 16 years after the release ofReturn of the Jedi. Fans certainly turned over their money but many left with?a sense of disappointment that would help taint the prequel trilogy for decades to come.Phantom Menace?was the highest-grossing film domestically to earn a Rotten score?55% (until 2019’sThe Lion Kingcame along). The $431 million earned in its initial run was enough to make it second only toTitanicall-time in North America; it took re-releases to push it over $1 billion globally. In 1999, it was the first film to clear $100 million in five days, beating the previous record holder,?, which earned?$98.6 million in the same amount of time.The Lost World: Jurassic Park

42. $1.026 Billion?

Among the first five attempts Disney had made to bring its classic?cartoons to life by 2010, Tim Burton’sAlice In Wonderlandwas by far the most successful. Its $116.1 million start was the sixth-largest movie opening ever at the time and the second-highest for Disney behind the secondPiratesfilm. It was Burton’s seventh collaboration with Johnny Depp and the director has not had a film gross as much domestically in total asAlicemade in its first three days since – not even with his attempt to replicate the success withDumboin 2019, which grossed a total of $114.7 million. But back in 2010, onlyAvatar,Titanic, andThe Return of the King?had made more money outside of North America thanAlicedid.

43. $1.024 Billion?

To this day,?Zootopiaremains the second-highest–grossing animated Disney film not connected with Pixar. SinceFrozenspent 16 straight weeks in the top 10, only three films have come as close, with 13 straight weeks in that top 10:?Black Panther,, and yes,??Zootopia. Its $682 million overseas is the sixth-best ever for an animated film, the second-best for any Disney animated film, Pixar or otherwise. Also, it is just one of four films on this list to receive a Tomatometer score of 97%.La La Land

Check out the latest?Weekend Box Office Results44. $1.021 Billion?

Almost a decade after wrapping up his landmark?Lord of the Rings?trilogy, Peter Jackson returned to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien to give audiences the Bilbo Baggins tale. A planned two-parter turned into a full-blown trilogy and critics were feeling the bloat: While Jackson’s?Lord of the Ringsfilms all scored over 90% on the Tomatometer, theHobbitfilms never rose above 74%, with the first film right in the middle with 64%. Audiences were not tired just yet, though, even if this was the last of the Middle-earth series to hit $300 million domestic and $1 billion worldwide. On the glass-half-full side, Jackson’s first four Tolkien films grossed a combined $3.938 billion globally.

45. $1.005 Billion?

The untimely passing of Heath Ledger in January 2008 was a gut punch, but it made anticipation for what would become his iconic, Oscar-winning portrayal of Batman’s arch-nemesis, the Joker, even more feverish. It was the central piece of what is considered one of the greatest comic-book films ever made. The movie’s $158 million opening weekend broke the previous record-holder,, by?more than $7 million, andDark Knight?held the?record for nearly three years to the day until the finalHarry Potterchapter was released. The opening is still 17th all-time and the movie’s domestic total haul is the 12th-highest ever.Spider-Man 3

46. $975.1 Million?

Four years after the publication of J.K. Rowling’s firstHarry Potterbook, Chris Columbus brought it to the big screen and its legions of fans turned up in record numbers. A $90.2 million opening weekend crushed the previous title holder from four years earlier,The Lost World: Jurassic Park, by over $18 million.The Sorcerer’s Stone‘s?final domestic total ranked sixth all-time behind the initial runs ofTitanic,The Phantom Menace,E.T.,Jurassic Park, and. That total remained the highest of the series until?in 2011.Forrest GumpDeathly Hallows: Part 2

47. $970.8 Million?

Despicable Mewas a surprise hit in 2010,?announcing the arrival of Illumination Entertainment as a major player in the animation game.?So, after?the losses ofand the decent success of, the studio doubled down on their biggest?hit and struck gold. Another $325,000 and the film would be?its highest domestic grosser instead of, which, along withMinions, would followDespicable Me 2?with $100-plus million openings. By the end of that summer, the only animated film to have grossed more money worldwide wasToy Story 3. Also if you had guessed earlier that maybe Steven Spielberg or George Lucas were the other director/s – along with the Russo Bros. and their ilk – with a trifecta on this list, you would have been wrong, because the correct answer is Pierre Coffin, who directed (or co-directed) all threeDespicable Mefilms, as well asMinions.HopDr. Seuss’ The LoraxThe Secret Life of Pets

48. $968.5 Million?

For 25 years, this film has remained relevant in pop culture through an acclaimed?stage show, direct-to-video sequels, spinoffs, television series, and that mammoth re-imagination. The originalLion King?was the second-highest–grossing film of 1994 behindForrest Gump, which was – at the time – third only to?the initial runs ofE.T.andJurassic Parkat the all-time domestic box office. That madeThe Lion Kingthe fourth highest-grossing film ever (not counting re-releases) and the number 1 domestic animated release of all time, a title it held for nine years untilFinding Nemo.

49. $966.6 Million?

Neither Jon Favreau’snorfrom the MCU made the top 50, but his live-action/CGI re-imagining of Disney’s 1967 animated classic truly connected with audiences. Until the early summer releases ofInfinity WarandEndgamelaid waste to the record, Favreau’sThe Jungle Bookwas the highest-grossing domestic film ever released in April. It was also the 13th Disney film to open with a $100-plus million weekend and, until the 2017 version ofBeauty and the Beastwas released, it was the highest-grossing remake ever and among the 21 Disney films to gross over $600 million outside of North America.So. Many. Records.Favreau also is just one of three directors on this list, along with James Cameron and James Wan, as owners of multiple spots for films that do not exist in the same franchise or universe. (Although live-action remakes run pretty close.)Iron ManIron Man 2

50. $962.102 Million?

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was once described as “franchise viagra.” This is certainly the case with thefilms.did a bit more than its predecessor whiledid a bit less. But the greatest domestic success of his career was with the ensemble to this follow-up to Joe Johnston’s Robin Williams-helmed fantasy adventure 22 years earlier. Opening to $36.1 million, this sequel owns the second best multiple from first weekend to final tally (11.18x) behind onlyTitanic(20.97) on this list and is the highest-grossing domestic release in December not associated withStar Warsor James Cameron.Fast & FuriousJourney 2: The Mysterious IslandG.I. Joe: Retaliation

Like this? Subscribe to our newsletter and get more features, news, and guides in your inbox every week.

Thumbnail image courtesy Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Warner Bros.?