25. Iron Man 3
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Not quite as good as Iron Man, but superior to Iron Man 2, the third Tony Stark-led feature crushed it worldwide. The final standalone film of the franchise, Iron Man 3 soared thanks to its exciting action sequences and even better wit. Robert Downey Jr. perfected the character of Iron Man by this point and gave the final piece to his trilogy a proper sendoff. Additionally, the film represented the beginning of Marvel’s Phase Two of films. While Iron Man 3 checks in at No. 25, it was once the fifth-highest-grossing film.
24. The Fate of the Furious
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While the franchise hasn’t felt the same since Paul Walker’s tragic death in 2013, there is no denying its staying power. The Rock entering the fold has likely added another decade’s worth of material to the franchise. Still, even without The Rock, Vin Diesel and company have hit all the right notes. Since The Fate of the Furious‘ release, three more films have debuted — F9, Fast X and Hobbs & Shaw — and three additional films have been announced. This series is an undeniable cash cow.
23. Incredibles 2
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After 14 long years, the Parr family returned to the big screen. Incredibles 2 reintroduced us to our favorite family of heroes: Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl, Violet, Dash, and Jack-Jack. This time around, the family is arrested after attempting to stop the Underminer. With heroism still illegal in their world, the Incredibles and Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) must attempt to stop a new villain (Screenslaver) all while avoiding legal trouble. Not only do the heroes want to save the world from a heinous villain, but they also want to regain their legal status in the process. Just like the original, Incredibles 2 is a joyous ride throughout.
22. Beauty and the Beast
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More than 25 years after Disney’s animated version of Beauty and the Beast, Emma Watson brought the magic back to the big screen. With the current trend of remaking classics being all the rage, Disney could have done a lot worse than to cast Watson for the role. Despite a vast majority of the viewing public being familiar with the film’s plot, people still flocked to the theaters. Because it had been 25 years since the animated version’s debut, a new generation of youngsters were likely exposed to the story for the first time — resulting in massive numbers at the box office.
21. Frozen
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“Let it go, let it go
Can’t hold it back anymore
Let it go, let it go
Turn away and slam the door
I don’t care what they’re going to say
Let the storm rage on
The cold never bothered me anyway.”
20. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
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Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, a Jeff Goldblum cameo and dinosaurs, what could go wrong? Unfortunately, the movie itself wasn’t great. It was entertaining and kept you on your toes, sure, but it was also a tad bit underwhelming. Regardless, the film made over $1.3 billion. The third film of the trilogy — Jurassic World: Dominion — released in 2022 but failed to reach the heights of its predecessors.
19. Star Wars: The Last Jedi
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A reluctant Luke helps Rey learn the way of the Jedi (and the Force), while Leia (the late Carrie Fisher) focuses on keeping the Resistance alive and away from Kylo Ren’s forces. For Rey, she quickly learns that Kylo may not be her biggest worry. An evil force lurks in the shadows and is even more daunting than Kylo. That threat goes by the name of Supreme Leader Snoke. Snoke wants Kylo to kill Rey and help further the power of the dark side. This penultimate Skywalker film will have you on the edge of your seat.
18. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
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Our favorite wizards — and even Voldemort — went out on a high note with Deathly Hallows — Part 2. A wonderfully constructed movie, the final Harry Potter film left fans clamoring for more. Much like Star Wars did for the past generation, Harry Potter defined a generation of kids from the 1990s to the early 2000s. One would hope they would leave this marvelous series as is, but it will undoubtedly be rebooted in the future.
17. Black Panther
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Black Panther was already a fan favorite upon its release in 2018. Following the tragic death of Chadwick Boseman, the film is even more special today. Boseman’s portrayal of T’Challa/Black Panther was mesmerizing and powerful in the moment, and even more so now. It is truly hard to quantify the impact Boseman had on people around the world.
It wasn’t only through his role as Black Panther, but also as a world-class human. As a film, Black Panther is one of the greatest superhero films of all-time. In addition to the late Boseman, Michael B. Jordan (Killmonger) and Lupita Nyong’o (Nakia) — among others — thrive in their roles. Wakanda Forever.
16. The Super Mario Bros. Movie
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This project was a collaboration between Illumination and Nintendo, and it aimed to bring the iconic characters from the Super Mario Bros. video game franchise to the big screen in a new animated adventure.
The film was produced by Chris Meledandri, the founder and CEO of Illumination, along with Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Super Mario and a key figure at Nintendo. The announcement generated significant excitement among fans, as it marked the return of the beloved Mario characters to theaters after the live-action Super Mario Bros. movie released in 1993. This hit featured numerous stars including Chris Pratt (Mario), Anya Taylor-Joy (Princess Peach), Jack Black (Bowser), and Charlie Day (Luigi).
15. Avengers: Age of Ultron
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Arguably the worst edition of the Avengers universe thus far, Age of Ultron still got the job done where it counts the most. Not a bad film by any means, Ultron managed to pull in $1.4 billion worldwide. For a film that lacked a clear plot and is inferior to most of the Marvel catalog, it still did rather well for itself. To be fair, maybe those in charge of creating the film were a bit burnt out by this point — Age of Ultron represented the 11th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
14. Barbie
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Barbie owned the box office. The film aimed to bring a contemporary and empowering perspective to the iconic Barbie character. The movie was intended to be a unique take on the Barbie franchise, moving away from the traditional portrayal of the character and exploring themes of identity and feminism. Margot Robbie, known for her roles in films like The Wolf of Wall Street and Birds of Prey, was stellar in the titular role. The film earned eight Oscar nominations — including a nomination for Ryan Gosling for his portrayal of Ken (Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role).
13. Frozen II
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Even if Frozen had been considered an average film, its popularity and catchy soundtrack would have likely guaranteed a sequel. A few years after audiences were introduced to Elsa’s world, Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven returned to the big screen for yet another fun adventure. This time around, the group was determined to find the origins of Elsa’s powers. Why? Because their kingdom’s fate depended on it. Fans are split on whether the sequel lived up to the original film, but the box office favored Frozen II — the film made nearly $200 million more than its predecessor.
12. Top Gun: Maverick
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Directed by Joseph Kosinski, this long-awaited sequel starred Tom Cruise reprising his role as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. Top Gun: Maverick continued the story of the original film, exploring Maverick’s role as a flight instructor and his interactions with a new generation of fighter pilots.
The cast also includes Miles Teller as Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, the son of Maverick’s late best friend Nick “Goose” Bradshaw from the first film. Other cast members include Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, and Ed Harris. The film featured advanced fighter jets and showcased the evolution of aerial combat since the events of the first Top Gun.
11. Furious 7
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Furious 7 was another solid addition to a Goliath of a franchise. Unfortunately, this was also the last film including the late star Paul Walker. Walker tragically passed away in a car accident while on break from filming Furious 7. The tribute at the end of the film was a beautiful way to close out the Paul Walker era. This edition of the iconic franchise was always going to do well at the box office, but there is little doubt that Walker’s tragic passing brought a few more people through the doors.
10. The Avengers
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Joss Whedon directed a gem. The Avengers delivered on every level and thoroughly entertained the masses. Whether you are a comic book fan, an action junkie or just appreciate a film with good character development and dialogue, there is a great chance you would find something to love in this hit. This film wasn’t the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first feature — but it unquestionably set the table for the MCU and catapulted franchises like Iron Man to an entirely new level.
9. The Lion King
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Directed by Jon Favreau, The Lion King represents yet another reimagined version of a Disney classic. A “live-action” remake, 2019’s The Lion King features a star-studded cast including Donald Glover (Simba), Beyonce (Nala), Seth Rogen (Pumbaa), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Scar), and James Earl Jones reprising his role as Mufasa. Like Beauty and the Beast two years prior, this remake helped introduce a new generation to an iconic story — albeit in a new, and arguably detrimental, style.
8. Jurassic World
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14 years removed from the tragedy known as Jurassic Park III, the park reopened. Jurassic World introduced us to Owen Grady, Claire Dearing and Blue — a most lovable raptor. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard’s on-screen chemistry helps the film succeed and instantly makes you care for the story. Jurassic World successfully rebooted the dormant franchise. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom arrived in 2018, and Jurassic World: Dominion completed the trilogy in 2022.
7. Spider-Man: No Way Home
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No Way Home made a lot of fans happy. The film was notable for its multiverse concept, bringing together characters from previous Spider-Man film franchises, including Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield as their respective Spider-Men. Additionally, fans were delighted to see the return of Willem Dafoe as the Green Goblin and Alfred Molina as Doctor Octopus. Could we see some more returns in the future?
6. Avengers: Infinity War
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The precursor to the beloved Avengers: Endgame, Infinity War set the bar awfully high. While the film features some lighthearted moments, things quickly take a turn for the worse when Thanos enters the picture. Endgame — as we will talk about shortly — had no problem surpassing its predecessor. As soon as Infinity War’s final scene came to an end, fans of the MCU were salivating at the potential of Endgame. Thankfully, the MCU delivered…
5. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
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10 years after Revenge of the Sith closed out George Lucas’ prequel trilogy, Episode VII – The Force Awakens arrived to kick off the final three parts of the Skywalker saga. Directed by J.J. Abrams, the film stars Daisy Ridley as Rey — a scavenger from the planet Jakku who hopes to figure out the truth about Luke Skywalker. Old pals Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca reunite with the iconic Millennium Falcon. 30 years removed from Darth Vader’s demise, Kylo Ren and the First Order have risen to power. Their goal involves finding Skywalker and eliminating the last Jedi.
4. Titanic
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Perhaps the greatest in-theater experience of all-time? I wouldn’t argue. Titanic is legendary. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet? Utterly fantastic in their roles as Jack and Rose. Undoubtedly a movie that will hold the test of time — and probably be remade at least once — Titanic has a permanent place in history. The only movie inside the top-20 to come out before 2000, James Cameron’s masterpiece speaks for itself.
3. Avatar: The Way of Water
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2022 was capped off with a return to Pandora. 13 years after Avatar changed the way the world saw film, director James Cameron finally delivered its sequel — Avatar: The Way of Water. The film is set in the same universe as the original and follows the story of Jake Sully — a paraplegic former Marine who becomes part of the Avatar Program. Key to both films, the program allows him (and others) to control a genetically engineered body in the form of an Avatar.
In The Way of Water, Sully and his family are forced to confront the challenges posed by the human desire to mine Pandora’s natural resources, as well as the conflicts between the human military and the native Pandora inhabitants, the Na’vi. The film explores the concept of family and the relationships between the different characters and introduces us to a new world within Pandora.
2. Avengers: Endgame
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How will the Avengers recover from Thanos’ destruction in Avengers: Infinity War? That was the question everybody was asking in advance of Endgame. With one snap of his fingers, Thanos had wiped out half of the world’s population — and disintegrated more than a few Avengers. This film is all about dealing with the aftermath of Thanos’ actions.
What can the Avengers possibly do — if anything — to save the world and reverse Thanos’ destruction? The conclusion to “The Infinity Saga” was equal parts exciting and emotional. Infinity War was a triumph at the box office, and Endgame put it to shame by raking in more than $700 million more.
1. Avatar
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Director of three of the four highest-grossing movies of all-time, it is clear that James Cameron knows what he is doing. Avatar swept the world off its feet when it debuted in 2009. Despite having a rather generic plot — some would say a play on Pocahontas — the beautiful visuals were enough to keep the people coming. With three more Avatar films yet to come — 2025, 2029, and 2031 — Cameron must be chomping at the bit to see if he can be the first to break $3 billion.