100 Top Grossing Movies Of All Time

Actor John Travolta followed up his successful role in “Saturday Night Fever” (1977) with another smash hit, “Grease,” in which he starred alongside Australian sensation Olivia Newton-John. The musical romance about a 1950s greaser and a goody-two-shoes outgrossed all movies in 1978, including “National Lampoon’s Animal House” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” Critics Consensus on Rotten Tomatoes says the film is a “pleasing, energetic musical with infectiously catchy songs,” and 87% of audiences enjoyed the movie.

Fourteen years passed between the original “The Incredibles” movie and this sequel about the family of superheroes. Fans were clearly eager to see it, as the follow-up grossed more than $617 million (in 2019 dollars) at the domestic box office. The first film grossed $393 million.

Director Christopher Nolan’s second Batman movie is the top-grossing Batman film ever. The gritty superhero flick is notable in part due to the performance of Heath Ledger as Joker. Ledger died soon after completing filming and posthumously received an Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role.

Disney’s magical classic was nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture. The enchanting story of a young woman who is held captive by a monster whose mission is to make her fall in love with him holds an approval score of 94% among critics and 92% among viewers.

“Jurassic Park,” about a dinosaur theme park that descends into chaos, was the highest grossing movie in 1993 at the domestic box office, bringing in nearly double the gross of its closest competitor, “The Fugitive.” In addition to the money grossed during its initial release, “Jurassic Park” made more than $45 million during a 2013 re-release.

The first, and as of right now, only Star Wars film from director Rian Johnson was a hit, outgrossing all but five Star Wars films after adjusting for inflation. The movie was well received by critics, earning a 90% Freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences, however, were less enthusiastic, giving it a 43% rating on the site.

Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather” is not only considered to be one of the greatest films of all time, but it is also one of the top grossing movies ever. The Best Picture-winner about a New York City crime family was the most financially successful movie of the year at the domestic box office and also grossed more than its two sequels combined.

“The Lion King” combined innovative animation techniques with an unforgettable soundtrack — that earned two Oscars — to create an animated Disney classic. The movie had a higher gross at the domestic box office in 1994 than any other film, and then had a successful IMAX release in 2002 and a 3D release in 2011.

“Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” has relatively poor reviews online, winning over 53% of critics and 59% of audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Moviegoers were undoubtedly eager for a new Star Wars film, however, having waited 16 years since the release of “Return of the Jedi.” “The Phantom Menace” spent its first four weekends at No. 1 at the domestic box office.

“The Avengers” — the sixth entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — was the top grossing movie of 2012, taking in $175 million more than the second highest grossing movie that year, “The Dark Knight Rises.” The superhero flick has a 92% approval rating from critics and 91% score from audience members on Rotten Tomatoes.