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Highest Grossing Movie Every Year of the Sound Era

Highest Grossing Movie Every Year of the Sound Era

When filmmakers set out to craft a movie, many probably have two main goals — win awards and turn a profit. Reaching the top of the box office charts to become the highest grossing film at the end of the year is a huge accomplishment.

24/7 Tempo reviewed data on worldwide box office from film industry site The Numbers to determine the highest grossing movie every year since 1927. This was the year in which the first feature-length movie with synchronized dialogue, often referred to as “talkies,” was released. Before 1927, most of the movies were silent, and data box office performance was not available.   

In 2019 — 2020 was canceled, remember? — global movie ticket sales amounted to $42.5 billion. The best performing movie at the box office that year accounted for just 5.3% of that amount. Sometimes, the top grossing movie in a given year accounts for as little as 3.1% of the global gross, and sometimes it accounts for more than 60%. This is possible because a film’s gross is based on total lifetime worldwide box office sales.

Romances, musicals, dramas, and comedies are equally represented in the mix of the top grossing movie each year, although action and adventure films — including superhero movies — dominate the box office in recent years. Also represented are a number of animated children’s films — many from Disney. Here are the biggest Disney box office hits of all time.

To determine the highest grossing movie every year since 1927, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on worldwide box office from film industry site The Numbers. Movies are ranked based on total lifetime worldwide box office sales. 

For classic films that have had multiple wide re-releases in the years following their initial premiere — “Gone With the Wind,” “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” and “Titanic,” for example — only the domestic box office totals for the first year of their release are listed. 

Data on average ticket price used to calculate inflation-adjusted box office figures came from the National Association of Theatre Owners and were imputed for some years using the consumer price index for all urban consumers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Data on IMDb audience score, Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score, and Rotten Tomatoes audience score were collected in October 2021.

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

1927: The Jazz Singer
> Worldwide box office in 1927: $3.0 million (adjusted for inflation: $105.6 million)
> Starring: Al Jolson, May McAvoy, Warner Oland
> Average ticket price in 1927: $0.26
> Current IMDb score: 6.5/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 78%
> Current RT audience score: 56%

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

1928: The Singing Fool
> Worldwide box office in 1928: $10.0 million (adjusted for inflation: $358.0 million)
> Starring: Al Jolson, Betty Bronson, Josephine Dunn
> Average ticket price in 1928: $0.26
> Current IMDb score: 6.3/10
> Current Tomatometer score: N/A
> Current RT audience score: 60%

Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

1929: The Broadway Melody
> Worldwide box office in 1929: $4.3 million (adjusted for inflation: $156.0 million)
> Starring: Bessie Love, Anita Page, Charles King
> Average ticket price in 1929: $0.26
> Current IMDb score: 5.7/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 33%
> Current RT audience score: 21%

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1930: Tom Sawyer
> Worldwide box office in 1930: $11.0 million (adjusted for inflation: $403.2 million)
> Starring: Jackie Coogan, Junior Durkin, Mitzi Green
> Average ticket price in 1930: $0.25
> Current IMDb score: 6.4/10
> Current Tomatometer score: N/A
> Current RT audience score: N/A

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

1931: Frankenstein
> Worldwide box office in 1931: $12.0 million (adjusted for inflation: $483.0 million)
> Starring: Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, Boris Karloff
> Average ticket price in 1931: $0.23
> Current IMDb score: 7.8/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 100%
> Current RT audience score: 87%

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

1932: The Old Dark House
> Worldwide box office in 1932: $9000.0 (adjusted for inflation: $403000.0 )
> Starring: Lilian Bond, Boris Karloff, Melvyn Douglas
> Average ticket price in 1932: $0.20
> Current IMDb score: 7.1/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 96%
> Current RT audience score: 71%

Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures

1933: King Kong
> Worldwide box office in 1933: $10.0 million (adjusted for inflation: $473.7 million)
> Starring: Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot
> Average ticket price in 1933: $0.19
> Current IMDb score: 7.9/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 98%
> Current RT audience score: 86%

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

1934: It Happened One Night
> Worldwide box office in 1934: $2.5 million (adjusted for inflation: $114.0 million)
> Starring: Jameson Thomas, Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert
> Average ticket price in 1934: $0.20
> Current IMDb score: 8.1/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 99%
> Current RT audience score: 93%

Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures

1935: Top Hat
> Worldwide box office in 1935: $3.2 million (adjusted for inflation: $142.8 million)
> Starring: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edward Everett Horton
> Average ticket price in 1935: $0.21
> Current IMDb score: 7.8/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 100%
> Current RT audience score: 90%

Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

1936: How to Become a Detective
> Worldwide box office in 1936: $6.0 million (adjusted for inflation: $265.8 million)
> Starring: Robert Benchley, Arthur Hoyt, Dewey Robinson
> Average ticket price in 1936: $0.21
> Current IMDb score: 5.5/10
> Current Tomatometer score: N/A
> Current RT audience score: N/A

Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures

1937: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
> Worldwide box office in 1937: $14.4 million (adjusted for inflation: $615.8 million)
> Starring: Adriana Caselotti, Harry Stockwell, Lucille La Verne
> Average ticket price in 1937: $0.21
> Current IMDb score: 7.6/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 98%
> Current RT audience score: 78%

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

1938: You Can’t Take It With You
> Worldwide box office in 1938: $4.0 million (adjusted for inflation: $173.5 million)
> Starring: Jean Arthur, James Stewart, Lionel Barrymore
> Average ticket price in 1938: $0.21
> Current IMDb score: 7.9/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 93%
> Current RT audience score: 88%

Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

1939: Gone with the Wind
> Worldwide box office in 1939: $2.5 million (adjusted for inflation: $108.7 million)
> Starring: Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Thomas Mitchell
> Average ticket price in 1939: $0.21
> Current IMDb score: 8.1/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 90%
> Current RT audience score: 92%

Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures

1940: Pinocchio
> Worldwide box office in 1940: $52.0 million (adjusted for inflation: $2.3 billion)
> Starring: Dickie Jones, Christian Rub, Mel Blanc
> Average ticket price in 1940: $0.21
> Current IMDb score: 7.4/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 100%
> Current RT audience score: 73%

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

1941: Sergeant York
> Worldwide box office in 1941: $16.4 million (adjusted for inflation: $682.3 million)
> Starring: Gary Cooper, Walter Brennan, Joan Leslie
> Average ticket price in 1941: $0.22
> Current IMDb score: 7.7/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 88%
> Current RT audience score: 86%

Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures

1942: Bambi
> Worldwide box office in 1942: $77.8 million (adjusted for inflation: $2.9 billion)
> Starring: Hardie Albright, Stan Alexander, Bobette Audrey
> Average ticket price in 1942: $0.24
> Current IMDb score: 7.3/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 90%
> Current RT audience score: 73%

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

1943: This is the Army
> Worldwide box office in 1943: $19.5 million (adjusted for inflation: $690.1 million)
> Starring: George Murphy, Joan Leslie, George Tobias
> Average ticket price in 1943: $0.26
> Current IMDb score: 5.8/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 0%
> Current RT audience score: 50%

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1944: Going My Way
> Worldwide box office in 1944: $16.3 million (adjusted for inflation: $567.1 million)
> Starring: Bing Crosby, Barry Fitzgerald, Frank McHugh
> Average ticket price in 1944: $0.26
> Current IMDb score: 7.1/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 81%
> Current RT audience score: 74%

Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures

1945: The Bells of St. Mary’s
> Worldwide box office in 1945: $21.3 million (adjusted for inflation: $724.6 million)
> Starring: Bing Crosby, Ingrid Bergman, Henry Travers
> Average ticket price in 1945: $0.27
> Current IMDb score: 7.3/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 85%
> Current RT audience score: 77%

Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures

1946: Song of the South
> Worldwide box office in 1946: $49.5 million (adjusted for inflation: $1.6 billion)
> Starring: Ruth Warrick, Bobby Driscoll, James Baskett
> Average ticket price in 1946: $0.29
> Current IMDb score: 7.1/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 50%
> Current RT audience score: 72%

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

1947: Miracle on 34th Street
> Worldwide box office in 1947: $46.3 million (adjusted for inflation: $1.3 billion)
> Starring: Edmund Gwenn, Maureen O’Hara, John Payne
> Average ticket price in 1947: $0.33
> Current IMDb score: 7.9/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 96%
> Current RT audience score: 87%

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

1948: The Snake Pit
> Worldwide box office in 1948: $10.0 million (adjusted for inflation: $254.4 million)
> Starring: Olivia de Havilland, Mark Stevens, Leo Genn
> Average ticket price in 1948: $0.36
> Current IMDb score: 7.6/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 100%
> Current RT audience score: 83%

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1949: Samson and Delilah
> Worldwide box office in 1949: $28.8 million (adjusted for inflation: $604.0 million)
> Starring: Hedy Lamarr, Victor Mature, George Sanders
> Average ticket price in 1949: $0.44
> Current IMDb score: 6.8/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 63%
> Current RT audience score: 59%

Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures

1950: Cinderella
> Worldwide box office in 1950: $263.6 million (adjusted for inflation: $5.5 billion)
> Starring: Ilene Woods, James MacDonald, Eleanor Audley
> Average ticket price in 1950: $0.44
> Current IMDb score: 7.3/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 97%
> Current RT audience score: 80%

Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

1951: Quo Vadis?
> Worldwide box office in 1951: $30.0 million (adjusted for inflation: $578.6 million)
> Starring: Robert Taylor, Deborah Kerr, Leo Genn
> Average ticket price in 1951: $0.48
> Current IMDb score: 7.2/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 88%
> Current RT audience score: 73%

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1952: The Greatest Show on Earth
> Worldwide box office in 1952: $36.0 million (adjusted for inflation: $678.0 million)
> Starring: James Stewart, Charlton Heston, Betty Hutton
> Average ticket price in 1952: $0.49
> Current IMDb score: 6.6/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 48%
> Current RT audience score: 54%

Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures

1953: Peter Pan
> Worldwide box office in 1953: $60.1 million (adjusted for inflation: $1.1 billion)
> Starring: Bobby Driscoll, Kathryn Beaumont, Hans Conried
> Average ticket price in 1953: $0.49
> Current IMDb score: 7.3/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 78%
> Current RT audience score: 80%

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1954: White Christmas
> Worldwide box office in 1954: $30.0 million (adjusted for inflation: $560.8 million)
> Starring: Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney
> Average ticket price in 1954: $0.49
> Current IMDb score: 7.6/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 77%
> Current RT audience score: 88%

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Film Distribution Company

1955: Lady and the Tramp
> Worldwide box office in 1955: $66.4 million (adjusted for inflation: $967.5 million)
> Starring: Barbara Luddy, Larry Roberts, Peggy Lee
> Average ticket price in 1955: $0.63
> Current IMDb score: 7.3/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 93%
> Current RT audience score: 80%

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1956: The Ten Commandments
> Worldwide box office in 1956: $85.4 million (adjusted for inflation: $1.2 billion)
> Starring: Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Anne Baxter
> Average ticket price in 1956: $0.64
> Current IMDb score: 7.9/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 88%
> Current RT audience score: 87%

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

1957: The Bridge on the River Kwai
> Worldwide box office in 1957: $33.3 million (adjusted for inflation: $461.3 million)
> Starring: William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins
> Average ticket price in 1957: $0.66
> Current IMDb score: 8.1/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 95%
> Current RT audience score: 93%

Source: Courtesy of Magna Theatre Corporation

1958: South Pacific
> Worldwide box office in 1958: $36.8 million (adjusted for inflation: $496.0 million)
> Starring: Rossano Brazzi, Mitzi Gaynor, John Kerr
> Average ticket price in 1958: $0.68
> Current IMDb score: 6.8/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 82%
> Current RT audience score: 69%

Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

1959: Ben-Hur
> Worldwide box office in 1959: $73.3 million (adjusted for inflation: $820.2 million)
> Starring: Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd
> Average ticket price in 1959: $0.82
> Current IMDb score: 8.1/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 86%
> Current RT audience score: 89%

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

1960: Spartacus
> Worldwide box office in 1960: $60.0 million (adjusted for inflation: $660.5 million)
> Starring: Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons
> Average ticket price in 1960: $0.83
> Current IMDb score: 7.9/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 93%
> Current RT audience score: 87%

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

1961: 101 Dalmatians
> Worldwide box office in 1961: $153.3 million (adjusted for inflation: $1.7 billion)
> Starring: Rod Taylor, Betty Lou Gerson, J. Pat O’Malley
> Average ticket price in 1961: $0.84
> Current IMDb score: 7.3/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 98%
> Current RT audience score: 76%

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

1962: Lawrence of Arabia
> Worldwide box office in 1962: $70.0 million (adjusted for inflation: $755.3 million)
> Starring: Peter O’Toole, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn
> Average ticket price in 1962: $0.85
> Current IMDb score: 8.3/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 93%
> Current RT audience score: 93%

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

1963: Cleopatra
> Worldwide box office in 1963: $71.0 million (adjusted for inflation: $756.2 million)
> Starring: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Rex Harrison
> Average ticket price in 1963: $0.86
> Current IMDb score: 7.0/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 62%
> Current RT audience score: 69%

Source: Courtesy of United Artists

1964: Goldfinger
> Worldwide box office in 1964: $124.9 million (adjusted for inflation: $937.8 million)
> Starring: Sean Connery, Gert Fröbe, Honor Blackman
> Average ticket price in 1964: $1.22
> Current IMDb score: 7.7/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 99%
> Current RT audience score: 89%

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

1965: The Sound of Music
> Worldwide box office in 1965: $268.2 million (adjusted for inflation: $2.2 billion)
> Starring: Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Eleanor Parker
> Average ticket price in 1965: $1.22
> Current IMDb score: 8.0/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 83%
> Current RT audience score: 91%

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

1966: The Bible
> Worldwide box office in 1966: $34.9 million (adjusted for inflation: $262.0 million)
> Starring: Michael Parks, Ulla Bergryd, Richard Harris
> Average ticket price in 1966: $1.22
> Current IMDb score: 6.3/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 0%
> Current RT audience score: 55%

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Distribution Company

1967: The Jungle Book
> Worldwide box office in 1967: $98.4 million (adjusted for inflation: $738.5 million)
> Starring: Phil Harris, Sebastian Cabot, Louis Prima
> Average ticket price in 1967: $1.22
> Current IMDb score: 7.6/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 88%
> Current RT audience score: 82%

Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

1968: 2001: A Space Odyssey
> Worldwide box office in 1968: $56.7 million (adjusted for inflation: $385.7 million)
> Starring: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester
> Average ticket price in 1968: $1.35
> Current IMDb score: 8.3/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 92%
> Current RT audience score: 89%

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

1969: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
> Worldwide box office in 1969: $102.3 million (adjusted for inflation: $660.0 million)
> Starring: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katharine Ross
> Average ticket price in 1969: $1.42
> Current IMDb score: 8.0/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 89%
> Current RT audience score: 92%

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1970: Love Story
> Worldwide box office in 1970: $136.4 million (adjusted for inflation: $757.2 million)
> Starring: Ali MacGraw, Ryan O’Neal, John Marley
> Average ticket price in 1970: $1.65
> Current IMDb score: 6.9/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 68%
> Current RT audience score: 75%

Source: Courtesy of United Artists

1971: Diamonds Are Forever
> Worldwide box office in 1971: $116.0 million (adjusted for inflation: $644.0 million)
> Starring: Sean Connery, Jill St. John, Charles Gray
> Average ticket price in 1971: $1.65
> Current IMDb score: 6.6/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 63%
> Current RT audience score: 58%

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1972: The Godfather
> Worldwide box office in 1972: $268.5 million (adjusted for inflation: $1.5 billion)
> Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan
> Average ticket price in 1972: $1.60
> Current IMDb score: 9.2/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 97%
> Current RT audience score: 98%

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

1973: The Exorcist
> Worldwide box office in 1973: $193.0 million (adjusted for inflation: $1.0 billion)
> Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Linda Blair
> Average ticket price in 1973: $1.70
> Current IMDb score: 8.0/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 83%
> Current RT audience score: 87%

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

1974: Towering Inferno
> Worldwide box office in 1974: $139.7 million (adjusted for inflation: $677.1 million)
> Starring: Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, William Holden
> Average ticket price in 1974: $1.89
> Current IMDb score: 7.0/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 70%
> Current RT audience score: 72%

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

1975: Jaws
> Worldwide box office in 1975: $470.7 million (adjusted for inflation: $2.1 billion)
> Starring: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss
> Average ticket price in 1975: $2.03
> Current IMDb score: 8.0/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 98%
> Current RT audience score: 90%

Source: Courtesy of United Artists

1976: Rocky
> Worldwide box office in 1976: $225.0 million (adjusted for inflation: $967.6 million)
> Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young
> Average ticket price in 1976: $2.13
> Current IMDb score: 8.1/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 93%
> Current RT audience score: 69%

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

1977: Star Wars Ep. IV: A New Hope
> Worldwide box office in 1977: $775.4 million (adjusted for inflation: $3.2 billion)
> Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
> Average ticket price in 1977: $2.23
> Current IMDb score: 8.6/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 92%
> Current RT audience score: 96%

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1978: Grease
> Worldwide box office in 1978: $153.1 million (adjusted for inflation: $599.3 million)
> Starring: John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing
> Average ticket price in 1978: $2.34
> Current IMDb score: 7.2/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 75%
> Current RT audience score: 87%

Source: Courtesy of United Artists

1979: Moonraker
> Worldwide box office in 1979: $210.3 million (adjusted for inflation: $780.0 million)
> Starring: Roger Moore, Lois Chiles, Michael Lonsdale
> Average ticket price in 1979: $2.47
> Current IMDb score: 6.3/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 60%
> Current RT audience score: 43%

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

1980: Star Wars Ep. V: The Empire Strikes Back
> Worldwide box office in 1980: $549.0 million (adjusted for inflation: $1.9 billion)
> Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
> Average ticket price in 1980: $2.69
> Current IMDb score: 8.7/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 94%
> Current RT audience score: 97%

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1981: Raiders of the Lost Ark
> Worldwide box office in 1981: $367.5 million (adjusted for inflation: $1.2 billion)
> Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman
> Average ticket price in 1981: $2.78
> Current IMDb score: 8.4/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 95%
> Current RT audience score: 96%

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

1982: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
> Worldwide box office in 1982: $322.0 million (adjusted for inflation: $1.0 billion)
> Starring: Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote
> Average ticket price in 1982: $2.94
> Current IMDb score: 7.8/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 98%
> Current RT audience score: 72%

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

1983: Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi
> Worldwide box office in 1983: $475.1 million (adjusted for inflation: $1.4 billion)
> Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
> Average ticket price in 1983: $3.15
> Current IMDb score: 8.3/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 82%
> Current RT audience score: 94%

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1984: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
> Worldwide box office in 1984: $333.1 million (adjusted for inflation: $908.0 million)
> Starring: Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Ke Huy Quan
> Average ticket price in 1984: $3.36
> Current IMDb score: 7.5/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 84%
> Current RT audience score: 81%

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

1985: Back to the Future
> Worldwide box office in 1985: $385.5 million (adjusted for inflation: $994.7 million)
> Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson
> Average ticket price in 1985: $3.55
> Current IMDb score: 8.5/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 96%
> Current RT audience score: 94%

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1986: Top Gun
> Worldwide box office in 1986: $356.8 million (adjusted for inflation: $880.9 million)
> Starring: Tom Cruise, Tim Robbins, Kelly McGillis
> Average ticket price in 1986: $3.71
> Current IMDb score: 6.9/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 58%
> Current RT audience score: 83%

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1987: Fatal Attraction
> Worldwide box office in 1987: $321.0 million (adjusted for inflation: $749.9 million)
> Starring: Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, Anne Archer
> Average ticket price in 1987: $3.91
> Current IMDb score: 6.9/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 76%
> Current RT audience score: 72%

Source: Courtesy of United Artists

1988: Rain Man
> Worldwide box office in 1988: $412.8 million (adjusted for inflation: $920.0 million)
> Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino
> Average ticket price in 1988: $4.11
> Current IMDb score: 8.0/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 89%
> Current RT audience score: 90%

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1989: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
> Worldwide box office in 1989: $474.2 million (adjusted for inflation: $1.1 billion)
> Starring: Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Alison Doody
> Average ticket price in 1989: $3.99
> Current IMDb score: 8.2/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 88%
> Current RT audience score: 94%

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1990: Ghost
> Worldwide box office in 1990: $517.6 million (adjusted for inflation: $1.1 billion)
> Starring: Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg
> Average ticket price in 1990: $4.22
> Current IMDb score: 7.1/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 74%
> Current RT audience score: 80%

Source: Courtesy of TriStar Pictures

1991: Terminator 2: Judgment Day
> Worldwide box office in 1991: $515.4 million (adjusted for inflation: $1.1 billion)
> Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong
> Average ticket price in 1991: $4.21
> Current IMDb score: 8.5/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 93%
> Current RT audience score: 94%

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

1992: Aladdin
> Worldwide box office in 1992: $504.1 million (adjusted for inflation: $1.1 billion)
> Starring: Scott Weinger, Robin Williams, Linda Larkin
> Average ticket price in 1992: $4.15
> Current IMDb score: 8.0/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 95%
> Current RT audience score: 92%

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

1993: Jurassic Park
> Worldwide box office in 1993: $1.1 billion (adjusted for inflation: $2.3 billion)
> Starring: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum
> Average ticket price in 1993: $4.14
> Current IMDb score: 8.1/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 92%
> Current RT audience score: 91%

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

1994: The Lion King
> Worldwide box office in 1994: $300.4 million (adjusted for inflation: $674.3 million)
> Starring: Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones
> Average ticket price in 1994: $4.08
> Current IMDb score: 8.5/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 93%
> Current RT audience score: 93%

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

1995: Die Hard: With a Vengeance
> Worldwide box office in 1995: $366.1 million (adjusted for inflation: $770.9 million)
> Starring: Bruce Willis, Jeremy Irons, Samuel L. Jackson
> Average ticket price in 1995: $4.35
> Current IMDb score: 7.6/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 60%
> Current RT audience score: 83%

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

1996: Independence Day
> Worldwide box office in 1996: $817.4 million (adjusted for inflation: $1.7 billion)
> Starring: Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum
> Average ticket price in 1996: $4.42
> Current IMDb score: 7.0/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 68%
> Current RT audience score: 75%

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1997: Titanic
> Worldwide box office in 1997: $157.5 million (adjusted for inflation: $314.2 million)
> Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane
> Average ticket price in 1997: $4.59
> Current IMDb score: 7.8/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 89%
> Current RT audience score: 69%

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

1998: Armageddon
> Worldwide box office in 1998: $554.6 million (adjusted for inflation: $1.1 billion)
> Starring: Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, Ben Affleck
> Average ticket price in 1998: $4.69
> Current IMDb score: 6.7/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 38%
> Current RT audience score: 73%

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

1999: Star Wars Ep. I: The Phantom Menace
> Worldwide box office in 1999: $1.0 billion (adjusted for inflation: $1.9 billion)
> Starring: Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson, Natalie Portman
> Average ticket price in 1999: $5.06
> Current IMDb score: 6.5/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 51%
> Current RT audience score: 59%

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

2000: Mission: Impossible 2
> Worldwide box office in 2000: $549.6 million (adjusted for inflation: $934.0 million)
> Starring: Tom Cruise, Dougray Scott, Thandiwe Newton
> Average ticket price in 2000: $5.39
> Current IMDb score: 6.1/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 57%
> Current RT audience score: 42%

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

2001: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
> Worldwide box office in 2001: $965.1 million (adjusted for inflation: $1.6 billion)
> Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Richard Harris
> Average ticket price in 2001: $5.65
> Current IMDb score: 7.6/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 81%
> Current RT audience score: 82%

Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema

2002: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
> Worldwide box office in 2002: $919.1 million (adjusted for inflation: $1.5 billion)
> Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen
> Average ticket price in 2002: $5.80
> Current IMDb score: 8.7/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 95%
> Current RT audience score: 95%

Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema

2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
> Worldwide box office in 2003: $1.1 billion (adjusted for inflation: $1.7 billion)
> Starring: Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen
> Average ticket price in 2003: $6.03
> Current IMDb score: 8.9/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 93%
> Current RT audience score: 86%

Source: Courtesy of DreamWorks Distribution

2004: Shrek 2
> Worldwide box office in 2004: $935.3 million (adjusted for inflation: $1.4 billion)
> Starring: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz
> Average ticket price in 2004: $6.21
> Current IMDb score: 7.2/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 89%
> Current RT audience score: 69%

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

2005: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
> Worldwide box office in 2005: $891.3 million (adjusted for inflation: $1.3 billion)
> Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint
> Average ticket price in 2005: $6.41
> Current IMDb score: 7.7/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 88%
> Current RT audience score: 74%

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

2006: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
> Worldwide box office in 2006: $1.1 billion (adjusted for inflation: $1.5 billion)
> Starring: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley
> Average ticket price in 2006: $6.55
> Current IMDb score: 7.3/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 53%
> Current RT audience score: 72%

Source: Courtesy of American Broadcasting Company

2007: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
> Worldwide box office in 2007: $961.0 million (adjusted for inflation: $1.3 billion)
> Starring: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley
> Average ticket price in 2007: $6.88
> Current IMDb score: 7.1/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 44%
> Current RT audience score: 72%

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

2008: The Dark Knight
> Worldwide box office in 2008: $999.0 million (adjusted for inflation: $1.3 billion)
> Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart
> Average ticket price in 2008: $7.18
> Current IMDb score: 9.0/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 94%
> Current RT audience score: 94%

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

2009: Avatar
> Worldwide box office in 2009: $2.9 billion (adjusted for inflation: $3.5 billion)
> Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver
> Average ticket price in 2009: $7.50
> Current IMDb score: 7.8/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 81%
> Current RT audience score: 82%

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

2010: Toy Story 3
> Worldwide box office in 2010: $1.1 billion (adjusted for inflation: $1.2 billion)
> Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack
> Average ticket price in 2010: $7.89
> Current IMDb score: 8.2/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 98%
> Current RT audience score: 90%

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

2011: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II
> Worldwide box office in 2011: $1.3 billion (adjusted for inflation: $1.5 billion)
> Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint
> Average ticket price in 2011: $7.93
> Current IMDb score: 8.1/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 96%
> Current RT audience score: 89%

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

2012: The Avengers
> Worldwide box office in 2012: $1.5 billion (adjusted for inflation: $1.7 billion)
> Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson
> Average ticket price in 2012: $7.96
> Current IMDb score: 8.0/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 91%
> Current RT audience score: 91%

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

2013: Frozen
> Worldwide box office in 2013: $1.2 billion (adjusted for inflation: $1.4 billion)
> Starring: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff
> Average ticket price in 2013: $8.13
> Current IMDb score: 7.4/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 90%
> Current RT audience score: 85%

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

2014: Transformers: Age of Extinction
> Worldwide box office in 2014: $1.1 billion (adjusted for inflation: $1.2 billion)
> Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor
> Average ticket price in 2014: $8.17
> Current IMDb score: 5.6/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 17%
> Current RT audience score: 50%

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

2015: Star Wars Ep. VII: The Force Awakens
> Worldwide box office in 2015: $2.1 billion (adjusted for inflation: $2.2 billion)
> Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac
> Average ticket price in 2015: $8.43
> Current IMDb score: 7.8/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 93%
> Current RT audience score: 85%

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

2016: Captain America: Civil War
> Worldwide box office in 2016: $1.2 billion (adjusted for inflation: $1.2 billion)
> Starring: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson
> Average ticket price in 2016: $8.65
> Current IMDb score: 7.8/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 90%
> Current RT audience score: 89%

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Home Entertainment

2017: Star Wars Ep. VIII: The Last Jedi
> Worldwide box office in 2017: $1.3 billion (adjusted for inflation: $1.4 billion)
> Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Mark Hamill
> Average ticket price in 2017: $8.97
> Current IMDb score: 7.0/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 91%
> Current RT audience score: 42%

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

2018: Avengers: Infinity War
> Worldwide box office in 2018: $2.0 billion (adjusted for inflation: $2.1 billion)
> Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo
> Average ticket price in 2018: $9.11
> Current IMDb score: 8.4/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 85%
> Current RT audience score: 91%

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

2019: Avengers: Endgame
> Worldwide box office in 2019: $2.8 billion (adjusted for inflation: $2.8 billion)
> Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo
> Average ticket price in 2019: $9.16
> Current IMDb score: 8.4/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 94%
> Current RT audience score: 90%

Source: Courtesy of Aniplex America

2020: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Mugen Ressha-Hen (Demon Slayer: Mugen Train)
> Worldwide box office in 2020: $503.1 million (adjusted for inflation: $503.1 million)
> Starring: Natsuki Hanae, Akari Kitô, Hiro Shimono
> Average ticket price in 2020: $9.16
> Current IMDb score: 8.4/10
> Current Tomatometer score: 97%
> Current RT audience score: 99%

Source: Courtesy of Beijing Jingxi Culture & Tourism Co., Ltd.

2021: Ni Hao, Li Huan Ying (Hi, Mom)
> Worldwide box office in 2021: $841.7 million (adjusted for inflation: $841.7 million)
> Starring: Ling Jia, Xiaofei Zhang, Teng Shen
> Average ticket price in 2021: $9.16
> Current IMDb score: 7.0/10
> Current Tomatometer score: N/A
> Current RT audience score: N/A

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