Other than splashy, CGI-reliant adventure films based on comic-book characters, motion-picture plot lines based on true stories are a reliably bankable category for studios – as well as being often rewarded at Oscar time.
To determine the highest-grossing movies based on true stories, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on box office from film industry site The Numbers, an online movie database owned by Nash Information Services. Movies based on true stories were ranked according to inflation-adjusted worldwide box office receipts as of August 2023. Documentaries were not considered. Ticket sales figures were adjusted for inflation using historical ticket prices from the National Association of Theatre Owners. User ratings on IMDb, an online movie and TV database owned by Amazon, and critics’ Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, are current as of August 2023. Director and cast information is from IMDb.
All of the films on our list grossed more than $300 million. Many are based on the experiences of a consequential person – like Abraham Lincoln, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, George S. Patton, or Oskar Schindler – while others recount a momentous event, be it the sinking of the Titanic, the landing of Allied troops at Normandy, or the assassination of JFK. (Considering their critical reception rather than necessarily their box-office success, these are the best movies based on real events or people.)
Of the 40 highest grossing movies based on true stories listed here, 28 have won at least one Academy Award. The biggest winners were “Titanic” (11 Oscars), “Gandhi” (eight), and “Schindler’s List,” “Patton,” and “Out of Africa” (seven each).
The actor appearing most often here is Leonardo DiCaprio, who earned a Best Actor Oscar for his turn in “The Revenant,” and also appeared in “The Aviator,” “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Catch Me If You Can,” and “Titanic.”
Steven Spielberg appears the most of any director on the list, with four films – “Lincoln,” “Catch Me If You Can,” “The Terminal,” and “Schindler’s List,” the last of which won him an Academy Award for Best Director. (Here’s a list of the best Steven Spielberg movies.)
40. The Aviator (2004)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $307.4 million
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (365,136 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 86% (227 reviews)
> Directed by: Martin Scorsese
> Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale
39. Lincoln (2012)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $314.6 million
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (262,698 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 89% (285 reviews)
> Directed by: Steven Spielberg
> Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn
38. Marley & Me (2008)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $316.2 million
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (160,238 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 62% (141 reviews)
> Directed by: David Frankel
> Starring: Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston, Eric Dane
37. Green Book (2018)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $321.8 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (496,895 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 77% (360 reviews)
> Directed by: Peter Farrelly
> Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini
36. The Terminal (2004)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $322.6 million
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (427,304 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 61% (207 reviews)
> Directed by: Steven Spielberg
> Starring: Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Chi McBride
35. Cool Runnings (1993)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $343.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (106,274 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 76% (42 reviews)
> Directed by: Jon Turteltaub
> Starring: John Candy, Leon, Doug E. Doug
34. Patton (1970)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $347.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (103,341 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 94% (49 reviews)
> Directed by: Franklin J. Schaffner
> Starring: George C. Scott, Karl Malden, Stephen Young
33. American Gangster (2007)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $356.8 million
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (430,167 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 81% (216 reviews)
> Directed by: Ridley Scott
> Starring: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Chiwetel Ejiofor
32. The Blind Side (2009)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $373.4 million
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (336,377 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 66% (206 reviews)
> Directed by: John Lee Hancock
> Starring: Quinton Aaron, Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw
31. Dangerous Minds (1995)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $376.8 million
> IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (53,989 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 31% (42 reviews)
> Directed by: John N. Smith
> Starring: Michelle Pfeiffer, George Dzundza, Courtney B. Vance
30. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $380.7 million
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (114,618 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 88% (64 reviews)
> Directed by: Arthur Penn
> Starring: Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Michael J. Pollard
29. Patch Adams (1998)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $394.9 million
> IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (115,620 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 22% (69 reviews)
> Directed by: Tom Shadyac
> Starring: Robin Williams, Daniel London, Monica Potter
28. Gandhi (1982)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $398.1 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (233,479 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 85% (62 reviews)
> Directed by: Richard Attenborough
> Starring: Ben Kingsley, John Gielgud, Rohini Hattangadi
27. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $429.8 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (517,291 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 67% (177 reviews)
> Directed by: Gabriele Muccino
> Starring: Will Smith, Thandiwe Newton, Jaden Smith
26. Erin Brockovich (2000)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $438.1 million
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (201,137 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 85% (149 reviews)
> Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
> Starring: Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, David Brisbin
25. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $439.3 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (1,418,467 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 79% (286 reviews)
> Directed by: Martin Scorsese
> Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie
24. Braveheart (1995)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $440.2 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (1,041,328 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 79% (84 reviews)
> Directed by: Mel Gibson
> Starring: Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan
23. The Song of Bernadette (1943)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $442.4 million
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (6,578 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 88% (16 reviews)
> Directed by: Henry King
> Starring: Jennifer Jones, Charles Bickford, William Eythe
22. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $443.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (15,957 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 90% (29 reviews)
> Directed by: Michael Curtiz
> Starring: James Cagney, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston
21. The Greatest Showman (2017)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $445.1 million
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (285,577 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 57% (264 reviews)
> Directed by: Michael Gracey
> Starring: Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Zac Efron
20. JFK (1991)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $446.9 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (158,513 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 84% (64 reviews)
> Directed by: Oliver Stone
> Starring: Kevin Costner, Gary Oldman, Jack Lemmon
19. The King’s Speech (2010)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $500.2 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (683,883 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 94% (298 reviews)
> Directed by: Tom Hooper
> Starring: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter
18. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $515.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (936,399 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 74% (213 reviews)
> Directed by: Ron Howard
> Starring: Russell Crowe, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly
17. Dunkirk (2017)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $530.5 million
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (664,773 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 92% (461 reviews)
> Directed by: Christopher Nolan
> Starring: Fionn Whitehead, Barry Keoghan, Mark Rylance
16. The Longest Day (1962)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $540.6 million
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (56,678 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 87% (23 reviews)
> Directed by: Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton, Bernhard Wicki
> Starring: John Wayne, Robert Ryan, Richard Burton
15. The Perfect Storm (2000)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $558.6 million
> IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (170,090 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 47% (135 reviews)
> Directed by: Wolfgang Petersen
> Starring: George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, John C. Reilly
14. Catch Me If You Can (2002)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $561.6 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (989,753 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 96% (203 reviews)
> Directed by: Steven Spielberg
> Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken
13. The Revenant (2015)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $579.1 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (809,924 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 78% (401 reviews)
> Directed by: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
> Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Will Poulter
12. The Jolson Story (1946)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $596.9 million
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (1,668 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 100% (5 reviews)
> Directed by: Alfred E. Green
> Starring: Larry Parks, Evelyn Keyes, William Demarest
11. American Sniper (2014)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $613.6 million
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (492,587 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 72% (299 reviews)
> Directed by: Clint Eastwood
> Starring: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Kyle Gallner
10. Oppenheimer (2023)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $648.1 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10 (345,753 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 93% (448 reviews)
> Directed by: Christopher Nolan
> Starring: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon
9. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $660.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (217,852 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 89% (53 reviews)
> Directed by: George Roy Hill
> Starring: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katharine Ross
8. Spartacus (1960)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $660.5 million
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (136,454 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 93% (61 reviews)
> Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
> Starring: Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons
7. Out of Africa (1985)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $666.3 million
> IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (81,162 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 62% (87 reviews)
> Directed by: Sydney Pollack
> Starring: Meryl Streep, Robert Redford, Klaus Maria Brandauer
6. Sergeant York (1941)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $682.3 million
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (18,703 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 88% (24 reviews)
> Directed by: Howard Hawks
> Starring: Gary Cooper, Walter Brennan, Joan Leslie
5. Apollo 13 (1995)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $707.1 million
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (298,490 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 96% (93 reviews)
> Directed by: Ron Howard
> Starring: Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon
4. Schindler’s List (1993)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $712.9 million
> IMDb user rating: 9.0/10 (1,359,268 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 98% (128 reviews)
> Directed by: Steven Spielberg
> Starring: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley
3. Cleopatra (1963)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $756.2 million
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (34,332 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 62% (39 reviews)
> Directed by: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
> Starring: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Rex Harrison
2. Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $898.3 million
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (543,240 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 60% (411 reviews)
> Directed by: Bryan Singer
> Starring: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee
1. Titanic (1997)
> Global ticket sales, adjusted for inflation: $4.4 billion
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (1,181,693 votes)
> Tomatometer score: 89% (193 reviews)
> Directed by: James Cameron
> Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane