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The Highest Grossing R-Rated Movies of All Time

The Highest Grossing R-Rated Movies of All Time

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Not all R-rated movies are created equal. Nor are R-rated movies created with the purpose of selling millions of tickets, much to the dismay of studio executives. The R Rating usually denotes a high level of violence, coarse language, open drug use and drinking, or sexual imagery that is intended only for adults. There are R-rated movies, however, that transcend their restrictive rating and become some of the highest-grossing movies of all time.

The movie rating system has, no doubt, evolved over the past century. Before rating existed, many movies featured themes and imagery so graphic they would hardly be welcome in modern movies. During the period of 1929-1934, known as Pre-Code Hollywood, the movie industry churned out arguably some of its most progressive–and obscene–movies. Before the first rating system, called the Hays Code, many post-silent film era movies flirted with graphic nudity and positive portrayals of criminals and other reprobates. This wasn’t to last, however, as the Hays Code put a quick stop to such experimentation.

Finally, in the mid-1960s, the MPA was created to apply a standard rating system to publicly released movies. It was also the first instance of the R-rating, which at the time, did not permit persons under the age of 16 from seeing the movie without a parent or guardian present. For one reason or another, by 1970, the rating system was updated to make R-rating now require the age of 17 as the minimum for venturing into a movie alone.

Times change, and palettes change too, however. Many avid moviegoers can remember a time when pretty graphic violence was acceptable in even PG-rated movies, with R-ratings reserved for the most graphic of adult depictions. Nowadays, R-rated movies still keep out small children, but studios have refined their scope to make such films agreeable to a wider audience. Some of these movies eclipse expectations, and despite featuring heavily adult themes, become public sensations. (For lesser-known R-rated movies, check out The Best R-Rated Movies You Probably Haven’t Seen.)

Here is the list of the highest-grossing R-rated movies of all time:

50. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • Worldwide box office: 369.9 million
  • Directed by: George Miller

49. There’s Something About Mary (1998)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
  • Worldwide box office: 369.9 million
  • Directed by: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly

48. Fifty Shades Freed (2018)

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
  • Worldwide box office: 372 million
  • Directed by: James Foley

47. Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (2019)

Source: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing
  • Worldwide box office: 377.4 million
  • Directed by: Quentin Tarantino

46. Fifty Shades Darker (2017)

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
  • Worldwide box office: 381.4 million
  • Directed by: James Foley

45. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Source: Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures
  • Worldwide box office: 383.8 million
  • Directed by: Danny Boyle

44. 1917 (2019)

Source: Courtesy of Mister Smith Entertainment
  • Worldwide box office: 389.1 million
  • Directed by: Sam Mendes

43. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
  • Worldwide box office: 389.8 million
  • Directed by: Martin Scorsese

42. Prometheus (2012)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
  • Worldwide box office: 402.4 million
  • Directed by: Ridley Scott

41. Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
  • Worldwide box office: 404.6 million
  • Directed by: Matthew Vaughn

40. Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
  • Worldwide box office: 408.8 million
  • Directed by: Matthew Vaughn

39. The Bodyguard (1992)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • Worldwide box office: 411 million
  • Directed by: Mick Jackson

38. Rain Man (1988)

Source: Courtesy of United Artists
  • Worldwide box office: 412.8 million
  • Directed by: Barry Levinson

37. Sex and the City (2008)

Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema
  • Worldwide box office: 415.2 million
  • Directed by: Michael Patrick King

36. Bad Boys For Life (2020)

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
  • Worldwide box office: 424.5 million
  • Directed by: Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah

35. The Matrix Revolutions (2003)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • Worldwide box office: 427.3 million
  • Directed by: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski

34. The Exorcist (1973)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • Worldwide box office: 428.8 million
  • Directed by: William Friedkin

33. The King’s Speech (2010)

Source: Courtesy of The Weinstein Company
  • Worldwide box office: 430.1 million
  • Directed by: Tom Hooper

32. A Star is Born (2018)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • Worldwide box office: 431.9 million
  • Directed by: Bradley Cooper

31. Pretty Woman (1990)

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
  • Worldwide box office: 432.6 million
  • Directed by: Garry Marshall

30. John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

Source: Courtesy of Lionsgate Films
  • Worldwide box office: 432.7 million
  • Directed by: Chad Stahelski

29. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • Worldwide box office: 433.1 million
  • Directed by: Jonathan Mostow

28. Django Unchained (2012)

Source: Courtesy of The Weinstein Company
  • Worldwide box office: 449.8 million
  • Directed by: Quentin Tarantino

27. Gladiator (2000)

Source: Courtesy of DreamWorks Distribution
  • Worldwide box office: 451.7 million
  • Directed by: Ridley Scott

26. 300 (2006)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • Worldwide box office: 454.2 million
  • Directed by: Zack Snyder

25. The Last Samurai (2003)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • Worldwide box office: 456.8 million
  • Directed by: Edward Zwick

24. Lucy (2014)

Lucy (2014) | Scarlett Johansson and Pilou Asbæk in Lucy (2014)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

N/A

  • Worldwide box office: 457.5 million
  • Directed by: Luc Besson

23. The Hangover (2009)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • Worldwide box office: 465.5 million
  • Directed by: Todd Phillips

22. The Matrix (1999)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • Worldwide box office: 466 million
  • Directed by: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski

21. It: Chapter Two (2019)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • Worldwide box office: 467.6 million
  • Directed by: Andy Muschietti

20. Troy (2004)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • Worldwide box office: 483.2 million
  • Directed by: Wolfgang Petersen

19. Les Intouchables (2011)

Source: Courtesy of The Weinstein Company
  • Worldwide box office: 484.6 million
  • Directed by: Olivier Nakache, Éric Toledano

18. Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Source: Courtesy of DreamWorks Distribution
  • Worldwide box office: 485 million
  • Directed by: Steven Spielberg

17. Kimetsu no Yaiba: Mugen Ressha-Hen (Demon Slayer: To the Swordsmith Village) (2023)

Source: Courtesy of Aniplex of America
  • Worldwide box office: 507.1 million
  • Directed by: Haruo Sotozaki

16. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Source: Courtesy of TriStar Pictures
  • Worldwide box office: 515.4 million
  • Directed by: James Cameron

15. Mei Ren Yu (The Mermaid) (2016)

Source: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing
  • Worldwide box office: 525 million
  • Directed by: Stephen Chow

14. The Revenant (2015)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
  • Worldwide box office: 532.9 million
  • Directed by: Alejandro G. Iñárritu

13. Tang Ren Jie Tan An 2 (Detective Chinatown 2) (2018)

Tang Ren Jie Tan An 2 (Detective Chinatown 2) (2018) | Detective Chinatown 2 (2018)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

N/A

  • Worldwide box office: 544.1 million
  • Directed by: Sicheng Chen

12. American Sniper (2014)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
  • Worldwide box office: 547.3 million
  • Directed by: Clint Eastwood

11. Ted (2012)

Source: Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
  • Worldwide box office: 556 million
  • Directed by: Seth MacFarlane

10. Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
  • Worldwide box office: 570.8 million
  • Directed by: Sam Taylor-Johnson

9. The Hangover Part II (2011)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • Worldwide box office: 586.8 million
  • Directed by: Todd Phillips

8. Logan (2017)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
  • Worldwide box office: 614.2 million
  • Directed by: James Mangold

7. The Passion of the Christ (2004)

Source: Courtesy of Newmarket Films
  • Worldwide box office: 622.3 million
  • Directed by: Mel Gibson

6. It (2017)

Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema
  • Worldwide box office: 701 million
  • Directed by: Andy Muschietti

5. The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • Worldwide box office: 738.6 million
  • Directed by: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski

4. Deadpool (2016)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
  • Worldwide box office: 781.9 million
  • Directed by: Tim Miller

3. Deadpool 2 (2018)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
  • Worldwide box office: 786.4 million
  • Directed by: David Leitch

2. Oppenheimer (2023)

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
  • Worldwide box office: 951.8 million
  • Directed by: Christopher Nolan

1. Joker (2019)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
  • Worldwide box office: 1.1 billion
  • Directed by: Todd Phillips
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