The highest-grossing movies of all time might surprise you. This list, which is compiled from IMDB data, doesn’t contain movies I guessed would make it into the top 10. Other movies that weren’t on my radar are near the top of the list.
A movie’s total gross earnings include all revenue sources from ticket sales to the taxes and fees added to the ticket price. Expenses are not deducted from the gross, which is how gross earnings differ from net earnings or revenues.
Suppose a movie’s tickets average $10 per ticket sold and 100,000 people see the movie in theaters. That’s $1,000,000. In states where movie tickets are subject to tax, tax revenues add to the gross.
Many theaters include the tax in the ticket price. For those that do not, tax rates vary. If the tax rate is 6% on movie tickets, the gross revenues include another $60,000 in taxes bringing the gross to $1,060,000.
The highest-grossing movies may not be the most profitable movie. Once you take a movie’s gross earnings and deduct all of the expenses that go into the filmmaking process. It includes:
- Actors’ and crews’ salaries
- Catering
- Costumes
- Equipment costs and maintenance
- Marketing and premiere
- Movie location rental fees
- Music recordings
- Permits
- Post-production costs
- Venue rentals for premieres and screenings
When you deduct all of those from the gross, it may not cover the total expenditures. For that reason, the highest-grossing movies may not be the most profitable. Some of these movies can become box-office bombs because they cost more to film than they made. (If you enjoy comedies, learn about The Highest Grossing Comedies of All Time.)
Here is the list of the highest-grossing movies of all time.
40. Joker (2019)
- Worldwide box office: 1.06 billion
- Directed by: Todd Phillips
39. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006)
- Worldwide box office: 1.07 billion
- Directed by: Gore Verbinski
38. Toy Story 3 (2010)
- Worldwide box office: 1.07 billion
- Directed by: Lee Unkrich
37. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
- Worldwide box office: 1.7 billion
- Directed by: J.J. Abrams
36. Toy Story 4 (2019)
- Worldwide box office: 1.07 billion
- Directed by: Josh Cooley
35. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
- Worldwide box office: 1.08 billion
- Directed by: Christopher Nolan
34. Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)
N/A
- Worldwide box office: 1.1 billion
- Directed by: Michael Bay
33. Skyfall (2012)
- Worldwide box office: 1.11 billion
- Directed by: Sam Mendes
32. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
- Worldwide box office: 1.12 billion
- Directed by: Peter Jackson
31. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)
N/A
- Worldwide box office: 1.12 billion
- Directed by: Michael Bay
30. Captain Marvel (2019)
- Worldwide box office: 1.13 billion
- Directed by: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
29. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
- Worldwide box office: 1.13 billion
- Directed by: Jon Watts
28. Aquaman (2018)
- Worldwide box office: 1.14 billion
- Directed by: James Wan
27. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
- Worldwide box office: 1.15 billion
- Directed by: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
26. Minions (2015)
- Worldwide box office: 1.16 billion
- Directed by: Kyle Balda, Pierre Coffin
25. Iron Man 3 (2013)
- Worldwide box office: 1.22 billion
- Directed by: Shane Black
24. The Fate of the Furious (2017)
- Worldwide box office: 1.24 billion
- Directed by: F. Gary Gray
23. Incredibles 2 (2018)
- Worldwide box office: 1.24 billion
- Directed by: Brad Bird
22. Beauty and the Beast (2017)
- Worldwide box office: 1.27 billion
- Directed by: Bill Condon
21. Frozen (2010)
- Worldwide box office: 1.28 billion
- Directed by: Adam Green
20. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
N/A
- Worldwide box office: 1.31 billion
- Directed by: J.A. Bayona
19. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II (2011)
- Worldwide box office: 1.31 billion
- Directed by: David Yates
18. Star Wars Ep. VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)
N/A
- Worldwide box office: 1.33 billion
- Directed by: Rian Johnson
17. Black Panther (2018)
- Worldwide box office: 1.34 billion
- Directed by: Ryan Coogler
16. The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
- Worldwide box office: 1.36 billion
- Directed by: Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic
15. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
N/A
- Worldwide box office: 1.4 billion
- Directed by: Joss Whedon
14. Barbie (2023)
- Worldwide box office: 1.44 billion
- Directed by: Greta Gerwig
13. Frozen II (2019)
- Worldwide box office: 1.45 billion
- Directed by: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee
12. Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
- Worldwide box office: 1.47 billion
- Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
11. Furious 7 (2015)
- Worldwide box office: 1.51 billion
- Directed by: James Wan
10. The Avengers (2012)
N/A
- Worldwide box office: 1.51 billion
- Directed by: Joss Whedon
9. The Lion King (1994)
- Worldwide box office: 1.65 billion
- Directed by: Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff
8. Jurassic World (2015)
- Worldwide box office: 1.67 billion
- Directed by: Colin Trevorrow
7. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
- Worldwide box office: 1.9 billion
- Directed by: Jon Watts
6. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
- Worldwide box office: 2.04 billion
- Directed by: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
5. Star Wars Ep. VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
- Worldwide box office: 2.06 billion
- Directed by: J.J. Abrams
4. Titanic (1997)
- Worldwide box office: 2.22 billion
- Directed by: James Cameron
3. Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
- Worldwide box office: 2.32 billion
- Directed by: James Cameron
2. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
N/A
- Worldwide box office: 2.8 billion
- Directed by: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
1. Avatar (2009)
- Worldwide box office: 2.92 billion
- Directed by: James Cameron