The Highest-Grossing Movies That Aren’t Franchises

The term “franchise” has a long history, dating back to the 14th century, when it meant legal or religious freedom or the exemption from a particular charge or burden. The meaning evolved to mean the authorization given to a group or individual to operate a certain business in a certain area — as in a McDonald’s franchise. But it has also acquired the meaning (to quote the Oxford English Dictionary) of “A general title, format, or unifying concept used for creating or marketing a series of products (esp. films, television shows, etc.).” This meaning actually first appeared as early as 1936 in Hollywood, but became common in the 1980s, when studios began producing sequels to hit properties like “Friday the 13th” and “Indiana Jones.”

These days, it sometimes seems as if almost the only movies that get released are those based on movies that have already enjoyed profitable screen time. Of the 20 highest-grossing films of 2023, for instance, 13 count as parts of franchises, from Guardians of the Galaxy to John Wick to the aforementioned Indiana Jones.

It’s easy to see why revisiting popular movies and characters is attractive to producers. If a film draws substantial audiences once, there’s reason to believe that it might repeat the magic if a new release extends the original story (or sets it up, because prequels are also part of the franchise universe; see, for instance, “The Joker”). Lead actors are often all too happy to repeat juicy roles, as well, bringing their followers along for another go-round. (These are the most valuable movie franchises of all time.)

If franchises own the screens most of the time, it’s reassuring to know that they can sometimes be bested. True, the No. 2 movie in 2023 in terms of worldwide box office receipts was “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” — but No. 1 was “Barbie” and No. 3 was “Oppenheimer,” both of them emphatically individualistic films with no franchise connections (though there has admittedly been talk of a “Barbie” sequel or perhaps a movie centered on Ken).

To determine the highest-grossing movies that aren’t franchises, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on box office from film industry site The Numbers, an online movie database owned by Nash Information Services. Movies that aren’t franchises were ranked according to inflation-adjusted worldwide box office receipts as of May 2024. Global 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 May 2024. Director and cast information is from IMDb.

You’ll find many outstanding cinema classics on this list, like “Gone With the Wind,” “E.T. the Extraterrestrial,” “Lawrence of Arabia,” “Cape Fear,” “Dr. Zhivago,” “Titanic,” and “Ratatouille” — but it’s worth noting that only 16 of the 50 films here date from the 21st century. Let’s hope that doesn’t suggest that the art of nonfranchise moviemaking is in decline.

50. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $741.4 million
• IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (60,985 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 98% (91 reviews)
• Directed by: William Wyler
• Starring: Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Fredric March

49. Fatal Attraction (1987)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $749.9 million
• IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (81,035 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 76% (54 reviews)
• Directed by: Adrian Lyne
• Starring: Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, Anne Archer

48. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $755.3 million
• IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (296,218 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 94% (132 reviews)
• Directed by: David Lean
• Starring: Peter O’Toole, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn

47. Cleopatra (1963)

• Global box office, 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

46. Love Story (1970)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $757.2 million
• IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (32,836 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 68% (28 reviews)
• Directed by: Arthur Hiller
• Starring: Ali MacGraw, Ryan O’Neal, John Marley

45. Notorious (1946)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $769.5 million
• IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (97,303 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 96% (48 reviews)
• Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
• Starring: Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains

44. Gravity (2013)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $777.1 million
• IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (791,410 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 96% (356 reviews)
• Directed by: Alfonso Cuarón
• Starring: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris

43. Gladiator (2000)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $777.8 million
• IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (1,399,053 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 77% (201 reviews)
• Directed by: Ridley Scott
• Starring: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen

42. I Am Legend (2007)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $779.6 million
• IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (712,870 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 68% (215 reviews)
• Directed by: Francis Lawrence
• Starring: Will Smith, Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan

41. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $783.4 million
• IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (183,958 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 97% (66 reviews)
• Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
• Starring: Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Joanna Cassidy

40. The Graduate (1967)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $784.4 million
• IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (262,940 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 87% (83 reviews)
• Directed by: Mike Nichols
• Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Katharine Ross

39. Tarzan (1999)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $811.4 million
• IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (212,711 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 89% (105 reviews)
• Directed by: Chris Buck & Kevin Lima
• Starring: Tony Goldwyn, Minnie Driver, Brian Blessed

38. Coco (2017)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $815.1 million
• IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (432,055 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 97% (352 reviews)
• Directed by: Lee Unkrich & Adrian Molina
• Starring: Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt

37. The Day After Tomorrow (2004)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $819.9 million
• IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 (429,136 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 45% (221 reviews)
• Directed by: Roland Emmerich
• Starring: Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal, Emmy Rossum

36. True Lies (1994)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $820.1 million
• IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (247,499 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 71% (52 reviews)
• Directed by: James Cameron
• Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold

35. Ben-Hur (1959)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $820.2 million
• IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (228,610 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 86% (51 reviews)
• Directed by: William Wyler
• Starring: Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd

34. Cape Fear (1962)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $824.5 million
• IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (27,788 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 96% (23 reviews)
• Directed by: J. Lee Thompson
• Starring: Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum, Polly Bergen

33. Ratatouille (2007)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $834.2 million
• IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (669,860 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 96% (251 reviews)
• Directed by: Brad Bird & Jan Pinkava
• Starring: Brad Garrett, Lou Romano, Patton Oswalt

32. Doctor Zhivago (1965)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $841.2 million
• IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (72,795 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 84% (50 reviews)
• Directed by: David Lean
• Starring: Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, Geraldine Chaplin

31. Inception (2010)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $845.9 million
• IMDb user rating: 8.8/10 (2,171,143 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 87% (361 reviews)
• Directed by: Christopher Nolan
• Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elliot Page

30. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $849.6 million
• IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (185,060 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 52% (56 reviews)
• Directed by: Kevin Reynolds
• Starring: Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio

29. War of the Worlds (2005)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $867.2 million
• IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (429,071 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 75% (264 reviews)
• Directed by: Steven Spielberg
• Starring: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Tim Robbins

28. Up (2009)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $893.4 million
• IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (975,977 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 98% (298 reviews)
• Directed by: Pete Docter & Bob Peterson
• Starring: Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai, John Ratzenberger

27. Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

• Global box office, 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

26. The Bodyguard (1992)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $907.1 million
• IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (126,914 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 34% (47 reviews)
• Directed by: Mick Jackson
• Starring: Kevin Costner, Whitney Houston, Gary Kemp

25. The Passion of the Christ (2004)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $917.9 million
• IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (233,592 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 49% (280 reviews)
• Directed by: Mel Gibson
• Starring: Jim Caviezel, Monica Bellucci, Maia Morgenstern

24. Rain Man (1988)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $920.0 million
• IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (490,155 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 89% (80 reviews)
• Directed by: Barry Levinson
• Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino

23. Dances with Wolves (1990)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $920.8 million
• IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (250,448 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 83% (76 reviews)
• Directed by: Kevin Costner
• Starring: Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene

22. 2012 (2009)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $925.4 million
• IMDb user rating: 5.8/10 (363,790 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 39% (247 reviews)
• Directed by: Roland Emmerich
• Starring: John Cusack, Thandiwe Newton, Chiwetel Ejiofor

21. Pretty Woman (1990)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $938.9 million
• IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (304,022 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 64% (69 reviews)
• Directed by: Garry Marshall
• Starring: Richard Gere, Julia Roberts, Jason Alexander

20. Saving Private Ryan (1998)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $947.3 million
• IMDb user rating: 8.6/10 (1,292,307 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 94% (143 reviews)
• Directed by: Steven Spielberg
• Starring: Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore

19. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $976.4 million
• IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (255,836 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 72% (53 reviews)
• Directed by: Chris Columbus
• Starring: Robin Williams, Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan

18. The Jungle Book (2016)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.0 billion
• IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (267,140 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 94% (326 reviews)
• Directed by: Jon Favreau
• Starring: Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley

17. Twister (1996)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.0 billion
• IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 (186,819 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 61% (66 reviews)
• Directed by: Jan de Bont
• Starring: Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Cary Elwes

16. Aladdin (2019)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.0 billion
• IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (244,554 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 57% (380 reviews)
• Directed by: Guy Ritchie
• Starring: Will Smith, Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott

15. Zootopia (2016)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.1 billion
• IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (458,551 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 98% (297 reviews)
• Directed by: Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush
• Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba

14. Armageddon (1998)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.1 billion
• IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (408,005 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 38% (123 reviews)
• Directed by: Michael Bay
• Starring: Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, Ben Affleck

13. Aladdin (1992)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.1 billion
• IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (386,940 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 95% (74 reviews)
• Directed by: Ron Clements & John Musker
• Starring: Scott Weinger, Robin Williams, Linda Larkin

12. Ghost (1990)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.1 billion
• IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (205,500 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 74% (74 reviews)
• Directed by: Jerry Zucker
• Starring: Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg

11. The Sixth Sense (1999)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.2 billion
• IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (942,340 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 86% (158 reviews)
• Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
• Starring: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette

10. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.2 billion
• IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (189,506 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 98% (53 reviews)
• Directed by: Ben Sharpsteen & others
• Starring: Adriana Caselotti, Harry Stockwell, Lucille La Verne

9. The Ten Commandments (1956)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.2 billion
• IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (67,181 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 88% (41 reviews)
• Directed by: Cecil B. DeMille
• Starring: Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Anne Baxter

8. Beauty and the Beast (2017)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.3 billion
• IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (288,279 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 71% (381 reviews)
• Directed by: Bill Condon
• Starring: Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans

7. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.4 billion
• IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (192,000 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 94% (64 reviews)
• Directed by: Steven Spielberg
• Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Teri Garr

6. Forrest Gump (1994)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.5 billion
• IMDb user rating: 8.8/10 (1,905,676 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 71% (104 reviews)
• Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
• Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise

5. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $2.0 billion
• IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (387,268 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 99% (133 reviews)
• Directed by: Steven Spielberg
• Starring: Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote

4. Pinocchio (1940)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $2.1 billion
• IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (136,938 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 100% (56 reviews)
• Directed by: Ben Sharpsteen & Hamilton Luske
• Starring: Dickie Jones, Christian Rub, Mel Blanc

3. The Sound of Music (1965)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $2.1 billion
• IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (215,991 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 83% (71 reviews)
• Directed by: Robert Wise
• Starring: Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Eleanor Parker

2. Titanic (1997)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $4.2 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

1. Gone with the Wind (1939)

• Global box office, adjusted for inflation: $6.2 billion
• IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (301,469 votes)
• Tomatometer score: 90% (102 reviews)
• Directed by: Victor Fleming
• Starring: Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Thomas Mitchell