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List of highest-grossing films
Traditionally, war films, musicals and historical dramas have been the most popular genres, but franchise films have been the best performers in the 21st century, with films from the Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean series dominating the top end of the list. Since Superman (1978) there has been new interest in the superhero genre; Batman from DC Comics has been the most successful exponent of the genre, with films based on the Marvel Comics brand such as Spider-Man, X-Men and Iron Man also doing particularly well. The only films in the top ten that do not form a franchise are the top two, Avatar and Titanic, both directed by James Cameron, and the 2010 adaptation of Alice in Wonderland. Animated family films have performed consistently well, with Disney films enjoying lucrative re-releases prior to the home video era. Disney enjoyed later success with its Pixar brand, of which the Toy Story films have been the best performers; beyond Pixar animation, the Shrek and Ice Age series have met with the most success.
While inflation has eroded away the achievements of most films from the 1960s and 1970s, there are franchises originating from that period that are still active: James Bond films are still being released periodically, and the Star Wars saga was reprised after a lengthy hiatus; Indiana Jones also saw a successful comeback after lying dormant for nearly twenty years. All three are still among the highest-grossing franchises, despite starting over thirty years ago. Some of the older films that held the record of highest-grossing film still have respectable grosses even by today's standards, but do not really compete against today's top-earners: Gone with the Wind for instance—which was the highest-grossing film for 25 years—does not even make the top fifty in the modern market, but at contemporary prices it would still be the highest-grossing film. All grosses on the list are expressed in US dollars at their nominal value, except where stated otherwise.
Highest-grossing films
When a film is highly exploitable as a commercial property, its ancillary revenues from merchandising can dwarf its income from direct film sales.[5] Pixar's Cars earned $461 million in theatrical revenues[6]—which was only a modest hit by comparison to other Pixar films[7]—but generated merchandise sales approaching $10 billion in the five years after its 2006 release, the most revenue ever generated by a single film.[8]
Only the revenues from theatrical exhibition at their nominal value are included here, which sees Avatar rank in the top position. Eleven films in total have grossed in excess of $1 billion worldwide. The films on this chart have all had a theatrical run since 1993, and films that were released before then do not appear in the chart due to ticket-price inflation, population size and ticket purchasing trends not being considered. The most represented year is 2009, with seven films.
Background shading indicates films playing in the week commencing 11 May 2012 in theaters around the world.
Highest-grossing films adjusted for inflation
Another complication is release in multiple formats for which different ticket prices are charged. One notable example of this phenomenon is Avatar, which was also released in 3D and IMAX: almost two-thirds of tickets for that film were for 3D showings with an average price of $10, and about one-sixth were for IMAX showings with an average price over $14.50, compared to a 2010 average price of $7.61 for 2D films.[13] Social and economic factors such as population change[14] and the growth of international markets[15][16][17] also impact on the number of people purchasing theater tickets, along with audience demographics where some films sell a much higher proportion of discounted children's tickets, or perform better in big cities where tickets cost more.[11]
The measuring system for gauging a film's success is based on unadjusted grosses, mainly because historically this is the way it has always been done due to the practices of the film industry: the box office receipts are compiled by theaters and relayed to the distributor, which in turn releases them to the media.[18] Converting to a more representative system that counts ticket sales rather than gross is also fraught with problems due to the fact that the only data available for older films are the sale totals.[14] As the motion picture industry is highly oriented towards marketing currently released films, unadjusted figures are always used in marketing campaigns so that new blockbuster films can much more easily achieve a high sales ranking, and thus be promoted as a "top film of all time",[12] so there is little incentive to switch to a more economically robust system from a marketing or even newsworthy point of view.[18]
Despite the inherent difficulties in accounting for inflation, several attempts have been made. Estimates can result in different amounts since the price index used to adjust the grosses and the exchange rates used to convert between currencies all impact upon the calculations, which can have an effect on the ultimate rankings of an inflation adjusted list. Gone with the Wind—first released in 1939—is generally considered to be the most successful film, with Guinness World Records estimating its adjusted global gross at $3.3 billion. Estimates for Gone with the Wind's adjusted gross have varied substantially: its owner, Turner Entertainment, also estimated its adjusted earnings at $3.3 billion in 2007, a few years earlier than the Guinness estimate;[19] other estimates fall either side of this amount, with one putting its gross just under $3 billion in 2010,[20] while Guinness provides an alternative figure of about $5.3 billion in its online edition.[21] Which film is Gone with the Wind's nearest rival depends on the set of figures used: Guinness have Avatar in second place with nearly $2.8 billion, while other estimates see Titanic in the runner-up spot with first-run worldwide earnings of almost $2.9 billion at 2010 prices. Including the Guinness figures, estimates for Star Wars (1977) range from $2.2–2.7 billion at 2010/11 price levels, while E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial has earned approximately $1.9–2.2 billion, and the $1.9–2.0 billion figure for Jaws is corroborated by The Economist.[20][22] Guinness estimate that seven films in total have earned in excess of $2 billion at 2011 prices.
| Rank | Title | Worldwide gross (constant $) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gone with the Wind | $3,301,400,000 | 1939 |
| 2 | Avatar | $2,782,300,000 | 2009 |
| 3 | Star Wars | $2,710,800,000 | 1977 |
| 4 | Titanic | $2,413,800,000T | 1997 |
| 5 | The Sound of Music | $2,269,800,000 | 1965 |
| 6 | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial | $2,216,800,000 | 1982 |
| 7 | The Ten Commandments | $2,098,600,000 | 1956 |
| 8 | Doctor Zhivago | $1,988,600,000 | 1965 |
| 9 | Jaws | $1,945,100,000 | 1975 |
| 10 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | $1,746,100,000 | 1937 |
T The figure for Titanic is based on the gross from its 1997 theatrical release, and does not incorporate earnings from the 2012 reissue, which has since added over $300 million to the total.[24]
High-grossing films by year
Audience tastes were fairly eclectic during the 20th century, but several trends did emerge. During the silent era, films with war themes were popular with audiences, with The Birth of a Nation (American Civil War), The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Big Parade and Wings (all World War I) becoming the most successful films in their respective years of release, with the trend coming to an end with All Quiet on the Western Front in 1930. With the advent of sound in 1927, the musical—the genre best placed to showcase the new technology—took over as the most popular type of film with audiences, with 1927, 1928 and 1929 all being topped by musical films. The genre continued to perform strongly in the 1930s, but the outbreak of World War II saw war themed films dominate again during this period, starting with Gone with the Wind (American Civil War) in 1939, and finishing with The Best Years of Our Lives (World War II) in 1946. Samson and Delilah (1949) saw the start of a trend of increasingly expensive historical dramas set during Ancient Rome/biblical times throughout the 1950s as cinema competed with television for audiences,[25] with Quo Vadis, The Robe, The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur and Spartacus all becoming the highest-grossing film of the year during initial release, before the genre started to wane after the financially catastrophic Cleopatra in 1963.[26] The success of White Christmas and South Pacific in the 1950s foreshadowed the comeback of the musical in the 1960s with West Side Story, Mary Poppins, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music and Funny Girl all among the top films of the decade. The 1970s saw a shift in audience tastes to high-concept films, with seven such films made by either George Lucas or Steven Spielberg topping the chart during the 1980s. The 21st century has seen an increasing dependence on franchises and adaptations, with Avatar in 2009 being the only chart-topper forming an original work.
Steven Spielberg is the most represented director with six films to his credit, occupying the top spot in 1975, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1989 and 1993. William Wyler (1942, 1946, 1959 and 1968) and Cecil B. DeMille (1947, 1949, 1952 and 1956) are in second place each with four films, while Frank Lloyd (1924, 1933 and 1935), George Roy Hill (1966, 1969 and 1973) and James Cameron (1991, 1997 and 2009) all feature heavily with three films apiece. The following directors have all directed two films on the chart: D. W. Griffith, King Vidor, Frank Capra, Victor Fleming, Jack Conway, Alfred Hitchcock, Leo McCarey, Mervyn LeRoy, David Lean, Stanley Kubrick, Robert Wise, Guy Hamilton, Mike Nichols, Peter Jackson and Gore Verbinski. George Lucas directed two chart-toppers in 1977 and 1999, but also served in a strong creative capacity as a producer and writer in 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984 and 1989 as well. Disney films are usually co-directed and some directors have served on several winning teams: Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Clyde Geronimi, Wolfgang Reitherman, David Hand, Ben Sharpsteen and Bill Roberts have all co-directed at least two films on the list. Only five directors have topped the chart in consecutive years: McCarey (1944 and 1945), Nichols (1966 and 1967), Spielberg (1981 and 1982), Jackson (2002 and 2003) and Verbinski (2006 and 2007).
Every highest-grossing film of the year since 1918 has earned a million dollars in gross rental, and since 1949 every chart-topper has taken over $10 million in rentals. At least one film every year has generated $100 million in gross revenue at the box office since 1967, and from 2008 each year has succeeded in producing a billion dollar grossing film.
| Year | Title | Worldwide gross | Budget | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | The Birth of a Nation | $50,000,000R ($10,000,000)R | $110,000 | [# 51][# 52] |
| 1916 | 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea | $8,000,000* | $200,000–$500,000 | [# 53][# 54] |
| 1918 | Mickey | $8,000,000R | $250,000 | [# 55] |
| 1919 | The Miracle Man | $3,000,000R | $120,000 | [# 56] |
| 1920 | Way Down East | $5,000,000R | $175,000 | [# 57][# 58] |
| 1921 | The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse | $4,000,000R | $1,000,000 | [# 57][# 59] |
| 1922 | Robin Hood | $2,500,000R | $986,000 | [# 60] |
| 1923 | The Covered Wagon | $5,000,000R | $800,000 | [# 61] |
| 1924 | The Sea Hawk | $3,000,000R | $700,000 | [# 61] |
| 1925 | The Big Parade | $18,000,000–$22,000,000R ($6,131,000)R | $382,000 | [# 62][# 63] |
| Ben-Hur | $9,386,000R | $3,967,000 | [# 64] | |
| 1926 | Aloma of the South Seas | $3,000,000* | TBA | [# 65] |
| For Heaven's Sake | $2,600,000R | $150,000 | [# 57][# 66] | |
| 1927 | Wings | $3,600,000R | TBA | [# 57] |
| The Jazz Singer | $3,000,000–$3,500,000R | $500,000 | [# 57][# 67] | |
| 1928 | The Singing Fool | $5,900,000R | TBA | [# 68] |
| 1929 | The Broadway Melody | $4,000,000R | $350,000 | [# 69] |
| Gold Diggers of Broadway | $4,000,000R | TBA | [# 57] | |
| 1930 | Tom Sawyer | $11,000,000* | TBA | [# 70] |
| All Quiet on the Western Front | $3,000,000R | $1,250,000 | [# 57][# 71] | |
| 1931 | Frankenstein | $12,000,000R ($1,400,000)R | $250,000 | [# 72][# 57] |
| City Lights | $4,250,000R | $1,500,000 | [# 57][# 73] | |
| 1932 | Shanghai Express | $3,700,000R | TBA | [# 74] |
| 1933 | King Kong | $4,861,002R ($2,361,002)R | $672,255 | [# 75] |
| Cavalcade | $3,500,000R | $1,300,000 | [# 76] | |
| I'm No Angel | $3,250,000R | TBA | [# 77] | |
| 1934 | It Happened One Night | $1,000,000R | $325,000 | [# 78] |
| Viva Villa! | $1,100,000* | TBA | [# 79] | |
| 1935 | Mutiny on the Bounty | $4,460,000R | $2,000,000 | [# 80] |
| Top Hat | $3,202,000R | $500,000–$750,000 | [# 81] | |
| 1936 | How to Be a Detective | $6,000,000* | TBA | [# 82] |
| San Francisco | $5,273,000R | $1,300,000 | [# 83] | |
| 1937 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | $371,316,184 ($8,500,000)R | $1,488,423 | [# 84][# 85] |
| 1938 | You Can't Take It With You | $2,137,000R | $1,644,000 | [# 86] |
| Alexander's Ragtime Band | $3,000,000R | $1,200,000–$2,275,000 | [# 87] | |
| 1939 | Gone with the Wind | $390,525,192 ($32,000,000)R | $3,850,000 | [# 88][# 89][# 90] |
| 1940 | Pinocchio | $84,300,000* ($1,300,000)R | $2,289,000 | [# 91][# 92] |
| Boom Town | $4,586,000* R | $2,000,000 | [# 93] | |
| Rebecca | $2,500,000R | $1,288,000 | [# 94] | |
| 1941 | Sergeant York | $6,100,000* R | $2,000,000 | [# 95][# 96] |
| 1942 | Bambi | $268,000,000 (< $2,000,000)R | $2,000,000 | [# 97][# 98] |
| Mrs. Miniver | $5,000,000* R | $1,344,000 | [# 99][# 100] | |
| 1943 | This Is the Army | $8,500,000* R | $1,400,000 | [# 101][# 102] |
| 1944 | Going My Way | $17,000,000R | TBA | [# 103][# 104] |
| 1945 | Mom and Dad | $40,000,000–$100,000,000 | $62,000 | [# 105] |
| The Bells of St. Mary's | $8,500,000* R | TBA | [# 106] | |
| 1946 | Song of the South | $65,000,000* ($3,300,000)R | $2,125,000 | [# 107][# 108][# 109] |
| Duel in the Sun | $21,000,000R | $5,000,000 | [# 110] | |
| The Best Years of Our Lives | $19,300,000+ R | $2,100,000 | [# 111][# 112][# 113] | |
| 1947 | Forever Amber | $8,000,000R | $6,375,000 | [# 114][# 115] |
| Unconquered | $5,300,000* R | $4,200,000 | [# 116][# 117] | |
| 1948 | The Red Shoes | $5,000,000* R | TBA | [# 118] |
| The Snake Pit | $4,100,000* R | TBA | [# 119] | |
| 1949 | Samson and Delilah | $12,000,000R | $3,000,000 | [# 120] |
| 1950 | Cinderella | $85,000,000* ($4,300,000)* R | $2,900,000 | [# 121][# 122] |
| King Solomon's Mines | $5,600,000* R | $3,500,000 | [# 122][# 123] | |
| 1951 | Quo Vadis | $21,037,000R | $7,000,000 | [# 124][# 125] |
| 1952 | The Greatest Show on Earth | $18,350,000R | $4,000,000 | [# 126] |
| 1953 | Peter Pan | $145,000,000 | $3,000,000–$4,000,000 | [# 127] |
| The Robe | $25,000,000R | $4,500,000 | [# 128] | |
| 1954 | White Christmas | $12,000,000R | TBA | [# 129] |
| 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea | $11,000,000R ($6,800,000)R | $5,000,000–$9,000,000 | [# 130][# 131] | |
| 1955 | Lady and the Tramp | $93,600,000* | $4,000,000 | [# 132][# 133] |
| Mister Roberts | $21,200,000* | TBA | [# 134] | |
| 1956 | The Ten Commandments | $60,000,000R | $13,500,000 | [# 135] |
| 1957 | The Bridge on the River Kwai | $30,000,000R | $3,000,000 | [# 136] |
| 1958 | South Pacific | $17,000,000R | $6,000,000 | [# 137] |
| 1959 | Ben-Hur | $80,000,000R ($65,000,000)R | $15,000,000 | [# 138][# 139] |
| 1960 | Spartacus | $60,000,000 | $12,000,000 | [# 140] |
| Psycho | $50,000,000+ ($14,000,000)R | $800,000 | [# 141] | |
| Swiss Family Robinson | $40,400,000* | $4,500,000 | [# 142][# 143] | |
| 1961 | One Hundred and One Dalmatians | $215,880,014 ($14,000,000)* | $4,000,000 | [# 144][# 145] |
| West Side Story | $30,000,000R | $6,000,000 | [# 146][# 147] | |
| 1962 | Lawrence of Arabia | $69,995,385 | $15,000,000 | [# 148] |
| 1963 | Cleopatra | $38,042,000R | $44,000,000 | [# 149] |
| 1964 | Goldfinger | $124,900,000 ($46,000,000)R | $3,000,000 | [# 150][# 151] |
| Mary Poppins | $52,000,000+R ($45,000,000)R | $5,200,000 | [# 152] | |
| My Fair Lady | $46,000,000R | $17,000,000 | [# 153] | |
| 1965 | The Sound of Music | $286,214,286 ($112,481,000)R | $8,100,000 | [# 154][# 155] |
| 1966 | The Bible: In the Beginning | $25,300,000R | $18,000,000 | [# 156] |
| Hawaii | $34,562,222* | $15,000,000 | [# 157] | |
| Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? | $33,736,689* | $7,613,000 | [# 158][# 159] | |
| 1967 | The Jungle Book | $205,843,612 | $4,000,000 | [# 160][# 161] |
| The Graduate | $104,397,102* | $3,000,000 | [# 162][# 163] | |
| 1968 | 2001: A Space Odyssey | $190,000,000 | $10,500,000 | [# 164] |
| Funny Girl | $80,000,000–$100,000,000 | $8,800,000 | [# 165][# 166] | |
| 1969 | Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid | $102,308,900* | $6,000,000 | [# 167] |
| 1970 | Love Story | $80,000,000R | $2,200,000 | [# 168][# 169] |
| 1971 | Diamonds Are Forever | $116,000,000 | $7,200,000 | [# 170] |
| Billy Jack | $98,000,000* | $1,000,000 | [# 171][# 172] | |
| Fiddler on the Roof | $80,500,000* | $9,000,000 | [# 173] | |
| 1972 | The Godfather | $268,500,000 ($145,000,000)R | $6,000,000–$7,000,000 | [# 174][# 175][# 176] |
| 1973 | The Exorcist | $402,735,134 ($100,000,000)R | $12,000,000 | [# 177][# 178] |
| The Sting | $115,000,000R | $5,500,000 | [# 179][# 180] | |
| 1974 | The Towering Inferno | $88,650,000R | $14,000,000 | [# 181][# 182] |
| 1975 | Jaws | $470,700,000 ($400,000,000) | $12,000,000 | [# 183][# 184] |
| 1976 | Rocky | $225,000,000 | $1,000,000 | [# 185] |
| 1977 | Star Wars | $775,398,007 ($530,000,000)SW | $11,000,000 | [# 38][# 186] |
| 1978 | Grease | $387,513,770 | $6,000,000 | [# 187] |
| 1979 | Kramer vs. Kramer | $94,000,000R | TBA | [# 188] |
| 1980 | The Empire Strikes Back | $538,375,067 ($413,562,607)SW | $23,000,000 | [# 189] |
| 1981 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | $384,140,454 ($351,328,121) | $20,000,000 | [# 190] |
| 1982 | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial | $792,910,554 ($619,000,000) | $10,500,000 | [# 35][# 186] |
| 1983 | Return of the Jedi | $475,106,177 ($385,845,197)SW | $32,500,000 | [# 191] |
| 1984 | Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom | $333,080,271 | $28,000,000 | [# 192] |
| 1985 | Back to the Future | $383,874,862 | $19,000,000 | [# 193] |
| 1986 | Top Gun | $353,786,701 | $15,000,000 | [# 194] |
| 1987 | Fatal Attraction | $320,100,000 | $14,000,000 | [# 195] |
| 1988 | Rain Man | $412,800,000 | $25,000,000 | [# 196] |
| 1989 | Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade | $474,171,806 | $48,000,000 | [# 197] |
| 1990 | Ghost | $517,600,000 | $22,000,000 | [# 198] |
| 1991 | Terminator 2: Judgment Day | $516,816,151 | $100,000,000 | [# 199] |
| 1992 | Aladdin | $504,050,219 | $28,000,000 | [# 200] |
| 1993 | Jurassic Park | $914,691,118 | $63,000,000 | [# 20] |
| 1994 | The Lion King | $951,583,777 ($765,237,948) | $45,000,000 | [# 15] |
| 1995 | Die Hard with a Vengeance | $364,480,746 | $90,000,000 | [# 201] |
| 1996 | Independence Day | $817,400,891 | $75,000,000 | [# 31] |
| 1997 | Titanic | $2,175,944,651 ($1,843,201,268) | $200,000,000 | [# 2][# 202] |
| 1998 | Armageddon | $554,600,000 | $140,000,000 | [# 203] |
| 1999 | Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace | $1,026,284,487 ($924,317,558) | $115,000,000 | [# 9] |
| 2000 | Mission: Impossible II | $546,388,105 | $125,000,000 | [# 204] |
| 2001 | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | $974,755,371 | $125,000,000 | [# 12] |
| 2002 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | $926,047,111 ($921,780,457) | $94,000,000 | [# 18] |
| 2003 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | $1,119,929,521 ($1,119,110,941) | $94,000,000 | [# 5] |
| 2004 | Shrek 2 | $919,838,758 | $150,000,000 | [# 19] |
| 2005 | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire | $896,911,078 | $150,000,000 | [# 21] |
| 2006 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest | $1,066,179,725 | $225,000,000 | [# 6] |
| 2007 | Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End | $963,420,425 | $300,000,000 | [# 13] |
| 2008 | The Dark Knight | $1,001,921,825 ($999,615,879) | $185,000,000 | [# 11] |
| 2009 | Avatar | $2,782,275,172 ($2,749,064,328) | $237,000,000 | [# 1][# 205] |
| 2010 | Toy Story 3 | $1,063,171,911 | $200,000,000 | [# 7] |
| 2011 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 | $1,328,111,219 | $250,000,000HP | [# 3] |
| 2012 | The Avengers | $803,319,373 | $220,000,000 | [# 206] |
( ... ) Since grosses are not limited to original theatrical runs, a film's first-run gross is included in brackets after the total if known.
* Canada and U.S. gross only.
R Gross rental. The 'rentals' are the distributor's share of the film's theatrical revenue i.e. the box office gross less the exhibitor's cut.[30] In the case of older films it was standard practice to report the rentals instead of the box office gross. Historically, the rental price averaged at 35–40% when the distributors owned the theater chains, equating to just over a third of the gross being paid to the distributor of the film.[31] In the modern marketplace, rental fees can vary greatly—depending on a number of factors—ranging from 25–65%, although the films from the major studios average out at 43%.[32]
TBA To be ascertained.
SW The 'first run' Star Wars grosses do not include revenue from the 1997 special edition releases; however, the figure does include revenue from the re-releases prior to the special editions.
HP Production costs were shared with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1.
* Canada and U.S. gross only.
R Gross rental. The 'rentals' are the distributor's share of the film's theatrical revenue i.e. the box office gross less the exhibitor's cut.[30] In the case of older films it was standard practice to report the rentals instead of the box office gross. Historically, the rental price averaged at 35–40% when the distributors owned the theater chains, equating to just over a third of the gross being paid to the distributor of the film.[31] In the modern marketplace, rental fees can vary greatly—depending on a number of factors—ranging from 25–65%, although the films from the major studios average out at 43%.[32]
TBA To be ascertained.
SW The 'first run' Star Wars grosses do not include revenue from the 1997 special edition releases; however, the figure does include revenue from the re-releases prior to the special editions.
HP Production costs were shared with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1.
Timeline of highest-grossing films
Some sources claim that The Big Parade superseded The Birth of a Nation as highest-grossing film, eventually being replaced by Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which in turn was quickly usurped by Gone with the Wind.[33] As of 1932, Variety still had The Birth of a Nation ($10,000,000) ahead of The Big Parade ($6,400,000) on gross rentals,[34] and even though exact figures are not known, it is unlikely The Birth of a Nation was ever overtaken by a silent-era film.[35] If the estimate for The Birth of a Nation is correct, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ($8,500,000)[36] would not have earned enough on its first theatrical run to take the record, although it would have been the highest-grossing 'talkie'.[37] In any case, if The Birth of a Nation earned significantly less than its estimated gross, the record would fall to Ben-Hur (1925), which grossed $9,386,000 in rentals on its original theatrical run.[38] In addition to its gross rentals earned through public exhibition, The Birth of a Nation played at a large number of private, club and organizational engagements which are not accounted for by its rental gross.[39] It was hugely popular with the Ku Klux Klan who used it to drive recruitment,[40] and in total it is estimated to have earned at least $50–60 million by the 1950s.[41] While it is generally accepted that Gone with the Wind took over the record of highest-grossing film on its initial release—which is true in terms of public exhibition—it is likely it did not overtake The Birth of a Nation in total revenue until a much later date, with it still being reported as the highest earner up until the 1960s.[39]
Gone with the Wind, Star Wars, E.T. and Avatar all added to their record grosses with reissues. Their grosses from their original theatrical runs are included here along with totals from re-releases up to the point that they lost the record; therefore the total for E.T. incorporates revenue from the 1985 reissue but not from 2002; the total for Star Wars includes revenue from the late 1970s and early 1980s reissues but not from the 1997 Special Edition; the total for Avatar—as the current record-holder—includes all its income at the present time. Gone with the Wind is represented twice on the chart: the 1940 entry includes its gross from its initial theatrical run along with all its revenue up to its 1961 reissue (before it lost the record to The Sound of Music in 1966), and its 1971 entry (after it took back the record) includes income from the 1967 and 1971 reissues along with its earlier grosses, but omitting later reissues. The Godfather was re-released in 1973 after its success at the 45th Academy Awards, and Jaws was reissued in 1976, and their grosses here most likely include earnings from those releases; similarly, The Birth of a Nation was re-released a couple of times prior to 1932, so it is not clear if Variety's 1932 figure includes revenue from just the original theatrical run or all releases up to that point. The Sound of Music, Jaws and Titanic increased their earnings with further releases in 1973, 1979 and 2012 respectively, but they are not included in the totals here since they had already conceded the record prior to being re-released. Jurassic Park has had just one theatrical run, so its total represents its entire gross.
The Sound of Music was the first film to earn $100 million in rentals, but Gone with the Wind would have been the first to generate $100 million in box office receipts through its reissues, while Titanic was the first $1 billion grossing film.
| Established | Title | Record setting gross | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1915[33] | The Birth of a Nation | $10,000,000R | [# 51] |
| 1940[19] | Gone with the Wind | $32,000,000R | [# 89] |
| 1961 | $67,000,000R ‡ | [# 139] | |
| 1966[33] | The Sound of Music | $112,481,000R | [# 155] |
| 1971[33] | Gone with the Wind | $114,000,000R ‡ | [# 207] |
| 1972[33] | The Godfather | $145,000,000R | [# 175] |
| 1976[46][47] | Jaws | $400,000,000 ($193,700,000)R | [# 184] |
| 1978[48][49] | Star Wars | $410,000,000 | [# 208] |
| 1982 | $530,000,000 ‡ | [# 186] | |
| 1983[33] | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial | $619,000,000 | [# 186] |
| 1985 | $701,000,000 ‡ | [# 209] | |
| 1993[33] | Jurassic Park | $914,691,118 | [# 20] |
| 1998[50] | Titanic | $1,843,201,268 | [# 202] |
| 2010[51][52] | Avatar | $2,749,064,328 | [# 1] |
| $2,782,275,172 ‡ |
R Gross rental.
Includes revenue from re-releases.
YYYY If a film increased its gross through re-releases while holding the record, the year in which it recorded its highest gross is also noted in italics.
Includes revenue from re-releases.YYYY If a film increased its gross through re-releases while holding the record, the year in which it recorded its highest gross is also noted in italics.
Highest-grossing franchises and film series
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