12 Highest Grossing Movies of All Time

The film industry is one of the most successful businesses in the world. Every year, movie studios release hundreds of new films, and many of these movies go on to become huge commercial successes. In fact, some movies are so successful that they become the highest grossing films of all time.

There are a number of factors that contribute to a movie’s box office success, including its marketing budget, star power, and critical acclaim. However, the one factor that is most important in determining a movie’s financial success is its overall quality.

Also Read: All Resident Evil Movies

A well-made film with a compelling story and strong performances will always find an audience, no matter its budget or marketing campaign. These are the movies that go on to become the highest grossing films of all time. Here are the 12 Highest Grossing Movies of all time.

best Highest Grossing Movies

12 Highest Grossing Movies of All Time

  1. Avtar

    Director: James Cameron

    Writer: James Cameron

    Stars: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver

    Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

     Avatar (2009) on IMDb

    Avtar is one of my most watched movies and I am never bored watching this movie. Show you a whole new world of science and fiction. The man vs nature theme in this movie will help you understand the importance of nature. This is because it is an impressive example of colonization on another planet.

    It was released in 2009 with a budget of $237 million and directed by James Cameron. Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, and Sigourney Weaver with Mauro Fiore Cinematography. Music by James Horner. And its Box Office Collection is $2.924 billion. This movie is the No.1 highest-grossing movie of all time.

    The movie’s plot revolves around colonizing another planet named Pandora. It is based on a very modern and interesting concept. Due to the toxic nature of the Pandora environment, each Avatar was linked to a human mind and allowed them to move freely within Pandora. Jack Sully (Sam Worthington), a paralysed former Marine joined this mission and fell in love with a Navi/hybrid (alien). After that, how they survive the battle and save Pandora makes you fall in love with the movie.

  2. Avengers: Endgame

    Directors: Anthony RussoJoe Russo

    Writers: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, Stan Lee

    Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo

    Genres: Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi

     Avengers: Endgame (2019) on IMDb

    Avengers: Endgame is the last movie based on Marvel Comics and an action/Sci-fi movie. The film was directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo and released in 2019. In total, Budged grossed $356–400million and its box office collection was $2.798 billion. Starring: Robert Downey jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johanson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Barie Larson, Karen Gillan, Danai Gurira, Benedict Wong, Jon Favreau, Bradley Cooper, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Josh Brolin. Music by Alan Silvestri with Trent Opaloch Cinematography.

    This is the no.2 highest-grossing movie of all time. This movie is a superhero movie where a superhero team named Avengers saves the world from Thanos who destroys/erases half of the Universe. After that, all the remaining Avengers plan to use Infinity Stones to reverse his actions. The story of Avengers: Endgame is how they use the quantum realm or time travel to save the world from Thanos.

  3. Titanic

    Director: James Cameron

    Writer: James Cameron

    Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane

    Genres: Drama, Romance

     Titanic (1997) on IMDb

    This movie is a true story based on the RMS Titanic a British passenger liner. It is operated by the White Star line, and the survivors of the Titanic ship accident.

    Titanic Movie was released in 1997 and directed by James Cameron. Its budget was $200 million and its box office collection was $2.202 billion. Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates, Frances Fisher, Bernard Hill, Jonathan Hyde, Danny Nucci, David Warner, Bill Paxton. Music by James Horner in Russell Carpenter Cinematography.

    The Titanic is an epic romance between two young couples Rose DeWitt Bukater and Jack Dawson. At the end, seeing 15,000 people go to their deaths in the North Atlantic makes you feel emotional.

  4. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

    Director: J.J. Abrams

    Writers: Lawrence Kasdan, J.J. Abrams, Michael Arndt

    Stars: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac

    Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

     Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015) on IMDb

    Every teenager loved the no. 4 highest-grossing movie in 2014. J.J. Abrams directed this movie, its budget/gross was $306 million and the box office collection was $2.068 billion. Casting: Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, Max von Sydow. Music by John Williams and Cinematography by Dan Mindel.

    The plot of this Sci-fi star war film revolves around creating a new order and destroying the New Republic, and it has many twists and turns. Finn, Rey, and Poe are the resistance members who try to stop them and find Luke. In the last surviving Jedi. You will be entertained most by games based on different planets.

  5. Avengers: Infinity War

    Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

    Writers: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, Stan Lee

    Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo

    Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

     Avengers: Infinity War (2018) on IMDb

    The superhero movie Avengers is based on Marvel Comic Avengers. The action and sci-fi movie was released in 2018. This movie’s gross was $31.6 million and its net was $204.84 million. In the Anthony Russo and Joe Russo directory, this movie is famous worldwide. Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, etc. Music creator name is Alan Silvestri.

    The mission of the Avengers team was to acquire the six Infinity Stones and save the world. The Guardians of the Galaxy respond and help them so that Thanos never has a chance to collect all six Infinity Stones. How did all Superheros fight during Collecting Infinity Stones and in the end did they succeed or not? This is the movie.

  6. Spider-Man: No Way Home

    Director: Jon Watts

    Writers: Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Stan Lee

    Stars: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch

    Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

     Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) on IMDb

    Spider-Man is a comic superhero about a shy teenage boy who becomes a superhero after being bitten by a genetically-modified spider and fights against injustice and crime.

    In 2021, directed by Jon Watts. Its gross/budget was $200million, and its box office collection was $1.916billion. Casting: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jacob Batalon, Jon Favreau, Jamie Foxx, Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, Benedict Wong, Tony Revolori, Marisa Tomei, Andrew Garfield, Tobey Maguire. Music by Michael Giacchino and Mauro Fiore Cinematography.

    As Spider-Man, Peter Parker faces many problems and fails to safeguard his identity. After his identity is revealed he seeks the help of Doctor Strange but he becomes more dangerous forcing Peter to discover about Spider-man. Peter’s struggle against all these phenomena is depicted in this movie.

  7. Jurassic World

    Director: Colin Trevorrow

    Writers: Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Colin Trevorrow

    Stars: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins

    Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

     Jurassic World (2015) on IMDb

    I bet you won’t get bored watching Jurrasic World. The movie Jurrasic is an action and sci-fi movie about a theme park where genetically-engineered dinosaurs get wild and try to escape from the park.

    Released in 2015, the director was Colin Trevorrow. Its gross/budget was 15 Millions UDS and its box office net was $1.672 billion. Cast members include Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D’Onofrio, Nick Robinson, Omar Sy, BD Wong, Irrfan Khan, Ty Simpkins. Music by Michael Giacchino and Cinematography by John Schwartzman.

    The Jurassic World luxury resort which is located off the coast of Costa Rica provides genetically-engineered dinosaurs to see and understand. Suddenly massive creatures escape and Chris Pratt uses his special skills to save two young brothers in Jurrasic World.

  8. The Lion King

    Director: Jon Favreau

    Writers: Jeff Nathanson, Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts

    Stars: Donald Glover(voice), Beyoncé(voice), Seth Rogen(voice)

    Genres: Animation, Adventure, Drama, Family, Musical

     The Lion King (2019) on IMDb

    When it comes to the kid’s section The Lion King is the right choice for your kids. It’s a family-friendly musical movie that your child will enjoy. This movie is not just loved by kids, but also by adults, which is why it is the no.8 highest-grossing of all movies.

    The Lion King movie was released in 2019 and the director was Jon Favreau. This movie’s budget/gross was $250 million and the box office was $1.663 billion. The voice Cast: Donald Glover, Billy Eichner, John Oliver, Seth Rogen, James Earl Jones, John Kani, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Beyond Knowles Carter, Alfre Woodard. Music by Hans Zimmer. With Caleb Deschanel’s Cinematography, this movie was a box office hit.

    You will be entertained by the story of a young lion prince named Simba. He idolized his father, the lion king, and how he became the future king of the African Savanna.

  9. The Avengers

    Director: Joss Whedon

    Writers: Joss Whedon, Zak Penn

    Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson

    Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

     The Avengers (2012) on IMDb

    The Superhero Movie based on Marvel Comics is my all-time favorite movie. I love to watch this movie and am never bored to watch.

    Joss Whedon directed this movie in 2012, ranking among the top 12 most-received movies. This movie’s budget was $220 million and the box office collection was $1.519 billion. Cast members include Robert Downey, Chris Evans, Tom Hiddleston, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johannsson, Jeremy Renner, Clark Gregg, Stellan Skarsgard, Samuel L. Jackson, and Cobie Smulders. The cinematography is by Seamus McGarvey, and the music is by Alan Silvestri.

    Here is another Superhero Movie where The Avengers team tries to save the energy cube with unlimited power from Loki. As you might expect, Loki is the evil brother of Thor. You will all find this movie very interesting.

  10. Fast & Furious 7

    Director: James Wan

    Writers: Chris Morgan, Gary Scott Thompson

    Stars: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson

    Genres: Action, Crime, Thriller

     Furious 7 (2015) on IMDb

    Thriller and action-based movies are the right movie choice for action lovers. This American action movie was released in 2015 and directed by James Wan.

    The budget of this movie was $250 million, and the box office collection was $1.516 billion. The cast is Vin Diesel, Tony Jaa, Ronda Rousey, Dwayne Rodriquez, Tyrese Gibson, Nathalie Emmanuel, Paul Walker, Djimon Hounsou, Kurt Russell, Jason Statham, and Chris Bridges. Music by Brian Tyler and written by Chris Morgan.

    When Dominic Toretto, Brian O’Conner, and other members defeated Owen Shaw and his crew, they returned to the United States. This was so that they could leave peaceful and normal lives behind again. However, Owen’s brother avenges him, and this is how the movie’s action runs.

  11. Frozen 2

    Directors: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee

    Writers: Jennifer Lee(screenplay by), Hans Christian Andersen(story inspired by: “The Snow Queen” by), Chris Buck(story by)

    Stars: Kristen Bell(voice), Idina Menzel(voice), Josh Gad(voice)

    Genres: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Musical

     Frozen II (2019) on IMDb

    Movie Frozen 2 is the sequel to Frozen and is the most poignant movie to show sister love. Here is a family and adventure movie I recommend. This  movie was released in 2019.

    Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee directed the film. The film’s budget is $150million, and the box office collection is $1.450billion. The voice cast: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff and Josh Gad. Music creator Christophe Beck, Robert Lopez, and Kristen Anderson Lopez.

    The movie Frozen 2 focuses on the bond between sisters Anna and Elsa, while Elsa has the power to create ice and snow. But she lives happily with the people of Arendelle. One day she heard a strange voice calling her. She traveled into the deep forest and dark seas beyond her kingdom. Elsa’s journey with her sister Anna and Olaf is filled with adventure and how her self-discovery makes your heart sing.

  12. Avengers: Age of Ultron

    Director: Joss Whedon

    Writers: Joss WhedonStan Lee, Jack Kirby

    Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo

    Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

     Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) on IMDb

    Again this Superhero movie is in the Marvel Comics franchise. Avengers is the Superhero Team with many superheroes who save the world from time to time. Ironman, Captain America, Thor, and Hulk are some of the superhero names.

    This movie was released in 2015 and the director was Jose Whedon. This movie’s budget was $365 million and its box office collection was $1.403 billion. Cast includes Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Don Cheadle, Paul Bettany, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen, Cobie Smulders, Hayley Atwell, Idris Elba, etc. Music creators Brian Tyler and Danny Elfman.

    This movie is science-based. Tony Stark/Ironman starts the Ultron Program to protect the world, but something terrible happens, and he and his team face a virtually impossible enemy. How they protest, the world is all about this movie.

Conclusion

To sum up, the highest grossing movies tend to be big budget blockbusters with high production values and A-list stars. However, there are always exceptions to the rule, and sometimes a small independently produced movie can strike a chord with audiences and become a sleeper hit. Ultimately, what matters most is whether or not the movie is entertaining and engaging, and if it is, then it has a good chance of becoming a box office success.

Kierra Rowsey
Kierra Rowsey

Kierra Rowsey is a freelance TV, Film and anime critic for over 12 years, living in Arkansas with her husband and three kids. She graduated from NYU College of Arts & Science in 2008.

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