Top 10 Highest-Grossing Movies of All Time Worldwide

What are the highest-grossing movies of all time? It might surprise you that four of the top 10 highest-grossing movies of all time came out last year, and we’ve already added another two in 2021Avtar, Avengers: Endgame now tops the worldwide box office list and the “don’t call it a live-action” remake of The Lion King has cracked the Top 10. Those stats, of course, are skewed by rising ticket prices and increases in population. Adjusted for inflation, no movie can match the $3.7 billion haul that Gone with the Wind’s $390 million box-office receipts since its 1939 release would be worth in today’s dollars. But here, we’re looking at the highest-grossing movies ever in gross dollar receipts.

With the exception of Titanic and two Disney films, all of the biggest box office movies are part of a franchise, making us believe that there were probably some studio execs at Paramount or 20th Century Fox trying to convince James Cameron that he should do a sequel (“Are we sure that Jack really dies? Can he come back as a ghost?”). Speaking of Cameron, directing what at one point were the two biggest box-office hits of all time is quite a feat, one we’re sure hasn’t gone to his head. That they were so different—an historic romance drama and a sci-fi action/adventure—makes it all the more impressive. And all credit to what the Russo Brothers have accomplished with the Marvel properties they were handed.

The list of the highest-grossing films of all time includes some highly enjoyable movies and some that we can only shake our heads at and marvel at the worldwide moviegoer.

Here are the 10 highest-grossing movies of all time:

1. Avatar

James Cameron’s sci-fi fantasy, “Avatar” ($2,847,246,203), starring Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana, was released in 2009.

2. Avengers: Endgame

Marvel’s “Avengers: Endgame” ($2,797,501,328), the fourth in the “Avengers” franchise, which shattered the record for largest opening few days ever, both domestically and internationally, was released in 2019.

3. Titanic

James Cameron’s film, “Titanic” ($2,187,425,379), starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, was released in 1997.

4. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

J.J. Abrams’ sci-fi fantasy, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” ($2,068,223,624), starring John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Harrison Ford, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac,and Carrie Fisher, was released in 2015.

5. Avengers: Infinity War

Marvel’s “Avengers: Infinity War,” ( $2,048,359,754) the third in the “Avengers” franchise, had the highest-grossing domestic opening few days ever after its release on April 27, 2018.

6. Jurassic World

Colin Trevorrow’s sci-fi frightfulness, “Jurassic World” ($1,671,713,208), starring Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard and Ty Simpkins, was released in 2015.

7. The Lion King

A live-action-looking CGI remake of Disney’s 1994 animated feature, Jon Favreau’s “The Lion King” ($1,656,943,394) was released in 2019.

8. Marvel’s The Avengers

Joss Whedon’s action/adventure film, “Marvel’s The Avengers” ($1,518,812,988), starring Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo, was released in 2012.