How often do you go out to the theatres? Do you ever think about how much a movie might make in ticket sales? Read on to find out what are the top 10 highest-grossing films of all time – in just theatrical release – and see how many you’ve watched. Maybe it’s time to see what enraptured millions of others, too.
10. Jurassic World (2015) – US$1,671,537,444 worldwide gross
Attaining a peak of 3rd towards the end of its run, the film directed by Colin Trevorrow with Chris Pratt in first billing, it is the first in the Jurassic World series while being the fourth overall instalment in the Jurassic Park franchise. It was a long time coming after Jurassic Park III in 2001, getting stuck in development hell as the script kept undergoing revisions. Set 22 years after III, there is at last a successful theme park populated with cloned dinosaurs, until all hell breaks loose when an escaped dinosaur goes on a rampage.
On release, it set box office records, including largest opening weekend both domestically and worldwide, highest-grossing for the Jurassic Park series and highest-grossing film released by Universal. It went on to spawn three sequels: Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018), Jurassic World Dominion (2022) and Jurassic World Rebirth (2025).
9. Inside Out 2 (2024) – US$1,698,863,816 worldwide gross
This is the sequel to the first movie released in 2015, from none other than Pixar. Continuing Riley’s coming-of-age story, Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Diane Lane, and Kyle MacLachlan reprise their roles. Featuring anthropomorphised emotions, the previously ‘settled’ ones have to contend with new emotions, while trying to do their best for their adolescent host.
The film is currently the highest-grossing film by Pixar, and also held the highest-grossing animated film of all time until it was later surpassed. It still has the honour of being the highest-grossing American-produced animated film. With the success of the film, should there be a third instalment, we could expect to see it break its own records.
8. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) – US$1,922,598,800 worldwide gross
You could say many expectations were riding on this film. It’s the sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), as well as being the 27th film in the overarching Marvel Cinematic Universe. It picks up right after Far From Home, with Tom Holland as Peter Parker needing to contend with his Spider-Man identity no longer being a secret. He tries to get Dr. Stephen Strange – played by Benedict Cumberbatch – for a spell to have his identity hidden again, Peter’s own actions cause it to go wrong, and alternate realities start to converge.
Since the film’s release, it has surpassed its predecessor to become Sony Pictures’ highest-grossing film, highest-grossing Spider-Man film, in addition to being highest-grossing film for 2021. Already an additional film trilogy has been planned, with Spider-Man: Brand New Day slated for release in July 2026.
7. Avengers: Infinity War (2018) – US$2,048,359,754 worldwide gross
Following The Avengers (2012) and Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), this is the 19th instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Pulling in the titular Avengers as well as the Guardians of the Galaxy, the ensemble cast have to put a stop to the overarching villain, Thanos, from collecting the Infinity Stones in his quest to kill half of all life in the known universe. Trouble is, he already has one.
Noted to have an estimated budget of US$325 to 400 million, it is one of the most expensive films ever made. It won a slew of Best Visual Effects accolades, while financially, it was a massive success: it was the highest grossing film of its year, and is the first superhero film to gross over US$2 billion worldwide.
6. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) – US$2,068,223,624 worldwide gross
How long have you ever waited for a continuation to one of your favourite series? The first instalment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy picks up the threads from Return of the Jedi (1983), both narratively and literally set 30 years later. The Resistance rises once again to fight the successor to the Galactic Empire, featuring new and returning characters of their respective generations embroiled in a war long thought over.
Chronologically the seventh film in the “Skywalker Saga”, it is a grand return for a culturally impactful series with a budget to match. At $533 million, it is the third most expensive film ever made. Released to critical acclaim, it was the highest-grossing film of its year, and was the third-highest-grossing film at time of release. Rounding out the sequel trilogy were The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019).
5. Ne Zha 2 (2025) – US$2,227,780,000 worldwide gross
A direct sequel of Ne Zha (2019), this animated feature follows a bratty depiction of the titular Chinese mythological character. Alongside his friend, the much calmer Ao Bing, the film starts with both needing to rebuild their bodies after the events of the first film. Trouble is quick to strike, and Ne Zha has to carry Ao Bing’s spirit within him to face his greatest trials yet, in order to restore his friend’s body.
At time of writing, Ne Zha 2 is the sole film not American-produced in the top 10 highest-grossing films of all time. In crossing the US$2 billion gross earnings milestone, it’s also the first non-English language animated film to do so, and the second non-Disney animated film after Shrek 2 (2004).
4. Titanic (1997) – US$2,257,906,828 worldwide gross
The classic film from James Cameron, starring Leonardi DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, holds strong in the top 10 highest-grossing films list. The film’s story utilises both historical accounts of the ship’s famous sinking, and fictionalised aspects to craft one of the most enduring love stories ever told: two members of different social castes fall headlong into a whirlwind romance as the inevitable doom looms.
The US$200 million production budget made the film the most expensive to make of its time. It had an initial worldwide gross of US$1.84 billion, with re-releases pushing it to gross more than US$2 billion, only the second in the world to do so at that point. To further cement its enduring legacy in film, the Library of Congress selected it to be preserved in the United States National Film Registry in 2017.
3. Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) – US$2,320,250,281 worldwide gross
The sequel to James Cameron’s epic sci-fi film, Avatar, it is the second in a planned pentalogy of films in the series. Set sixteen years after the first movie, protagonist Jake Sully has integrated with the Na’vi, becoming chief of the Omatikaya clan and raising a family with Neytiri. However, Jake’s former employer, the Resources Development Administration (RDA), return to colonise the moon Pandora, despite getting repelled before. Jake must once again protect his new home from old foes.
The film had to develop new technology to film performance capture scenes underwater, a feat not accomplished before. Originally meant for a 2014 release, the combination of needing new technology and more movies in the pipeline significantly delayed the project. That said, the time went towards further polish on writing, preproduction and the visual effects; the last of these being one of, if not the most praised, aspect of the movie. Following this, Avatar: Fire and Ash is expected to release in December 2025.
2. Avengers: Endgame (2019) – US$2,797,501,328 worldwide gross
The direct sequel to another high-grossing film on this list – Avengers: Infinity War – starts not long after the events of the previous film: the heroes had lost, and half of all life in the universe has gone. With those who are left, they have to figure out how they can rectify such a cosmic loss to make things right again.
This movie is the culmination of a grand arc in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, of the 21 films before it. As such, there are many returning actors and settings to give a bombastic pay-off to the fans diligently following the story to this point. It succeeded in surpassing Infinity War’s entire theatrical run in eleven days, and did hold the record of being the highest-grossing film of all time before the previous record-holder took back the crown again.
1. Avatar (2009) – US$2,923,710,708 worldwide gross
James Cameron’s sci-fi epic starts here, with Avatar. Jake Sully, under the employ of the Resources Development Administration (RDA), controls an “avatar”, assuming the form of a blue-skinned humanoid known as a Na’vi to safely traverse Pandora – a lush, habitable moon whose atmosphere is otherwise toxic to humans. He ends up falling in love with Na’vi princess, Neytiri, and chooses to fight against the RDA who only want to colonise Pandora and unearth its resources without a care for anything else.
The initial theatrical run shot it up to the top of the highest-grossing films list, until July 2019 when it was overtaken by Avengers: Endgame. Thanks to a re-release in China in March 2021, it returned to pole position for the current era. Avatar would set the hallmark of the series to have some of the most technologically advanced and stunning visual effects, where people will truly get to experience the stunning beauty of Pandora exactly as how Cameron envisioned it to be.
That wraps up the list of the top 10 highest-grossing films of all time, to date! Between highly successful sequels and original epics, the global audience are all enamoured by one thing: a story told well. If you haven’t seen these movies yet, take this as your sign to try.
