With the arrival of streaming services and the possibility of watching movies in the safety of one's own home, many people may have thought that cinemas would die out over time, but this was definitely not the case. Few things in life compare to the sensation of seeing works on the big screen, and millions of people fill movie theaters to this day to experience it.
But it's not just now that the passion for cinema has taken over the hearts of the general public and, with that in mind, we've put together the 10 biggest box office records of all time so that you can find out which ones have earned the most money for their producers! Are you ready to find out if your favorite film is among them?
The Avengers (2012)
Opening the list of box office records is the first Avengers movie, which marked an entire generation by bringing together several beloved superheroes on the big screen. The film had an initial budget of 220 million dollars and grossed 1.518 billion, making it an unquestionable success.
In the plot, the villainous Loki (Tom Hiddleston), brother of Thor (Chris Hemsworth), steals a mystical object from a secret agency that promotes peace called S.H.I.E.L.D. and agent Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) gathers the greatest heroes on Earth to try to stop him. Will they be able to work together to save the planet?
The Lion King (2019) - Collection
The Lion King was a remake of Disney's animated classic released in 1994 and, although it divided critics' opinions as to its quality, it brought a lot of people to the cinemas, earning a total of 1.662 billion dollars against a budget of 260 million, making it a box office record.
Here we follow the saga of Simba, the cub of Mufasa, the lion king of the jungle. Scar, Simba's uncle, wants to steal the throne for himself, so he ends up causing Mufasa's death and leaving the protagonist orphaned and having to fend for himself in the forest. But with the help of Timon and Pumba, the little cub manages to grow up and return to claim his rightful place.
Jurassic World (2015)
Another reboot of 90s productions that did well was Jurassic World. The return to the park of the most dangerous reptiles of all time is part of the list of box-office record films, with an initial budget of 150 million and grossing 1.67 billion dollars at the worldwide box office.
In this reinterpretation of the 1993 movie, the public returns to Dinosaur Park for a visit, but one of the beings contained there has very high intelligence, threatening all the visitors who are there. The cast includes big names such as Chris Pratt as the character Owen Grady and Bryce Dallas Howard as Claire Dearing.
Spider-Man: No Return Home (2021)
Spider-Man: Homecoming was the most eagerly awaited film of 2021 and, when it was finally released, it quickly became a box office record-breaker. The story brought back to the big screen the two other actors who played the hero before Tom Holland: Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, which ignited the audience's nostalgia and made the production gross 1.832 billion dollars at the box office on a budget of 200 million.
In this movie, part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) finds himself in a complicated situation when his identity is revealed. He asks Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to perform a spell to make things go back to the way they were before, but a flaw in the incantation could bring irreversible errors to the reality in which they live.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Avengers: Infinity War began the final part of the Infinity Gems saga in the MCU and shared an initial budget of 400 million dollars with Ultimatum, its direct sequel. It was a box-office record-breaker, earning 2.048 billion dollars at the box office alone.
Here, Thanos (Josh Brolin) is about to collect all the Infinity Gems in order to carry out his plan to eliminate half the population of the universe. It's up to the Avengers to stop him and save the day. Will they succeed?
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
Here we have yet another attempt to revitalize old sagas, like The Lion King and Jurassic Park. Episode VII of the Star Wars franchise was a box office success at the cinema, earning 2.069 billion dollars against an initial budget of 245 million, but ended up dividing opinions between critics and audiences about the quality of the work presented.
The Force Awakens tells how things turned out after the fall of Darth Vader, with a new evil organization called the First Order taking over as villains in the series. They are looking for Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) who is missing and is also wanted by the resistance to help save the galaxy.
Titanic (1997)
For many years, Titanic, directed by James Cameron, was the absolute leader in box office records. The novel based on the true story of the largest shipwreck on record had a budget of 200 million dollars and grossed a total of 2.245 billion dollars.
The movie tells the story of a penniless draughtsman played by Leonardo DiCaprio who wins a ticket on the Titanic, whose final destination is the United States. On the ship, the protagonist falls in love with young Rose (Kate Winslet), a member of the upper class who also responds to his feelings. But in the midst of this love story, a tragic accident occurs and everything takes an unexpected turn.
Avatar: The Way of the Water (2022)
More than ten years after its release, Avatar, director James Cameron's biggest hit, was given a sequel and quickly became a box office success at the cinema. It is the third highest-grossing film, behind Avengers: Endgame and Avatar, his first film.
With an initial budget of 250 million and a total collection of 2.247 billion dollars, here the family formed at the end of the first film faces difficulties. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoë Saldaña) have to leave their home and explore other areas of Pandora due to the resurgence of an ancient threat. Will they be able to protect their children and restore peace to the planet?
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Avengers: Endgame shared its budget of 400 million dollars with Avengers: Infinity War, but made much more money than its predecessor, grossing 2.797 billion dollars at the box office. It even overtook Avatar, which owned the gold medal for many years, but ended up losing out again to the title when it was on re-exhibition in 2022.
After the disaster at the end of Infinity War, the Avengers have to deal with losses and move on. However, a chance to put things right involving time travel appears and the remaining heroes unite once again to try and sort everything out, despite the risks involved. The story is so gripping and attracted so many people to the cinemas that it would be impossible for it not to end up becoming one of the biggest movie box office records of all time.
Avatar (2009)
And the leader of the podium could be none other than Avatar. The film began production with a budget of 237 million dollars and grossed 2.847 billion, making it one of the biggest box office records of all time. The visuals presented by the work in theaters, especially in the 3D experience, marked viewers in a very positive way, making it the main box-office record film of all time.
The movie introduces us to the planet Pandora and the interesting alien race that lives there, the Na'vi. The atmosphere on this planet is toxic to humans, so a kind of biological body controlled by human minds called "avatars" has been created to explore the place. One of these avatars belongs to ex-Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), who is paralyzed and can walk again because he uses one of these artificial bodies. In the midst of this situation, the character ends up falling in love with a native girl and becoming more attached to Pandora than he should.
Conclusion
But what about you? Do you think the box office really makes these the best films of all time? Would you change anything? Let us know what you think about the box office records in the comments! Also check out our list of best James Bond movies of all time and check out the video below!
