Top 15 Highest Grossing Films of All Time
#14 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1
Fans around the world flocked to theaters in droves to see part 1 of the penultimate Potter film, raking in $956,399,711. The thrilling build-up dropped off at a throat-clutching cliffhanger, veritably guaranteeing box office for the series' conclusion.
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15:
The Lion King
In perhaps the last of the 90s Rennaisance of Disney's animated features, The Lion King proved that everybody loves talking animals. Or if nothing else, The Lion King's climb up the box office, grossing $951,583,777, has left the phrase "hakuna matata" seared into the pop culture landscape.
14:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1
Fans around the world flocked to theaters in droves to see part 1 of the penultimate Potter film, raking in $956,399,711. The thrilling build-up dropped off at a throat-clutching cliffhanger, veritably guaranteeing box office for the series' conclusion.
13:
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Disney hit the jackpot with a winning combination of Johnny Depp, piratery and tentacle beards. Who would have guessed that it'd make nearly $1 billion in box office and launch such an enduring franchise?
12:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
"Let the magic begin," boasts the poster. It's as if they knew from the beginning that the HP franchise would go on to be one of the most critically acclaimed and financially successful film franchises of all time.
11:
The Dark Knight
The highly anticipated movie received eight Academy Award nominations and won Best Sound Editing and Best Supporting Actor for the late Heath Ledger's performance.
10:
Alice in Wonderland
Tim Burton, known for his dark, quirky themed films, directed the adaptation of the novel. At the 83rd Academy Awards, Alice in Wonderland won for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design.
9:
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Seven years after the conclusion of his magnum opus hexalogy, George Lucas has returned to the beginning and rereleased the highest grossing episode in the series. The ensuing cash avalanche bumped it from the top 20 to the top 10 highest grossing movies of all time.
8:
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
As the 8th highest grossing movie of all time, On Stranger Tides broke many box office records upon release. Like the other movies in the movie franchise reviews were mixed. Acting, directing and visuals were praised, but script-writing, excessiveness, and lack of originality were criticized.
7:
Toy Story 3
Toy Story 3 was nominated for five Academy Awards – Best Picture, Best Animated Feature, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Song, and Best Sound Editing. It was the third animated film (to Beauty and the Beast and Up) to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. It won the awards for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song.
6:
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
The second installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise received mixed reviews. While it was praised for its special effects, it was criticized for its plot and length. Regardless, it set many records in its first three days and is highest-grossing Disney film ever.
5:
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
This film is the only first and only fantasy film to win an Academy Award for Best Picture. At $1,119,929,521, it was the highest-grossing film of 2003, beating out the likes of Disney's blockbuster Finding Nemo.
4:
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Derived from the Transformers toy line and thriving on nostalgia and incredible cgi, the Transformers movies were very successful. The most successful was the third installment Transformers: Dark of the Moon. All three movies were directed by the renowned Michael Bay.
3:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Years after the first books and movies, no one was ready to say goodbye to Harry Potter, but everyone was dying to see the final installment of the film which is one of the best reviewed films of 2011, racking up $1,328,111,219 in box office.
2:
Titanic
What movie is more epic and romantic than Titanic? Another James Cameron hit, the tale is a fictionalized account of the historic shipwreck. Already intriguing, but add a young Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet and you've got $2,160,404,935 in box office gold.
1:
Avatar
It took James Cameron 15 years to make Avatar, but it was definitely worth the wait. The movie is the biggest budgeted and highest grossing film of all time, selling $2,782,275,172 in tickets and eking out a win over Titanic by a slim $600 million. It's safe to say that the buzz around this film isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
