Science fiction continues to beone of the most popular and profitable genres in all cinema.Whether it brings audiences to worlds in galaxies far, far away like theStar Warsfranchise or stay here on Earth, where scientists meddle with prehistoric impossibilities like theJurassic Parkmovies, sci-fi has always found a plethora of ways to capture the hearts of audiences all over the planet.
Most of the all-time highest-grossing films belong to the science fiction genre, about half of the list, in fact. Thus, it’s safe to say that sci-fi’s most successful movies occupy an important place in modern entertainment. Most of the genre’s biggest triumphs are pretty stellar, but no genre is without its profitable flops, as well.These are the highest-grossing sci-fi movies of all time, familiar titles that fans will have undoubtedly seen at least once.
10’Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' (2019)
Worldwide Box Office:$1,077,022,372
There is simply no sci-fi franchise (or, honestly, movie franchise) as divisive asStar Wars.Everyone has their opinion, everyone fights each other over them, and no one can seem to agree on anything. The original trilogy is universally beloved, but the prequel has both its haters and lovers and the same can be said about the sequels, which ended withStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. In all honesty, no one was ever going to unanimously love the finale of one of the most divisive trilogies in the franchise.
The end of what is now considered the Skywalker Saga was less than ideal for many.A rushed enemies-to-lovers plotwas introduced at the last possible minute, taking away everything new and unique and established in the previous two films to bring the Emperor (Ian McDiarmid) back from the dead. Rough dialogue (“somehow, Palpatine returned”) and so much more bogged this film down by miles. However,that didn’t stop it from passing the billion-dollar mark, as it was always going to.
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker
9’Transformers: Age of Extinction' (2014)
Worldwide Box Office:$1,104,054,072
While theTransformersfranchise has certainly pumped out some of the more rough content that Hollywood has to offer, it just so happens to be one of the most popular cinematic sagas out there. That said,Transformers: Age of Extinctionis certainly towards the bottom of the listwhen it comes to qualityTransformersmovies; indeed, it’s a whole mess in almost every single way.
Following the Autobots as they’re on the run from the governments of the world after the harrowing events ofTransformers: Dark of the Moon, the film offers more of the same overblown action fans had come to expect from this robotic franchise. The only great thingsTransformers: Age of Extinctionreally brings to the table are Lockdown (Mark Ryan), one of the best villains in the series, andthe introduction of the Dinobots. Seeing mechanical dinosaurs, one of which can breathe fire, wasexciting enough to send audiences to the movie theaters, helpingAge of Extinctionmake it pass the billion-dollar mark.
Transformers: Age of Extinction
8’Jurassic Park' (1993)
Worldwide Box Office:$1,104,379,926
There aren’t many sci-fi films that are as classic as the one and onlyJurassic Park. Perhaps one of directorSteven Spielberg’s greatest filmsof his career and crowning achievements,Jurassic Parkcontinues to be an inspiration not just in the Science Fiction genre but in film as a whole. The way it utilized a mixture of new CGI technology with tried and true practical puppets and effects made the visuals of the film feel so grounded and real, making everyone believe dinosaurs could one day be real again.
Jurassic Parkwas so successful becauseit was so unbelievably groundbreaking, a true cinematic event unlike anything audiences had seen before. Aside from the titanous sequels, many of which also made it to the highest grossing rankings, the series, which started as a book, also got some television series, comic books, toys, board games, short films, and video games galore, thanks to the massive success of this first film. All that success is just proof of the quality found inJurassic Park’s first entry.
Jurassic Park
7’Transformers: Dark of the Moon' (2011)
Worldwide Box Office:$1,123,794,079
Just how did the Autobots get to the rough spot they’re in during the events ofTransformers: Age of Extinction? It all starts inTransformers: Dark of the Moon, the third film in the franchise. If there’s a word that could best describeTransformers: Dark of the Moon, it’s “spectacle.” It’sa large, bombastic war film that’s always finding a way to one-up itself, but it’s nowhere near being flawless.
The film is a mess with a dense and shallow plot that is only there to serve the action rather than the other way around. Still,the action is a lot of fun, which was arguably was 2009 audiences wanted out of theirTransformersmovie. The third act is one giant spectacle that no one can deny is so outrageous and overdone that it’s just so fun to watch. Nonetheless,Transformers: Dark of the Moonwon’t be making its way to the top of anyone’s favorites list anytime soon, ending asa phenomenon that owes its success to its specific time and place.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
6’Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom' (2018)
Worldwide Box Office:$1,310,469,037
Following the profound success ofJurassic World, it was inevitable that the film would get a follow-up, especially given how quick studios were to follow up the originalJurassic Park.Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, however, didn’t exactly follow up the quality of the first film very well. The second film in the franchise receivedpretty mixed reviews, although its willingness to be more experimental with the formula did draw positive commentaries.
History always finds a way to repeat itself, and the history of theJurassic Parksequels, unfortunately, passed itself on to theJurassic Worldfranchise.Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdomcouldn’t match its predecessor’s sheer sense of surprise.Jurassic Worldstood out from the past films in the franchise and greatly benefitted from being the first in this new saga.Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdomdid very strong business, even if it didn’t match the previous installment. Still, not many movies can make it all the way to $1.3 billion, so it’s not like these dinosaurs were shedding any tears.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
5’Star Wars: The Last Jedi' (2017)
Worldwide Box Office:$1,334,407,706
The debate has been, and always will be, out on the opinions ofStar Wars: The Last Jedi. One-half of the galaxy seems to hate it because of factors such as its characterization of Luke, while the other half loves it for attempting to do something unique, new, and interesting with the franchise, changing up the formula for once. No matter the opinions,Star Wars: The Last Jedimade a boatload of cash at the box office in 2017.
Whether people likeStar Wars: The Last Jedior not, it did well enough topropel director Rian Johnson to stardom, giving him the chance to make the ever-iconicKnives Outand earn a couple of Oscar nominations.Star Wars: The Last Jedimay be divisive, but at the end of the day, itremains one of Lucasfilm’s most profitable films. In a franchise that’s been quite predictable over the years (not necessarily a bad thing), a film likeStar Wars: The Last Jedican be quite refreshing.
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi
4’Jurassic World' (2015)
Worldwide Box Office:$1,671,537,444
Fourteen years after the final film in theJurassic Parktrilogy, many didn’t expect another installment because of the under-performance and critical reception of the second and third films of the franchise. But they would be pleased to discover that the franchise was getting another chance through the release ofJurassic World. The film opened to pretty positive reviews,crafting a new story with new characters while staying true to the heart of the franchise and everything that made it so great.
It was a no-brainer thatJurassic Worldwas going to make good money, but its sheer (and surprisingly) quality was what really brought people in and turned it intothe 4th highest-grossing science fiction film of all time.Jurassic Worldwasanother huge win forChris Prattafter his action-star debut inGuardians of the Galaxy, which completely redefined his career.
Jurassic World
3’Star Wars: The Force Awakens' (2015)
Worldwide Box Office:$2,071,310,218
Star Wars: The Force Awakensbrought the classic franchise back to the big screen after a decade.Star Warshas always been present in the media, but it’s not the same to have TV shows, comics, or novels, especially considering the saga was born on the big screen.Much like theJurassic Parkfranchise,theStar WarsPrequel Trilogy received a mixed receptionupon release but earned considerable goodwill in the subsequent years.
Come 2015,fans were elated to return to theaters to see a classic franchise they loved so dearly.Star Wars: The Force Awakenswas a true cinematic phenomenon; anticipation was extremely high, especially since it was the first film under Lucasfilms' new owners, Disney. Thankfully for the Mouse House,the movie was beloved by most fans, with people falling in love with this new cast of characters while appreciating the chance to see the return of legacy characters, too.
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
2’Avatar: The Way of Water' (2022)
Worldwide Box Office:$2,320,250,281
How on Earth does one follow up on one of science fiction’s biggest hits and not let down everyone? James Cameron somehow has the secret to it, because upon release,Avatar: The Way of Waterwas not just a box office hit, ranking just slightly under its predecessor, buta visual marvel in every single way. The new technology made forthe visuals inAvatar: The Way of Waterstunned people worldwide and made itanother monumental moment in cinema history.
Not only did it more than deliver on the visual end of things, but the story was super compelling as well, reintroducing audiences to Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) over a decade later and making them fall in love with the two all over again.Avatar: The Way of Watermay have a bulky runtime of 3 hours and 12 minutes, but it’s hard to notice it most of the time because of how engaging the plot truly is, a feat not accomplishable by many.
Avatar: The Way of Water
1’Avatar' (2009)
Worldwide Box Office:$2,923,706,026
The widespread and astounding success of theAvatarfranchise is, by no exaggeration, a miracle. It was not part of a major established franchise before release but a wholly new and original story with ambitious worldbuilding. However, thanks to theincredible mind of directorJames Cameron, it rose to the top and became not just the most successful sci-fi film of all time butthe highest-grossing of all time, a title it still has today.
The quality of the film and the new technology created to craft it were downright groundbreaking and shook the entertainment landscape. There was nothing like it at the time and there still isn’t.Avataris a testament to those who claim “no one makes original movies anymore;” they do and can be successful if people just go see them. Maybe the nextAvataris coming, and no one knows it… but it’s going to take quite some time for another original franchise to take this mighty helm fromAvatar.
