While movies are first and foremost an art form,they also are a business endeavor for the cast and crew involved in creating them. Movies are exceedingly costly to make, and the financial success of a film is never a guarantee. The movie industry is a massive one, providing thousands of jobs and outputting a near-endless stream of entertainment for consumers worldwide.
Box-office success (especially when it comes to the coveted billion-dollar landmark) isn’t always an indicator of quality, but it does demonstrate massive interest in a property or positive word-of-mouth. According to the box office database websiteTheNumbers.com,only 54 movies have grossed more than a billion dollars globally. These are 10 movies that came painstakingly close to reaching that coveted billion-dollar mark.
10’The Lion King' (1994)
Global Box Office: $988,389,726
The Lion Kingfollows a young lion cub named Simba (Jonathan Taylor Thomas), the heir to his father Mufasa’s (James Earl Jones) throne. Simba’s uncle Scar (Jeremy Irons) plots to get rid of both Simba and Mufasa and take the throne for himself. After killing Mufasa and leaving Simba for dead, no one is left to challenge Scar until Simba returns as an adult looking to take back what was rightfully his.
The massive success ofThe Lion Kingis fully deserved;this is an accessible, exciting and beautifully animated adventure that has something for just about anyone.The Lion Kingis a beloved Disney classic—its continuous success following theatrical re-releases proves that status. While the photo-realistic animated remake,The Lion King(2019), broke the billion-dollar threshold,the original remains on top when in most people’s hearts worldwide.
The Lion King
9’Oppenheimer' (2023)
Global Box Office: $976,837,000
Oppenheimerchronicles the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), the genius physicist who played a leading role in the creation of the atomic bomb. Oppenheimer’s subsequent trial regarding potential ties to communism is intercut with his work on the top-secret Manhattan Project, with the end goal of winning the war and establishing the United States as a nuclear superpower. An experiment known as The Trinity Test would lead to Oppenheimer’s greatest success and worst nightmares.
The massive success ofOppenheimershouldn’t have been surprising. After all,Christopher Nolanhad already proved himself a visionary filmmaker and one of Hollywood’s most consistent creators of quality entertainment. Still, the sheercultural impact ofOppenheimeris hard to quantify. Releasing in tandem withGreta Gerwig’sBarbie, the"Barbenheimer" phenomenon is best described by the phrase “you had to be there.“Oppenheimer’s success wouldn’t end at the box office — it went on to win seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, making it the closest thing the 21st century has had toa true dramatic cinematic event.
Oppenheimer
8’Despicable Me 2' (2013)
Global Box Office: $975,216,835
Ex-super-villain Gru (voiced bySteve Carell) is adjusting to a life of family and honest business. When a secret laboratory in the Arctic is stolen, Gru is recruited for help by agent Lucy Wilde (voiced byKristen Wiig) of the Anti-Villian League. While Gru is initially reluctant to take the plunge back into the world of villainy, his know-how is the world’s best chance at averting a crisis at the hands of a madman.
TheDespicable Mefranchise is one of modern cinema’s most profitable animated series.MinionsandDespicable Me 3both surpassed a billion dollars at the global box office, withDespicable Me 2falling just short. Still,Despicable Me 2’s massive success helped to secure a future for the franchise—a franchise that is unlikely to falter so long as it continues to be a surefire bet at the box office.
Despicable Me 2
7’Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle' (2017)
Global Box Office: $961,632,807
When four high-school students placed in detention together come to discover an old video game console, they soon discover that what they choose to play is far from just a game. After being magically transported into a jungle teeming with hostile threats, the group must band together and make use of their special abilities, lest they remain stuck in the world of Jumanji forever.
Jumanji(1995)is animaginative and widely-beloved adventure movie, bolstered byone of the greatRobin Williams' most entertaining roles. It was only a matter of time before the ’90s classic received the modern treatment; enterJumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. Starring a quartet of some of Hollywood’s biggest stars (Dwayne Johnson,Kevin Hart,Karen GillianandJack Black),this reboot’s success was far from surprising.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
6’Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End' (2007)
Global Box Office: $960,996,492
Following Jack Sparrow’s (Johnny Depp) heroic sacrifice at the end ofPirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, blacksmith Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), the fearless Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) and pirate Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) must band together to rescue their eccentric ally from a state of perpetual limbo in Davy Jones' locker. Uneasy alliances, swashbuckling adventure and the pursuit of riches—a pirate’s life for all.
Pirates of the Caribbeanis a franchise stemming from the unlikeliest of origins:a theme park ride developed for Disney parks. WhilePirates of the Caribbean: At World’s Endwasn’t the franchise’s most favorable critical success,it was a solid continuation of a wildly entertaining adventure—one that brought in a boatload of booty at the box office. While the franchise has since been a victim of choppy waters,fans are eager for the potential of the next entry.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
5’Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' (2022)
Global Box Office: $952,224,986
Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) has been having unusual visions of a girl with the ability to travel across dimensions. That girl is none other than teenager America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez). Strange teams up with Chavez when extradimensional beings and alternate versions of himself threaten the fragile bindings of the multiverse. Their mission is complicated when Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) succumbs to the wicked allure of dark witchcraft.
With the expressive directorial vision ofSam Raimihelming this entry to theMarvel Cinematic Universe, the potential ofDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnesswas near limitless.Despite the movie’s rather divisive nature regarding specific creative choices,Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnesswas a box office success thatembraced silliness and horror elementsin ways no other MCU effort has attempted before. Its success was no small due toword of mouth surrounding surprising cameosandpromises of long-lasting implications for the future of the franchise.
Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness
4’The Jungle Book' (2016)
Global Box Office: $951,806,722
A young boy named Mowgli (Neel Sethi) has been raised by a wolf-pack, becoming one with the jungle and its varied ecosystem of animal inhabitants. His existence is threatened by the arrival of a villainous tiger named Shere Khan (voiced byIdris Elba). Urged to leave his wolf family behind, Mowgli embarks on a journey guided by his panther mentor, Bagheera (voiced byBen Kingsley, and newfound bear companion Baloo (voiced byBill Murray).
While the original 1967TheJungle Bookis a well-remembered effort from Disney’s classical era of animation,The Jungle Book(2016)is widely recognized as an example ofa remake that’s better than the original. Being one of the earlier efforts in anow long-running line of “live-action” remakes of Disney animated classics,The Jungle Book(2016) saw such success as a result of quality filmmaking thatcaptured the heartfelt nature of the originalwhile presenting it in the style of revolutionary animation technology.
The Jungle Book
Watch on Apple TV
3’Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1' (2010)
Global Box Office: $943,057,589
Lord Voldemort’s (Ralph Fiennes) immense power continues to only grow as he begins his overthrowing of the Ministry of Magic. The chosen one Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), along with his closest friends, Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermoine Granger (Emma Watson) must track down and destroy Voldemort’s sources of power before the entire wizarding world falls under his control.
The first part of the epic conclusion to the Harry Potter saga,Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1was bound to be a financial hit. While this entry primarily serves to generate hype for what was to come,Deathly Hallows: Part 1stilleffectively presents an engaging story in its own right.While the franchise was exceedingly profitable as a whole, the very nature ofDeathly Hallows: Part 1helped to ensure the over-billion-dollar success of the follow-up.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1
2’Finding Nemo' (2003)
Global Box Office: $936,094,852
Clownfish Marlin (voiced byAlbert Brooks) is an overprotective father to his young son Nemo (voiced byAlexander Gould). When Nemo ventures into the open sea, he is captured and taken away to Sydney, Marlin sets off to bring his son back home. Accompanied by an unlikely companion named Dory (voiced byEllen DeGeneres), an excitable blue tang with a short-term memory, Marlin must tread through difficult waters as he learns the true meaning of fatherhood.
One ofPixar Studios' earliest and biggest successes,Finding Nemois atestament to the rewards that creativity and true inspiration can reap. Currently beingPixar’s most profitable effort that wasn’t a sequel,Finding Nemois wholly deserving of its financial success and critical praise;few animated movies are this elegantly presented and heartfelt.Finding Nemois family entertainment at its absolute finest, and while its sequel,Finding Dory(2016),surpassedFinding Nemo’s already impressive box office total, it can’t compete with the pure artistry and magic on display here.
Finding Nemo
1’Shrek 2' (2004)
Global Box Office: $935,454,538
The brash yet kind-hearted ogre, Shrek (voiced byMike Myers), and his new wife Fiona (voiced byCameron Diaz) set off to the Kingdom of Far, Far Away to celebrate the marriage with Fiona’s parents, King Harold (voiced byJohn Cleese) and Queen Lillian (voiced byJulie Andrews). Unfortunately for the newlyweds, King Harold doesn’t approve of his daughter marrying an ogre and hatches a scheme to separate the two.
Much to the chagrin of those who remember it fondly,Shrek 2turned 20 years old in 2024.Not only being DreamWorks Animation Studios' most profitable movie to date,Shrek 2has carved out a legacy as one of the best works of modern animation:inspired, imaginative and incredibly funny.The success of its 20th anniversary theatrical re-releasesolidifies its status as awidely beloved family adventure that has aged like a fine wine.
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