5 Box Office Records That Will Probably Never Be Broken

Box office records were meant to be shattered. Across cinema history, box office achievements like "biggest North American opening weekend" or "biggest PG-rated film of all-time" have been only temporary accomplishments. Inevitably, a new release will come along and snatch that record, thus reaffirming the enduring appeal of theatrical cinema. From industry-influencing trends to Steven Spielberg's biggest bombs, box office-related statistics are fleeting in the grand arc of history.

However, there are some North American records that aren't getting toppled in the near future. Unlike, say, the biggest November opening weekend, it's inconceivable that these particular box office achievements will be passed on. This is because of many factors, including the evolution of how theatrical movies are released, adjusting numbers for inflation, Hollywood's increasingly limited amount of new theatrical releases, and more. Whatever the reason, these records are in danger of never getting set again. 

These unbreakable five box office stats vividly reflect how the landscape has evolved, while warning cinephiles of the box office achievements to not expect toppled in their lifetime.

Back in the day, Disney gave its new animated movies a week or two of limited release before opening nationwide. It was part of how studios used to roll out limited releases (meaning less than 600 theaters) before expanding their theatrical footprint. The biggest of these debuts belongs to "The Lion King," which grossed a staggering per-theater average of $793,377 from two theaters. However, since "Frozen," Disney's abandoned this release strategy. 

Since COVID shut down theaters in 2020, most studios have abandoned limited release launches altogether. With wider theater counts come lower per-theater average grosses, as seen by the biggest wide release opening weekend per theater average ever being "Avengers: Endgame's" $76,601 sum. That's a far cry from "The Lion King's" opening weekend per theater average, and a sign of how drastically release plans have changed. 

With only one limited release ("Asteroid City") securing a $100,000+ per theater average in the 2020s, it's apparent that this era has passed. There will always be lucrative movies at the domestic box office, but they won't score $200,000+ opening weekend per theater averages. Simba doesn't just tower over Pride Rock. He and his "Lion King" pals will also rule over the biggest per-theater average gross for all time.

Traditionally, it's assumed that Super Bowl weekend will distract so many prospective audiences that it's not worth opening new movies then. However, in 2008, "Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert" shattered all expectations by opening to $31.1 million in this timeframe. It was the perfect counterprogramming to the massive sporting event. Suddenly, a new release corridor opened up for hits like "Taken," "Chronicle," and "Warm Bodies," even if they never reached the same opening weekend figures as "Best of Both Worlds." 

After 2015, though, Hollywood largely abandoned launching new releases in this window. That absence has noticeably grown in the 2020s, with the Super Bowl weekend often being devoid of new movies altogether. Along with depriving theaters of new releases, this frustrating trend fails to capitalize on the potential these late 2000s/early 2010s movies demonstrated this timeframe wields. It doesn't look like this strategy will be changed anytime soon, meaning major Super Bowl weekend openers will become an even more distant memory for box office buffs. 

Because of this, "Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert" won't have a problem indefinitely retaining its record for the biggest Super Bowl weekend gross. This concert film paved exciting new release opportunities that Hollywood has frustratingly refused to embrace.

1994's "The Lion King" remains massively popular, as seen by the towering box office haul of its 2019 remake and 2024 prequel. Whether wanting to revisit its peppy soundtrack or looking to answer the movie's biggest questions, "The Lion King's" permanent place in the cultural consciousness has earned it generations of viewers. It helps that the original's run was so gargantuan that it still holds many box office records to this day, including, tragically, being the biggest hand-drawn animated film of all time in North America. 

The most beautiful hand-drawn animated films signify what an important corner 2D is to the animation medium. However, American studios have largely abandoned making features in this style in the 21st century. Thus, there have been few challengers to "The Lion King's" massive lifetime domestic gross of $423.98 million, with only "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aladdin" surpassing the $200 million mark in this territory. One might think its $988.3 million worldwide figure is also safe, but given the enormous global success of foreign hand-drawn titles like "Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle," it's likely "The Lion King" will relinquish that crown eventually.

However, so long as American studios avoid making new hand-drawn animated movies, "The Lion King" won't lose its North American box office record anytime soon. In this one case, Scar put it best: "long live the king."

"Avengers: Endgame" blew everyone away at the box office in 2019 with its record-shattering debut. However, looking over the biggest weekend grosses for movies in their fifth through 12th weekends of release, you'll find most were for movies released before 2011. "Avatar," for instance, has held the biggest sixth weekend haul ($34.94 million) for over 15 years. Looking at the biggest 10th weekends of all time, '80s hits like "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" still litter some of the biggest films in this territory. Only the occasional modern blockbuster like "Spider-Man: No Way Home" exists alongside the likes of "Forrest Gump" and "Crocodile Dundee."

As for the biggest 12th weekends ever domestically, that record still belongs to "Titanic's" incredible $17.6 million cume followed by "Home Alone's" $8.21 million haul. Only one film released after 2013 ("Top Gun: Maverick") is among the 21 biggest 12th weekends in history. This is understandable, given how drastically the theatrical window has shrunken in the last few decades. "Forrest Gump" and "Titanic" were released eons before movies hit premium-video-on-demand 17 days after premiering in theaters.

With films getting less leggy, it's doubtful any movie will have the staying power of James Cameron's biggest releases.  For the foreseeable future, the domestic records set by the 12th weekend sum of "Titanic" and "Avatar's" sixth weekend haul won't be shattered.

The world's biggest box office movies vary greatly depending on the figures you're discussing (i.e. domestic or worldwide). However, it's quite concrete what motion picture rules the domestic roost when adjusting box office figures for inflation. "Gone with the Wind" currently holds that record with $1.85 billion. Only "Star Wars: A New Hope" has exceeded the $1.5+ billion mark domestically when factoring inflation, and the sci-fi blockbuster is still more than $200 million behind "Gone with the Wind." There's just no disputing this classic's financial supremacy.

"Gone with the Wind" was a box office phenomenon upon its initial 1939 theatrical release, but it was a deluge of reissues that bolstered its lifetime domestic haul. Today, a massive box office hit like "Avengers: Endgame" has just one shot to make all its money. Meanwhile, "Gone with the Wind was still making $6.75 million domestically as recently as 1998 from theatrical reissues. With re-releases no longer being in fashion, it's difficult to imagine any future movie ever getting anywhere near "Wind's" gargantuan numbers.

The only potential challenger could be if "A New Hope" pulls off a miracle and grosses $230 million in its 2027 theatrical reissue. Otherwise, "Gone with the Wind" will clutch this box office record for the rest of time.