Every Movie That Made Over One Billion Dollars, Ranked Worst To Best

While "Star Wars" and "Jaws" may have been among the first movies to ever have been considered so-called "blockbuster" movies — drawing enormous crowds that lined the block, grossing large sums at the box office — the thought of any feature film earning one billion dollars seemed unthinkable for decades. But as ticket prices rose, and bigger and bigger movies hit screens, it was just a matter of time before box office records rose into the billions.

Today, there are at least 50 films that have earned enough to join the elite billion dollar box office club, with more and more joining the list each year. Comic book adaptations, science fiction adventures, and animated family classics have all found the right ingredients to appeal to wide audiences and keep people coming back to the theater again and again. It should come as no surprise, either, that many are among the best-reviewed films each year, with high-quality storytelling and impressive direction, A-list casts, and jaw-dropping special effects. Of course, there are also at least a few clunkers in the mix.

Today, every Hollywood pundit wonders what film will be the next to hit the milestone, and where it will rank in the pantheon of those that have come before. If you've ever wondered where your favorite blockbuster ranks, wonder no more, because we've done the work and ranked every billion dollar movie worst to best. Can you guess which one takes the coveted top spot — the best film ever to collect a billion at the box office? It may just surprise you.

Not good enough to get a fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where it sits at a lowly 35%, the third "Transformers" film, "Dark of the Moon," is still slightly better than its successor, "Age of Extinction." Released in 2011, it's the final film to feature original series star Shia LeBeouf. Once again, Michael Bay worked his magic assembling a surprisingly high caliber supporting cast of stars who are usually above this sort of mindless blockbuster fare, including John Malkovich, John Turturro, and Frances McDormand. After an off-screen catfight between director Bay and co-star Megan Fox, the actress was replaced by model and actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley as LeBeouf's love interest. 

In the film, it's revealed that the original Apollo mission to the moon in 1969 was actually a covert reconnaissance mission that uncovered a massive Cybertronian starship (a revelation that gives us a notable cameo from real-life American hero Buzz Aldrin). Inside, a new Autobot leader is discovered, the long-thought-lost Sentinel Prime (voiced by "Star Trek" star Leonard Nimoy), whom Optimus helps re-awaken. But upon his emergence he betrays the Autobots and joins with Megatron, threatening to tip the balance of power in their cosmic war. 

The addition to Nimoy — who had voiced Galvatron in the 1986 animated "Transformers" film — was a nice touch, but once again the film was let down by an overwrought story and over-the-top spectacle that bludgeons rather than delights.

It's not often that a sequel is able to top its predecessor artistically, and the ones that do — like "The Empire Strikes Back" or "Spider-Man 2" — become well-remembered. Unfortunately, "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" was one of the ones that didn't, failing to meet the expectations set by "Jurassic World" a few years earlier. To its credit, the film attempts to do something different, rather than just deliver more of the same, moving the action off of the island and theme park. 

The story begins with Isla Nubar facing destruction from a volcano, and Claire Dearing recruiting Owen Grady to help round up the dinosaurs to move them to a new sanctuary. But the dinosaurs are instead quietly moved to Lockwood Manor, residence of Jurassic Park's original secretive co-founder Benjamin Lockwood. We then learn that Lockwood has other, more sinister plans for the dinosaurs.

Disjointed and disappointing, it cracked $1 billion thanks to its big, bold action and the love audiences still had for the "Jurassic Park" franchise. But critics and audiences alike were unimpressed, feeling the follow-up lacked the thrills and chills of the movies that came before it.

The first in a new wave of Disney live action remakes, the 2010 big budget blockbuster "Alice in Wonderland" was led by relative newcomer Mia Wasikowska. Celebrated director Tim Burton was brought onboard to spearhead the spectacle, enlisting the talents of two of his most famous friends, Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, to play the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts. Alan Rickman, Anne Hathaway, Stephen Fry, Matt Lucas, and Crispin Glover rounded out the cast.

Burton proved the right choice to turn the surreal children's tale into an wild and irrepressible blockbuster, successfully balancing visual extravagance with heart and humor, and an eccentric tone all its own. The film delighted audiences to the tune of a billion dollars at the ticket counter, but wasn't without its critics, who in particular called out its generic climax that featured a large scale battle scene. But with its talented cast, outrageous style, and eccentric visuals, audiences largely embraced the film, helping spur Disney to more live action remakes of animated classics like "The Lion King," "Aladdin," and "Beauty and the Beast."

Unfortunately, its sequel proved considerably more lackluster, and ended its own box office run some $700 million lower than the first.

Though the "3" in the film's title might make you think otherwise, "Despicable Me 3" is technically the fourth film in the animated DreamWorks franchise, if you include the spin-off "Minions" from two years before. While "Despicable Me 2" topped out at $970 million in 2015, though, "Minions" crashed through the billion dollar barrier, and in 2017, "Despicable Me 3" followed suit (per Box Office Mojo). 

In this threequel, lovable former super-villain Gru now works as an agent for the Anti-Villain League, tracking down other baddies and thwarting their evil schemes. When a job goes wrong, Gru is fired from the AVL. With no work, his minions abandon him. But just when he's struggling with what to do next, he comes face to face with his long lost twin brother Dru. Though he's jealous of Dru's wealth and success, it's Dru who wants something from him: lessons on how to be a super-villain.

Though massive hit in theaters, "Despicable Me 3" split audiences and critics, who felt it was a little too much of the same. Despite raking in its billion dollars, it was still just the fourth-highest grossing film in a year dominated by billion dollar blockbusters.

The breakout stars of the "Despicable Me" franchise, the pint-sized, overall-wearing yellow beans called Minions got their own movie in the wake of "Despicable Me 2" raking in nearly a billion dollars itself. A favorite of kids everywhere, there was something irresistible about them, and audiences were eager to lap up more of them when the film landed in 2015, becoming the first movie in the series to cross the coveted billion dollar marker.

A prequel to "Despicable Me," the "Minions" movie gives audiences the secret origin of the little pill-shaped people, as we follow their origins from single-celled organisms all the way up them meeting the super-villain Gru. Along the way we see them encountering everyone from Count Dracula to Napoleon, before having their first big super adventure in 1960s New York City.

Taking the Minions out of "Despicable Me" and putting them into their own mini-franchise could have gone terribly wrong, but with a cast of impeccable voice actors including Sandra Bullock, Michael Keaton, and John Hamm, it proved an effortless execution. 

Through 2016, Warner's efforts to turn DC Comics superheroes into major movie franchises had been mostly focused on just two heroes: Superman and Batman. But that all changed with the release of "Wonder Woman" starring Gal Gadot. Then, following the epic team-up "Justice League," audiences were finally treated to one of the biggest superheroes in comics in his own solo movie for the first time ever. 

"Aquaman," released in 2018, sees Jason Momoa in the title role, and opens with the origin of the sea-faring superhero. The son of a lighthouse captain and a stranded woman from Atlantis, young Arthur Curry is left to be raised on land, ultimately wanting no part of his watery legacy. But when a villain sets out to unite the undersea kingdoms and threatens war with the surface world, Curry must finally confront his destiny in order to stop them.

Lead by Momoa, the all-star cast includes Temuera Morrison, Nicole Kidman, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Willem Dafoe, and Dolph Lundgren, giving the film major acting talent to go with its stellar direction from horror helmer James Wan. Pulse-pounding underwater action and an epic scale unlike anything superhero movie fans had seen before made it a must-see event, helping it join DC's other billion dollar baby, "The Dark Knight."

Only one film in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy sits on this list, and the same is true of the prequel "Hobbit" trilogy: "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." It had been almost a decade since director Peter Jackson had taken audiences on a trip through Middle Earth, and with Ian McKellan returning as Gandalf the Grey and Andy Serkis back as Gollum, anticipation was at a fever pitch for a return to one of the greatest fantasy film series ever made.

Based on the original book by J.R.R. Tolkien, the movie expands greatly on the story, and the first film in the series covers just a portion of the tale. We meet a homebody hobbit named Bilbo (Martin Freeman of "Sherlock") as he is recruited by Gandalf on a quest to help a group of determined dwarves to find a lost treasure. Along the way, he gets sidetracked in a cave and meets the creature Gollum, unwittingly picking up a little gold ring that will one day change the fate of all Middle Earth.

With Jackson back at the helm, "An Unexpected Journey" is full of delightful adventure, and plenty of great performances from its talented cast. But with a watered-down story and some silly sequences thrown in as padding, it wasn't nearly as beloved as "Lord of the Rings," contributing to its two sequels under-performing in theaters.

When the animated Disney hit "Frozen" slid past a billion dollars, there was no doubt there would be a sequel soon enough. But it's not often that a sequel can reach the height of its predecessor after such tremendous success, while also being critically well-received. Well, "Frozen II" broke the ice mold, releasing in 2019 to rave reviews, becoming nearly as beloved as the original, and blowing past its box office tally, taking in a whopping $1.45 billion.

"Frozen II" is another frosty musical tale, bringing back the cast of whimsical characters for another adventure. Funny, romantic, bittersweet, the film mixes every emotion with gorgeous 3D animation, while somehow telling a more nuanced and complex drama than the first without feeling weighed down or over-stuffed with story. With new heroes and new villains, plus a variety of catchy and unforgettable musical numbers, it's a testament to Disney's finest storytellers that they were able to recapture the magic of "Frozen" both on the screen and at the box office.

The return of "Star Wars" to cinemas was met with raucous applause from fans, who turned out in record-bursting droves to see "Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens" in 2015. Directed by J.J. Abrams, it succeeded in setting up the franchise for an all-new saga, introducing new heroes and villains and re-introducing old ones for a new generation. "Looper" director Rian Johnson was enlisted to follow the picture with "The Last Jedi," and while the results have been divisive to say the least, there's no denying it took the franchise in a bold new direction.

In the film, young hero Rey (Daisy Ridley) seeks out the help of the revered Luke Skywalker (a returning Mark Hamill), only to find the once valiant Jedi Knight has rejected the ways of the Force, and is unwilling to help in the Resistance's fight against the First Order. Meanwhile, Resistance fighters Finn and Poe (John Boyega and Oscar Isaac), along with new ally Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran) and a rogue mercenary named DJ (Benicio Del Toro) must fend off an assault from the First Order led by General Hux (Domnhall Gleeson).

A film that disappointed as many fans as it delighted, critics seemed more impressed, raving about the film's compelling thematic choices and unconventional narrative. Thanks largely to the split reaction, though, "The Last Jedi" came in well short of the previous entry's multi-billion dollar score. But no matter how it divided the audiences or failed to meet sky-high box office expectations, it still wound up the biggest movie of the year.

By its seventh film, the "Fast and the Furious" film series had long since proven that it could hold its own as one of Hollywood's most successful big budget franchises, right alongside "James Bond," "Star Wars," and "Harry Potter." But even across six blockbuster films, it might be surprising to learn that not one of the action-packed outings had ever gotten past the coveted one billion dollar finish line, while super hero epics like "The Avengers" and "Iron Man 3" seemed to be doing it with relative ease.

But all that changed with "Furious 7," which took the series to new heights at the ticket counter, packing in crowds enough to collect a staggering $1.5 billion, nearly double "Fast and Furious 6" just two years before. A more explosive story than any seen before, Dom Toretto and his crew are confronted by the brother of "F&F6" villain Owen Shaw, who's out for blood. Packed to the gills with big stars like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Jason Statham, Kurt Russell, and future "Wonder Woman" star Gal Gadot, fans flocked to the theaters to make it the biggest installment yet.

But it can't be overlooked that the film was also the final entry for series star Paul Walker, who was tragically killed in an unrelated car accident while the film was in production. Thanks to the cooperation of his family and a little CGI magic, producers were able to complete his performance and give the actor a touching send-off that proved an emotional moment for fans of the series and a highlight of the film.

Having purchased Lucasfilm in 2012, Disney brought "Star Wars" back in a big way with 2015's "The Force Awakens," but they didn't want to have a wait a full two years for the sequel to strike the box office again. So in 2016, the franchise went where it had never gone before, releasing a standalone live-action theatrical film set outside of the main saga. "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" introduced an all-new cast of exciting characters, and told a never-before-seen story.

Set just prior to the events of "Star Wars: A New Hope," we catch up with the fierce fighters of the Rebel Alliance and a wayward soul named Jyn Erso. Daughter of a former Imperial engineer who helped construct their newest doomsday weapon, the Rebels recruit her to help destroy it. With a ragtag group of heroes, including a Force-sensitive warrior, a loyal but acerbic droid, and a deadly former criminal, they must find the plans to the dreaded Death Star and get them safely to Rebel leaders so they can plan a final assault.

A darker, grittier take on the franchise, "Rogue One" was celebrated for doing something new and different, but criticized by some for not doing enough. Punctuated by the crowd-pleasing return of Darth Vader and plenty of classic sci-fi action, the film once again took "Star Wars" over a billion dollars.

The third in director Christopher Nolan's trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises" finished off what many consider to be the greatest comic book movie series ever produced. Its predecessor, "The Dark Knight," set a new standard for superhero films in 2008, delivering a grounded take on one of pop culture's most famous villains, the Joker (who will show up twice on this list himself). Highly revered for its sharp script and star Heath Ledger's Oscar-winning performance, "The Dark Knight Rises" had a lot to live up to.

Set almost 10 years after the previous film, "Rises" finds Bruce Wayne retired when a new and more insidious villain called Bane (Tom Hardy) shows up on the scene. Lured back into the streets, Wayne dons the cowl once more to stop him. But this puts him in the path of the cunning cat burglar Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), whose allegiances remain a mystery. When Bane's plot to destroy Gotham prove too much for him, he may be forced to sacrifice everything to save the city.

While for many "The Dark Knight Rises" could never live up to "The Dark Knight," it still remained a satisfying and action-packed conclusion to the three-film saga, and easily made it past a billion dollars in worldwide ticket sales, one of four films to do so in 2012.

In 2001, the third entry in the "Jurassic Park" trilogy disappointed at the box office, barely managing to pull in half that of its predecessor, "The Lost World." Quietly put out to pasture, it would be almost two decades before the franchise would come stomping back into theaters, with the 2015 reboot "Jurassic World." Set as many years later, the film served as a soft reboot, introducing new cast members including Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas-Howard, while bringing back B.D. Wong as the new dinosaur theme park's lead scientist Dr. Henry Wu.

In the film, a bigger and better park is constructed on Isla Nublar. The luxury resort called Jurassic World finally opens to the public after years of stalled starts, with a variety of genetically engineered dinosaurs living in its jungles. While the wealthy enjoy the sights, military vet Owen Grady (Pratt) helps train velociraptors, and is brought in to evaluate a new and more dangerous artificial dinosaur hybrid Wu's team has created: the Indominus Rex. But when the creature gets loose, the resort's commando teams prove no match for the bloodthirsty beast, leaving it up to Grady to stop its deadly rampage.

Debuting to good reviews from both critics and audiences, it was lauded for its successful mix of modern thrills and classic "Jurassic Park" storytelling. It also briefly stole the crown for biggest opening weekend of all time away Marvel's mighty "Avengers," before losing it to "Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens" six months later.

Perhaps the most iconic villain in the history of comic books, the Joker has been portrayed on screen many times, in some of the most celebrated performances in the genre. From Jack Nicholson in Tim Burton's "Batman" to Mark Hamill in "Batman: The Animated Series" to the Oscar-winning performance of Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight," the role has been a coveted one for multiple casting calls. But even though DC and Warner Bros. had recently put Jared Leto into the role of the Joker for "Suicide Squad" in 2016, Warner Bros. moved forward with a new film, "The Joker," starring Joaquin Phoenix, unrelated to their other superhero outings.

Often compared to Martin Scorsese crime pictures like "Taxi Driver" and "The King of Comedy," director Todd Phillips turned the comical Clown Prince of Crime into the focus of a gritty and grounded psychological drama, and an incisive and surprising takedown of modern life. Touching on such weighty issues as the mental health system and wealth inequality, Phoenix and Phillips turned the clown-faced super-villain into a deeply troubled soul who turns to violence when society turns its back on him.

But the most surprising thing about the film may have been its box office return. Though there were few action scenes and almost no big special effects, the R-rated drama laughed its way all the way to the bank, taking in an astonishing $1.074 billion. Despite Phillips insisting he wasn't going to do a sequel, Warners managed to lure both director and star back for a follow-up announced by the director in 2022.

Films geared towards kids didn't used to be big blockbusters, but in 2001, the first chapter in the "Harry Potter" saga shattered expectations, earning big bucks in the process. Based on the series of hit young adult fantasy novels, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" featured a lead cast of child actors (all newcomers) and a supporting roster of English stars that included Alan Rickman, John Hurt, and Hollywood screen legends Maggie Smith and Richard Harris. 

Like the book, the film introduces audiences to a young orphaned boy sent to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There he meets new best friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, rival Draco Malfoy, and the kind old wizard Dumbledore. But when a mystery menace threatens the school, it's up to Harry and his friends to discover the truth, as they suspect that one of Hogwarts' own professors may be a secret sinister villain out to steal the fabled Sorcerer's Stone, an ancient relic capable of gifting its user immortality.

While the film wasn't as refined or slick as its successors, it drew audiences of all ages with its fantasy thrills, family friendly adventure, and magical mystery. Like "The Phantom Menace," though, this is one entry that didn't cross the billion dollar line on its initial release, instead getting the deed done after a 3D and IMAX re-release coinciding with its 20th Anniversary (per Variety).

Based on the novel by author Michael Crichton — creator of "Westworld" and "ER" — "Jurassic Park" was quickly optioned for a big budget feature film by none other than Steven Spielberg. The film took a few liberties from the original book, condensing much of the story and glossing over the detailed science that Crichton was known for. Instead, the "Indiana Jones" director turned it into an awe-inspiring adventure, with groundbreaking special effects that made dinosaurs more real than ever before.

Starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Richard Attenborough, the film introduced a theme park unlike any other. Its creator, John Hammond, has filled his park with genetically engineered dinosaurs, and he invites a small team of scientists to inspect the park to ensure it's ready for its grand opening. But when the security system fails and some of the most dangerous creatures that have ever roamed the Earth get loose, chaos erupts, and their inspection tour turns into a deadly fight for survival.

One of the most thrilling and unexpected big screen joyrides in movie history on its release, audiences and critics were in awe of the movie billed as "65 million years in the making." But few had expected the picture to take such a big bite out of the box office, reaching heights rarely seen. Though it missed a billion dollars in 1993, a 20th anniversary re-release in 2013 helped it join the ranks of other billion dollar hits (via Empire).

With "Far From Home" smashing down the billion dollar door and Spider-Man's appearance in the two biggest superhero movies of all-time — "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Endgame" — it was practically a sure thing that the threequel "No Way Home" would do the same. But once it was announced that both Jamie Foxx and Alfred Molina would reprise their roles as Electro and Doctor Octopus from previous spider-franchisees, rumors began swirling that former Spider-Men Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield would appear as well, in a multiverse story that would cross over three generations of "Spider-Man" movies.

It was all true, of course, and the film took audiences on an adventure of multiple lifetimes, with Peter Parker unwittingly inviting villains from parallel realities into the MCU. With the Sandman, Doctor Octopus, and the Green Goblin from the original "Spider-Man" trilogy and the Lizard and Electro from "The Amazing Spider-Man" films running amok, Tom Holland's Peter Parker teams up with his counterparts played by Maguire and Garfield to send them back to their home realities.

Toss in an unexpected cameo from fan favorite Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock and a shocking post-credits scene featuring Tom Hardy's Venom, and "No Way Home" proved one of the biggest crowd-pleasers Marvel has ever produced. With enough Easter eggs and guest stars to force fans into theaters despite a global pandemic, it earned close to $2 billion dollars at the worldwide box office.

Having made their feature film debut in 1995 with "Toy Story," the storytellers at Pixar built their brand on family friendly tales that appeal to all ages. Earnest, uplifting stories that were both captivating and adventurous and full of heart and emotion. While successful right out of the gate, 2003's "Finding Nemo" blew away all comers with a $800+ million dollar haul, making a sequel inevitable. But it would be more than a decade before writer and director Andrew Stanton could make it happen. Enter the 2016 follow-up, "Finding Dory," the long-awaited return of Nemo, Marlin, Dory, and their undersea friends in an epic undersea adventure that became a billion dollar film, just Pixar's second to do so, according to the Wrap.

In this all-new story, Nemo's forgetful friend Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) takes center stage as we learn first about her childhood and how her parents had disappeared when she was young. Years later, after helping find Nemo, Dory is struck by sudden memories of her parents, and sets out to find them. With the help of Nemo and his father Marlin, plus a variety of new friends she meets along the way, Dory adventures far and wide, and is finally reunited with her long lost mother and father.

"Finding Dory" was the rare sequel to be not only a bigger earner than its predecessor, but an equally crowd-pleasing film. At the time of its release it was also the highest grossing animated film in the U.S. ever (per The Independent).

For a full decade, audiences had watched Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley grow up on screen as they fought to stop the return of the Wizarding World's greatest villain, Lord Voldemort. Through highs and lows, ups and downs, the "Harry Potter" film saga was a roller coaster adventure like nothing we'd seen before, and it all came to its climactic conclusion in the epic finale, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" in 2011. With a mammoth budget, it needed to be a blockbuster — and boy was it, becoming the highest grossing film in the series, amassing a grand total of $1.34 billion, blowing past the previous film's $976 million.

The film is the direct follow-up to "Deathly Hallows, Part I," released less than a year earlier, and puts Harry and his friends in the middle of the final showdown with the Dark Lord Voldemort. A can't miss theatrical event, fans showed up across the world in numbers never seen, and it quickly smashed the record for biggest international box office opening of all time.

But it wasn't just the money. "Deathly Hallows, Part II" was nominated for three Academy Awards, and more than just the biggest earner of the franchise, was the most critically well received in the series, sitting at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, ending a ten-year journey and sending Harry Potter out on the highest note possible.

Sometimes it's hard to explain why a film earns its place in the billion dollar club. Must-see cinematic event films like "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" are the product of decades of hype, while superhero crossover movies like "The Avengers" are clearly appealing to fans of multiple franchises brought together. "Zootopia," however, became a billion dollar hit perhaps unexpectedly, as on its release it may have seemed little different than any number of animated animal films like "The Secret Life of Pets" or "Sing." 

Set in a world of anthropomorphic talking animals, we meet Judy Hopps, an upbeat bunny who enlists in the local police force. The first of her kind to join the beat, she's a classic underdog — er, rabbit. Through a series of mishaps, she winds up stuck with Nick Wilde, a jaded fox con artist who wants anything but to be paired with Hopps. They soon uncover a major conspiracy that threatens the city, and must work together to get to the truth.

Mixing elements from the best buddy cop comedies with the charms of the best animated family films, "Zootopia" blends it all with social commentary and razor sharp wit. In the end, it had enough ingredients to be a success beyond the studio's wildest dreams, raved about by critics, crossing a billion dollars, and winning the Academy Award for best animated film.

A franchise that is repeatedly relaunched, if not rebooted, with a new lead star, "James Bond" returned to theaters with new actor Daniel Craig in the title role in 2006 after a four-year hiatus with "Casino Royale." A more grim, grittier take on the super-spy, it started the Craig era off with a $600+ million total, and while its sequel, "Quantum of Solace," dipped slightly, third entry "Skyfall" became the first film in the 50-year-old franchise to shoot past a billion dollars.

In the darkest installment yet, a critical mission goes wrong and MI6 is compromised. Bond is the only agent left that can be trusted, and is tasked with tracking down and stopping a madman named Silva, an insidious threat from M's past who has come back for revenge. With franchise newcomers Javier Bardem, Ben Winshaw, and Ralph Fiennes, the film was a taut, gripping spy thriller of the highest caliber. Released to rave reviews, it was easily the biggest blockbuster in the franchise thanks to massive overseas numbers, and one of the biggest domestic takes in the series, ultimately ending in excess of $1.1 billion.  

Since the film's release, neither of its two follow-ups — "Spectre" and "No Time To Die" — have been able to match its financial earnings at the ticket counter nor its critical success, putting it among the best in the long-running series any way you look at it.

Following a string of successful hits that put new life into Walt Disney animated films, "The Lion King" landed in theaters in 1994, boasting a cast of voice actors led by James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Matthew Broderick, and Nathan Lane. Combining lush, vibrant, and expressive animation with a number of iconic new songs and powerful storytelling, the film raced up the charts on its way to a $766 million box office take, making it easily the top grossing Disney movie ever at the time, and among the biggest blockbusters in film history.

In this animated Shakespearean tragedy, young cub prince Simba runs in fear after his uncle Scar conspires to murder his father, King Mufasa, and reign in his place. After fleeing to the jungle, Simba is raised alongside a variety of animal friends, far from his the kingdom he'd been destined to rule. But when his childhood friend Nala finds him, he is urged to return to the pride and save his former home from the cruelty of his uncle. 

While the film came well short of a billion dollars in its initial release, a pair of re-releases decades later helped put it over the top. This included a 3D IMAX version that pulled in an additional $185 million (per Box Office Mojo), an impressive feat for a family film that was two decades old.

Rebooted in 2005, the Batman movie franchise was re-energized with up-and-coming director Christopher Nolan behind the camera for "Batman Begins." The movie set up a new saga for the hero, turning the Caped Crusader's origins into a gripping crime drama. With the sequel, Nolan added Batman's greatest villain, the Joker, helping to catapult the film to more than a billion dollars at the box office for the first time in the character's Hollywood history.

With Heath Ledger controversially cast as the Clown Prince of Crime, the story saw the arch criminal — a psychopathic, chaos-seeking madman — wreaking havoc in the city. When he nearly kills District Attorney Harvey Dent, it turns the advocate for justice into another foe, the twisted Two-Face. Now it's up to Batman to stop the carnage as the two terrifying villains go to war, with all of Gotham caught in-between.

The first appearance of the Joker in live-action since Jack Nicholson's iconic turn in 1989, "The Dark Knight" was eagerly awaited thanks to a compelling marketing campaign and a pulse-pounding trailer that revealed the new villain. Tragically, star Heath Ledger died just months before release, but he'd get the last laugh on his doubters as his performance earned him a posthumous Oscar. Meanwhile, the film took in over a billion dollars, becoming the fourth-highest grossing film ever. But it was more than just Ledger, as a brilliant script and top-notch action earned it the title, in many fans' eyes, of the best comic book movie ever made.

The culmination of more than a decade of films, "Avengers: Endgame" might be the most highly anticipated superhero movie ever, coming a year after "Infinity War" left fans stunned by Thanos' victory and the loss of half of our heroes. Anticipation was at a fever pitch, with Marvel keeping the details of the plot tightly under wraps, not even revealing the title of the film until the last possible minute. The film's trailers gave little away so as not to spoil the many twists and turns of the epic conclusion, bringing legions of movie-goers to the theater on opening weekend in record numbers on its release.

The movie begins with the surviving Avengers licking their wounds, the arrival of Captain Marvel coming too late to help stop the interstellar villain Thanos. A shocking five-year time jump then finds the Avengers all but disbanded, when Ant-Man emerges from the Quantum Realm with a plan to travel back in time and undo Thanos' diabolical plans. 

A mind-blowing trip through past MCU adventures turns "Endgame" into a sort of greatest hits, punctuated by some of the biggest action the franchise has ever seen. An epic final act sees nearly every Marvel hero return to battle Thanos and his army in a climactic clash that had to be seen on the big screen. Full of countless moments to make fans cheer, the movie set a new opening weekend record, and took the crown from "Avatar" as the highest grossing film in movie history (per The Hollywood Reporter).

Just the second movie to ever pass the one billion dollar mark after "Titanic" six years earlier (per Entertainment Weekly), "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" capped off the epic fantasy film trilogy from director Peter Jackson in 2003. In an era not generally friendly to fantasy films, the saga managed to break through, and thanks to its incredible success sparked a new wave of epic multi-film sagas.

The final film in the series saw Sam and Frodo making their final journey to the steps of Mount Doom, while Aragorn, Gandalf, and an army of men confronted Sauron's forces in a final showdown between the forces of good and evil. One way or another the fate of all Middle Earth would be decided, and with the help of surprising allies and one of the most triumphant battle scenes ever put to celluloid, the Fellowship would succeed. Aragorn would be crowned king, and the tale of Middle Earth would come to its heartfelt conclusion.

A box office smash, "Return of the King" put a perfect bow on the "Lord of the Rings" film saga with aplomb, providing a cinematic scale and scope that only Peter Jackson could deliver. Not only is it the highest grossing film in the series, it took home the Academy Award for Best Picture – the only fantasy film to ever do so.