Special Report
Top 100 Grossing Movies of All Time
June 20, 2019 5:42 pm
Last Updated: April 24, 2020 10:27 am
Movies today make more money at the box office than ever before. It’s not uncommon for blockbuster films to now gross over $100 million at the domestic box office, with some taking in nearly $1 billion. 2019 has already delivered numerous box office winners, including “Avengers: Endgame,” which had the most successful opening weekend ever at the domestic box office.
When adjusting for the rising price of movie tickets, however, “Endgame” doesn’t even crack the top 10 top grossing movies of all movies. Hollywood has a long history of producing hugely entertaining — and successful — movies that draw audiences to theaters nationwide.
24/7 Tempo has identified the top 100 grossing movies of all time based on domestic box office data provided by box-office reporting service Box Office Mojo. In some cases, movies have received more than one theatrical releases which contribute to their total gross. All dollar amounts have been adjusted for inflation for a fairer comparison.
The list of top grossing movies includes films that were released in each decade stretching back to the 1930s, reflecting the American film industry’s storied history. The most prominently featured time period is the 1970s, however. Many of the ’70s biggest hits, such as “Jaws” and “Star Wars,” were hugely influential on today’s blockbuster-centric business model Hollywood now follows, in which extensive resources are poured into a relatively small number of big budget films.
In addition to the Star Wars series, the list includes multiple films from the many other high grossing franchises, such as Jurassic Park, The Lord of the Rings, and the recent favorite, Marvel Cinematic Universe. The MCU franchise’s best films easily take in over $500 million in North America.
Click here to see the top 100 grossing movies of all time.
To determine the top 100 grossing movies of all time, 24/7 Tempo reviewed the lifetime domestic gross of all films from movie data site Box Office Mojo, adjusted for ticket price inflation. Data regarding directors and actors came from Box Office Mojo’s parent site, the Internet Movie Database.
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