Over the past decade, movies on the big screen, with theatrical releases, have competed to dominate the Box Office to become the highest-grossing films of the year. While many have argued that Box Office numbers aren’t a measure of a film’s worth and quality, production companies and investors will always believe otherwise. This is because the global film industry has witnessed monumental shifts in technological advancements, audience preferences, and ambitious storytelling.
Since James Cameron’s 1997 Titanic crossed the billion-dollar mark, the stakes have been higher at the Box Office. In the decades following, there has been a rise in mega-blockbusters, cinematic universes, and an emphasis on franchise filmmaking. The past decade has shown that while original content occasionally finds its place, reboots, sequels, and interconnected cinema universes still dominate the Box Office. Since 2024 still has its fair share of big-budget film releases, here’s a look at the worldwide highest-grossing films in the last decade, from 2013 to 2023.
2013: Frozen – $1,280,802,282
Disney reigned supreme at the 2013 Box Office, ending the year with two of its films as the top two highest-grossing films. Frozen outgrossed Iron Man 3 with about $65.9 million to become the highest-grossing film of 2013. Frozen is a Walt Disney animated film that tells the story of two Princess sisters, Anna (Kristen Bell) and Elsa (Idina Menzel), of Arendelle. After Elsa accidentally reveals her magical ice powers during her coronation, she causes panic among the people of Arendelle.
Fearing the harm she could cause with her powers, Elsa isolates herself in an ice palace in the mountains, away from her people. Dubbed the Snow Queen after inadvertently plunging Arendelle into eternal winter, Anna journeys to find her sister and bring back summer to Arendelle. Frozen follows her journey with her newfound friends, Olaf (Josh Gad), Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), and his reindeer companion Sven. Frozen grossed $400,738,009 at the domestic Box Office and $880,064,273 overseas to earn a combined $1,280,802,282 theatrically.
2014: Transformers: Age of Extinction – $1,104,054,072
The 2014 Transformers: Age of Extinction was the fourth installment in the Transformers film series. Although it failed to outgross its predecessor, Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011), it finished as the highest-grossing film of 2013, with worldwide box-office earnings of $1,104,054,072. The movie is also the first to star Mark Wahlberg in the lead role. Although it didn’t have the highest domestic Box Office earnings, its $245,439,076 and $858,614,996 overseas Box Office earnings were enough to finish the year in the lead. Interestingly, Transformers: Age of Extinction was the only billion-dollar film of 2014.
Watch Transformers: Age of Extinction on Apple TV+
2015: Star Wars: The Force Awakens – $2,068,223,624
Disney’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the first installment in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Produced on a $447 million budget, Star Wars: The Force Awakens still holds the record as the most expensive film ever made, whether adjusted for inflation or not. This milestone achievement didn’t go to waste, as Star Wars: The Force Awakens had a worldwide Box Office gross of $2,068,223,624. For clarity, it is the first to feature John Boyega portraying Finn. Its domestic Box Office earnings of $936,662,225 accounted for 45.3% of its total Box Office earnings. Although five films crossed the billion-dollar mark in 2015, Star Wars: The Force Awakens was the only movie to cross the $2 billion mark.
Watch Star Wars: The Force Awakens on Disney+
2016: Captain America: Civil War – $1,153,296,293
Disney was again the biggest winner at the 2016 Box Office. Disney distributed all of the top 5 highest-grossing films. Although it surpassed Rogue One: A Star Wars Story with about $100 million, Captain America: Civil War was the undisputed highest-grossing film of 2016. The movie is the sequel to the 2011 Captain America: The First Avenger. Civil War not only outgrossed its predecessor, but it also tripled its Box Office earnings. The Russo Brothers directed the movie. Captain America: Civil War grossed $408,084,349 and $745,211,944 at the domestic and overseas Box Office.
Watch Captain America: Civil War on Disney+
2017: Star Wars: The Last Jedi – $1,332,539,889
The second installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, was also another Box Office juggernaut. It outgrossed another Disney film, Beauty and the Beast, with over $70 million. Star Wars: The Last Jedi also performed impressively at the domestic Box Office, with 46.5% of its total gross, making a decent $620,181,382. Filmmaker Rian Johnson became the director and is also credited as the movie’s writer.
Watch Star Wars: The Last Jedi on Disney+
2018: Avengers: Infinity War – $2,048,359,754
Two Disney/Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films dominated the 2018 Box Office. Avengers: Infinity War edged over Black Panther to finish as the only two-billion-dollar movie of the year. Its 2012 predecessor, The Avengers, was a massive success, grossing over $1.5 billion. However, with the success of The Avengers series, Infinity War greatly exceeded it. The Russo Brothers also directed the movie, replacing Joss Whedon, who directed and wrote the first film’s screenplay.
Watch Avengers: Infinity War on Disney+
2019: Avengers: Endgame – $2,799,439,100
Disney topped the list, having three of its movies in the Top 3. However, Avengers: Endgame’s $2,799,439,100 Box Office earnings greatly surpassed those of The Lion King and Frozen 2. With an estimated production budget of $356–400 million, Avengers: Endgame is one of the world’s most expensive films. After its theatrical run, Endgame was the highest-grossing film. It goes without saying that it also set a record in the MCU. Domestically, it grossed $858,373,000, an equivalent of 30.7% of its worldwide earnings.
Watch Avengers: Endgame on Disney+
2020: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train – $507,127,293
The year 2020 was a historical year for several reasons. The COVID-19 pandemic grossly affected Hollywood and North American Box Office. With lesser impact on the Asian film market, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train became the first ever non-Hollywood movie to finish as the highest-grossing film in a year. 2020 is also the only year in the decade under review that didn’t have a movie cross the billion-dollar mark at the Box Office. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train grossed $507,127,293 at the Box Office.
Watch Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train on Crunchyroll
2021: Spider-Man: No Way Home – $1,912,233,593
Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s success at the Box Office was a testament to North America’s film market’s recovery from the pandemic. Sony Pictures rose to the top with $1.9 billion in Box Office earnings. Interestingly, it is the only film in 2021 that grossed over a billion dollars. Spider-Man: No Way Home is the sequel to the 2019 Spider-Man: Far From Home. It is the Spider-Man film that had Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield reprise their roles as Spider-Man.
Watch Spider-Man: No Way Home on Apple TV+
2022: Avatar: The Way of Water – $2,320,250,281
The long-awaited Avatar sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, did not disappoint critically and financially. It has a production budget of $350–460 million and joins the list of the most expensive films ever made. Although it didn’t outgross its 2009 predecessor, Avatar: The Way of Water finished as the only film with Box Office earnings of over $2 billion. The sequel’s success has motivated James Cameron to continue with the franchise.
Watch Avatar: The Way of Water on Disney+
2023: Barbie – $1,445,638,421
2023 was the year the Box Office had its Barbenheimer run. Warner Bros.’s Barbie defeated Universal’s Oppenheimer to clinch the win as the year’s highest-grossing film. Barbie finished with Box Office earnings of $1,445,638,421. Coincidentally, both films were the only billion-dollar movies of 2023. The Margot Robbie-led Barbie was the first live-action adaptation of the Mattel-based fashion doll. While the past decade has given movie audiences the best, highest-grossing films, with fingers crossed, these are the anticipated superhero movies of 2024.
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