The highest-grossing movies of all time are often acclaimed projects, admired for their innovative storytelling and enduring impression on moviegoers across the world. Attaining the $1 billion mark is an impossible mission for most filmmakers, but a handful have helmed projects that crossed $2 billion at the global box office. While their movies have redefined commercial success in filmmaking, chasing a blockbuster without the commitment to deliver an authentic cinematic experience often amounts to nightmarish box office disappointments.
From Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) to Jaume Collet-Serra’s Black Adam (2022), Chris Buck’s Wish (2023), and Nia DaCosta’s The Marvels (2023), multiple projects with ambitious goals ultimately became big box office bombs. If there’s any secret to making blockbusters, it lies in telling stories the audience can connect with and aspire to. The following movies embody these qualities in several ways.
7. Avengers: Infinity War (2018) – $2.052 Billion
Directed by the Russo brothers, the MCU movie made history as the first superhero film to rake in over $2 billion at the global box office. Avengers: Infinity War was the fourth film to attain the milestone, and also the highest-grossing film of 2018. It stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, and Chris Evans alongside Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, and Zoe Saldana, among other renowned performers. With a production budget of $300 million, the star-studded action epic was a critical and commercial success, widely recognized as a defining moment in Hollywood’s history.
6. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) – $2.071 Billion
With a production budget of $533.2 million, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the most expensive movie ever made. The action epic directed by J.J. Abrams is the first film in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. It grossed over $2.071 billion during its theatrical run, finishing as the year’s top earner. Starring Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, and Harrison Ford alongside Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, and Lupita Nyong’o, the movie was also a critical success. It received numerous coveted awards, including five Academy Award nominations. The following installments, Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), were blockbusters, but they only grossed $1.334 billion and $1.077 billion, respectively.
5. Ne Zha 2 (2025) – $2.259 Billion
Yu Yang directed the Chinese animated action epic on a production budget of $80 million. It grossed over $2.2 billion at the global box office and became the year’s top earner. A sequel to Ne Zha (2019), which was also a commercial and critical success, Ne Zha 2 blew past expectations at the box office.
It dethroned Inside Out 2 (2024) and claimed the top spot as the highest-grossing animated film of all time. Ne Zha 2 made history as the first animated movie to reach and exceed the $2 billion milestone. It’s now the highest-grossing non-English language film, and the fifth-highest-grossing film of all time.
4. Titanic (1997) – $2.264 Billion
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, Titanic was the first film to reach the $1 billion threshold. During its original theatrical run in 1997, the disaster epic grossed over $1.8 billion worldwide. The movie directed by James Cameron raked in another $350.4 million when a 3D version was released in 2012.
With three additional re-releases in 2017, 2020, and 2023, Titanic cemented its position among movies that have made more than $2 billion at the box office. The tragic romance isn’t only one of the highest-grossing movies of all time. It also ranks among the most iconic films ever made. Roughly $200 million was spent on production.
3. Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) – $2.334 Billion
Avatar: The Way of Water’s production budget of $400 million earned it a spot among the most expensive movies ever made. The James Cameron action epic was released to rave reviews that complemented its box office dominance. Avatar: The Way of Water bagged numerous coveted awards, including four Oscar nominations for Best Motion Picture, Best Achievement in Production Design, Best Sound, and Best Achievement in Visual Effects. It won the latter and finished as the highest-grossing film of 2022. With over $2.3 billion made at the worldwide box office, The Way of Water is the third-highest-grossing movie of all time.
2. Avengers: Endgame (2019) – $2.799 Billion
Also directed by the Russo brothers, Avengers: Endgame is a direct sequel to 2018’s Infinity War, and it delivered an epic tale that lived up to the fandom’s anticipation. The MCU movies marked another memorable moment in Hollywood. Upon its release, Endgame critically and commercially justified its $400 million production budget. The action epic was nominated for many prestigious awards, validating its emergence as the highest-grossing movie of all time. Scheduled for re-release in September 2026, Avengers: Endgame might hit the $3 billion mark and reclaim the top spot.
1. Avatar (2009) – $2.923 Billion
The first entry in the James Cameron film series, Avatar remains a groundbreaking movie admired for its stunning visuals and fantasy world. Starring Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana alongside Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, and Michelle Rodriguez, the action epic was widely considered a derivative work due to its story. Yet, the movie exceeded expectations at the box office. It earned over $2.743 billion during its original run to become the highest-grossing movie of all time. While Avengers: Endgame displaced it in July 2019, it regained the top spot with four re-releases between 2020 and 2025. Check out the top 7 biggest game-based movie flops.
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