These Are The 25 Highest-Grossing Movies Of All-Time

Everyone loves going to the movies, with the global movie industry estimated at around $75 billion a year. And, these movies made more money than any others.

Movies are arguably America’s greatest cultural export. The motion picture has been a staple of the lives of Americans and those around the world for over a century now, and plenty of movies have been cultural spark plugs that change the way we think, live, and feel. And, many of them have made a lot of money. These twenty-five movies, adjusted for inflation, made more money than any other films in history. The list is courtesy of Box Office Mojo.

25. The Godfather (1972) $739 Million

Considered by many to be the greatest movie of ever made, this mob movie starring Marlon Brando and Al Pacino was a massive 70s hit.

24. Fantasia (1940) $778 Milion

This musical anthology film was one of Walt Disney’s first big hits, and is still one of the unique films the company has ever made.

23. The Graduate (1967) $801 Million

One of the most successful Rom-Coms of all time, Dusin Hoffman starred in a love triangle involving a mother and her daughter.

22. Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981) $829 Million

This Indiana Jones film stars Harrison Ford as he tries to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis find it and use it to make their army invincible.

21. The Sting (1973) $835 Million

This film about a robbery by con men, starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford, came in the heyday of crime-related films.

20. The Lion King (1994) $835 Million

The late 80s and 90s was arguably the golden era for Walt Disney Films, and The Lion King may be the crown jewel of the era. Elton John provided the soundtrack to one of the most enduring animated films ever made.

19. Star Wars Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) $846 Million

The Star Wars films are famously out of order in terms of when they were released and where they are in the chronological order of the story. This is the first in the chronological order of the story, but came sixteen years after the the release of Episode VI

18. Jurassic Park (1993) $860 Million

Before Michael Crichton gave us the massive television hit ER, he helped adapt his novel about dinosaurs at an amusement park coming back to life. It was the start of one of the most successful movie franchises ever.

17. Star Wars: Episode VI- Return of the Jedi (1983) $860 Million

At one time, this was thought to be the end of the Star Wars franchise. That has, clearly, not been the case.

16. Avengers: Endgame (2019) $892 Million

Arguably the most anticipated superhero movie of all time, numerous plot points throughout Marvel’s dominant run in the 21st century were rapped up in a movie as dramatic as its title.

15. Avatar (2009) $911 Million

James Cameron gave us Titanic in 1997, but this may have been his most ambitious technical project as a director. The Sci-Fi flick was a monster hit at the box office at a time when money was tight.

14. Ben-Hur (1959) $918 Million

This movie, set in the time of Jesus Christ, was, at the time, the most ambitious movie ever made, financially. It more than paid off, earning roughly ten-times its record-setting budget.

13. Star Wars Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) $920 Million

After a huge debut, George Lucas’ second installment of the franchise marked the beginning of the 1980s with a massive hit, and proved that the Star Wars franchise was a cultural phenomenon with staying power.

12. One Hundred And One Dalmations (1961) $936 Million

Most of us are more familiar with the 1996 live-action remake, but the original was a massive hit, too, pulling Disney out of a financial slump.

11. Star Wars Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015) $1.013 Billion

The first Star Wars movie made after the purchase of the franchise by Disney, three generations of fans flocked to theaters for weeks to watch the next chapter in one of the great epics in the English language.

10. Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs (1937) $1.021 Billion

The first Disney feature-length animated movie was a massive blockbuster hit. The story will be getting a live-action remake starting Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot in 2024.

9. The Exorcist (1973) $1.036 Billion

The Exorcist defines the supernatural horror genre, and the movie depicting an exorcism by Catholic Priests is watched ever year by many as Halloween approaches.

8. Doctor Zhivago (1965) $1.163 Billion

The historical romance film set in Russia during the Russian Civil War in the mid-1910s was banned in the Soviet Union for years, but was a huge hit pretty much everywhere else.

7. Jaws (1975) $1.200 Billion

Legendary director Steven Spielberg landed his first big hit with this horror film, which is about a shark that loves to feast on human beings. You’re singing the famous score in your head right now.

6. The Ten Commandants (1956) $1.227 Billion

The title is pretty self-explanatory on what this hit is about, and people flocked to see the big-budget production.

5. Titanic (1997) $1.270 Billion

For many, it’s the film to end all films. For others, it’s an overrated romance film dressed up with a shipwreck. For everyone, it’s a cultural icon, with Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On arguably the most recognizable song from a movie ever.

4. E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982) $1.329 Billion

E.T. was for everyone, and Steven Spielberg’s hit about an alien viewers fell in love with is one of the most beloved movies of all time.

3. The Sound Of Music (1965) $1.335 Billion

The adapted Broadway musical about a governess joining the family of an Austrian Naval Officer at the ouset of the Nazi annexation of Austria in 1938 is the most successful musical film of all time.

2. Star Wars - A New Hope (1977) $1.668 Billion

This film sparked one of the greatest media franchises of all-time, and was a cultural phenomenon, staying at or near the top of the international box office charts week after week.

1. Gone With The Wind (1939) $1.895 Billion

This Civil War-era historical romance could be called the first great American Blockbuster. Even at over three-and-a-half-hours long, Americans couldn’t get enough of it.