Some box office history was made today as Tom Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick passed The Avengers to become the ninth-highest grossing movie in domestic box office history. According to Variety, movie business experts believe before this film finally lands it can fly by a couple more movies on the list, Jurassic World and Titanic.
It has been a long time since I took a look at the top domestic gross box office list, as well as any list which attempts to take inflation into account to better represent how many folks actually came out and supported movies over all the years which we’ve been blessed with cinema entertainment options.
Below are two current domestic gross box office lists which I think are fun to take a glance at…
Courtesy Of Filmsite
All-Time Domestic Gross Box Office (Unadjusted for Inflation)
- Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
- Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
- Avatar (2009)
- Black Panther (2018)
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
- Titanic (1997)
- Jurassic World (2015)
- Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
- The Avengers (2012)
- Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)
- Incredibles 2 (2018)
- The Lion King (2019)
- The Dark Knight (2008)
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
- Star Wars IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
- Beauty and the Beast (2017)
- Finding Dory (2016)
- Frozen II (2019)
- Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
All-Time Domestic Gross Box Office (Adjusted for Inflation)
- Gone With the Wind (1939)
- Star Wars IV: A New Hope (1977)
- The Sound of Music (1965)
- E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
- Titanic (1997)
- The Ten Commandments (1956)
- Jaws (1975)
- Doctor Zhivago (1965)
- The Exorcist (1973)
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
- Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
- 101 Dalmatians (1961)
- Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
- Ben-Hur (1959)
- Avatar (2009)
- Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)
- Jurassic Park (1993)
- Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
- The Lion King (1994)
I am not an analytics guy but I’m smart enough to know trying to accurately compare and compile all-time box office gets a bit tricky. Nonetheless, here’s my takeaways on both of these lists:
Avatar – Look, I’m ashamed to admit somehow I missed seeing this on the big screen, but after watching it a couple of times on the small screen…I just don’t get how this movie was this beloved. Please educate me if you feel differently. That being said, I will go see the sequel at the theatre when it opens up in mid-December.
Incredibles 2 – I was incredulous this film did that much business. Like Avatar, I didn’t get the appeal. The first Incredibles was just ok for me.
Jaws – I remember sitting in the theatre watching it on its first weekend and saying to myself…I think a few more people are going to see this. I remain impressed with where it resides all-time. When I went back to see it again a few weeks later…I remember being in an awfully long line. People love sharks…at a distance, of course.
The Star Wars Franchise – What can you say? These films have resonated with moviegoers throughout the decades. I am curious to see how future films do considering the additional Star Wars streaming content that has come out recently covering different eras. I have enjoyed the recent theatrical releases, but I don’t know if we really need any more movies. However, these lists mean they’re going to keep on making them.
Top Gun: Maverick – In addition to raking in even more money before it’s done, I don’t see any way the movie doesn’t get nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. I’m betting other folks share my view, judging by its box office success.
Picture Courtesy iStock
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