Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love
UK EditionUK US EditionUS CA EditionCanada AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Total Film
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
Subscribe now
Don't miss these
Trending
  • Fable 4 interview
  • New Games for 2026
  • Big in 2026
  • Arknights: Endfield codes
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies

Movie Box Office Record Breakers

News
By GamesRadar published 23 June 2015

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Jurassic World Records

Jurassic World Records

Since being released two weeks ago Jurassic World has been smashing records like an I-Rex in a china shop. It kicked off with the biggest opening weekend in the US ever and since then has has set records for biggest three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine and 10 day grosses as well as becoming the fastest film to reach $250M, $300M, $350M and $400M (all based on US box office). It is currently the 16th most lucrative movie ever made (in terms of worldwide box office) and racing up the chart.

But it hasnt broken every box office record. Over the next few pages we look at some records it could still set its sights on, as well as some it hasnt a hope of toppling.

Figures courtesy of Box Office Mojo, Box Office Guru and The Numbers.

Page 1 of 14
Page 1 of 14
The Biggest Box Office Money-Spinners Worldwide

The Biggest Box Office Money-Spinners Worldwide

1 Avatar (2009) $2.8 billion
2 Titanic (1997) $2.2 billion
3 Marvel's Avengers Assemble (2012) $1.52 billion
4 Furious 7 (2015) $1.51 billion*
5 Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) $1.4 billion*
6 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011) $1.3billion
7 Frozen (2013) $1.3 billion
8 Iron Man 3 (2013) $1.2 billion
9 Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) $1.12 billion
10 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) $1.11 billion
* Still on release, final totals will be higher

Page 2 of 14
Page 2 of 14
US Biggest Box Office Money-Spinners Adjusted For Inflation

US Biggest Box Office Money-Spinners Adjusted For Inflation

1 Gone with the Wind (1939)
2 Star Wars (1977)
3 The Sound of Music (1965)
4 E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
5 Titanic (1997)
6 The Ten Commandments (1956)
7 Jaws (1975)
8 Doctor Zhivago (1965)
9 The Exorcist (1973)
10 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)


This is based on US box office only, and were only giving relative positions.

Page 3 of 14
Page 3 of 14
Worldwide Box Office Number Ones Of All Time Since 1939

Worldwide Box Office Number Ones Of All Time Since 1939

The films since 1939 that have been able to claim theyre the most lucrative film of all time (until they were beaten)

Gone With The Wind (1939)
The Godfather (1972)
Jaws (1975)
Star Wars (1977)
ET: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Jurassic Park (1993)
Titanic (1997)
Avatar (2009)

Page 4 of 14
Page 4 of 14
Biggest Grossing UK Film Worldwide

Biggest Grossing UK Film Worldwide

Skyfall (2010) $1.1 billion

These days its tricky defining exactly what makes a British film but the Bond blockbuster is generally regarded as a Britflick notwithstanding the geographical origins of the production and distribution companies behind it. If you stretch the definition even more you could say Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011) with $1.3 billion deserves the accolade. If you hone the definition down further, then you could argue that The Kings Speech (2010) is the winner at $414,211,549. Or taking the definition right down to no overseas investment at all then you get The Inbetweeners Movie (2012) with $87,989,781.

Page 5 of 14
Page 5 of 14
Biggest Grossing Independent Movie Worldwide

Biggest Grossing Independent Movie Worldwide

The Passion Of The Christ (2004) $622 million

Again, definitions of what makes an indie film vary wildly but in this case theres no disputing the winner, either in terms of its indie-ness or box office numbers*. Financed by director Mel Gibson himself before hed even secured a distributor, Passion went on to become a massive world wide hit and is still the highest-grossing R-rated movie ever in the States as well.

(*Unless youre George Lucas, who claimed that Star Wars Episodes I, II, III, V and VI were all essentially very, very big independent movies he certainly ploughed a lot of his own money into them.)

Page 6 of 14
Page 6 of 14
Biggest Grossing Film Never To Make Number One At The US Box Office

Biggest Grossing Film Never To Make Number One At The US Box Office

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) $368.7 million worldwide

The Joel Zwick-directed romantic comedy, which allegedly cost just $6 million to make, became one of the most profitable films of all time and the second-highest-grossing romantic comedy of all time despite never making number one at the US box office. Though this may all change imminently see the next page.

Page 7 of 14
Page 7 of 14
Biggest US Opening For A Movie Not At Number One

Biggest US Opening For A Movie Not At Number One

Inside Out (2015) $91.1 million first weekend

Normally $91.1 million would be more than enough to secure number one at the US box office but Pixars latest, the highly acclaimed Inside Out was released against the second weekend for box office juggernaut Jurassic World which remained at number one with a colossal $106.6 million in takings.

Page 8 of 14
Page 8 of 14
Biggest Opening Weekend Worldwide

Biggest Opening Weekend Worldwide

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011) $483.2 million
Films being released on the same date around the world is now more common than it used to be so this looks like a record waiting to be toppled.

Page 9 of 14
Page 9 of 14
Most Weeks At Number One At The US Box Office

Most Weeks At Number One At The US Box Office

ET The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) 16 weeks

Gandhi may have beaten Spielbergs film at the Oscars for Best Picture, but even Gandhi director Richard Attenborough, admitted, "I was certain that not only would ET win, but that it should win." ET won the battle at the box office, though.

Page 10 of 14
Page 10 of 14
Biggest Grossing Animated Movie

Biggest Grossing Animated Movie

Frozen (2013) $1.3 billion

For many years The Lion King (1994) held this title. Then in 2010 Toy Story 3 took the honours for just a few short years until Disneys earworm-filled twist on The Snow Queen shot to number one.

Page 11 of 14
Page 11 of 14
Biggest Grossing Non-English Language Film Worldwide

Biggest Grossing Non-English Language Film Worldwide

The Intouchables (2011) $427 million

The critically-hammered French comedy drama about the friendship between a handicap millionaire and his street smart ex-con caretaker became an unlikely international sensation beating more familiar title Life Is Beautiful ($229 million) into second place and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon ($214 million) into third.

Page 12 of 14
Page 12 of 14
The Winners On Those Special Days

The Winners On Those Special Days

The Americans love comparing box office taking on key days during the years. So here are a few of the winners so far:

MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY
Third Monday of January
American Sniper (2014) $107,211,457

SUPER BOWL
A sunday in late January/early February
Hannah Montana (2009) $31,117,834

PRESIDENT'S DAY
Third Monday of February
Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) $93,010,350

EASTER
Spring, varies according to arcane theological determination
Furious 7 (2015) $147,187,040

MEMORIAL DAY
Last Monday in May
Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End (2007) $139,802,190

INDEPENDENCE DAY
4 July
Transformers: Dark Of The Moon (2011) $97,852,865

LABOR DAY
First Monday in September
Halloween (2007) $30,591,759

HALLOWEEN
31 October
Saw III (2006) $33,610,391

THANKSGIVING
Fourth Thursday of November (and stretching out over the subsequent weekend)
3-DAY OPENINGS
Frozen (2013)
$67,391,326
THANKSGIVING 3-DAY - ALL MOVIES
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
$74,179,601
THANKSGIVING 5-DAY OPENINGS
Frozen (2013)
$93,590,387
THANKSGIVING 5-DAY - ALL MOVIES
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire(2013)
$109,939,340

Page 13 of 14
Page 13 of 14
Monthly Champs

Monthly Champs

And here are the current champions for each month at the US box office:

JANUARY
American Sniper (2014)
$89,269,066

FEBRUARY
Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)
$85,171,450

MARCH
The Hunger Games (2012)
$152,535,747

APRIL
Furious 7 (2015)
$147,187,040

MAY
Avengers Assemble (2012)
$207,438,708

JUNE
Jurassic World (2015)
$208,806,270

JULY
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011)
$169,189,427

AUGUST
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
$94,320,883

SEPTEMBER
Hotel Transylvania (2012)
$42,522,194

OCTOBER
Gravity (2013)
$55,785,112

NOVEMBER
The Hunger Ganes: Catching Fire (2013)
$158,074,286

DECEMBER
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
$84,617,303

Page 14 of 14
Page 14 of 14
GamesRadar
Share by:
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Whatsapp
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Latest in Movies
The Great Lakes Avengers sitting around a table in a diner
The MCU might slowly be assembling the weirdest Avengers team ever
 
 
Skeletor in Masters of the Universe
New Masters of the Universe trailer unveils its Superman-esque plot and Jared Leto's Skeletor
 
 
Lily Sullivan as Beth in Evil Dead Rise
Six months out from Evil Dead Burn's release, another Evil Dead movie has been announced
 
 
Chris Pratt as Detective Chris Raven in Mercy
Chris Pratt's new AI thriller debuts to one of the Marvel star's lowest Rotten Tomatoes scores in over 10 years
 
 
Pyramid Head crashing through iron bars in Return to Silent Hill
Return to Silent Hill is an early contender for 2026's worst movie – with a 6% Rotten Tomatoes score
 
 
Michael B. Jordan as 'Smoke' and 'Stack' in Ryan Coogler's new vampire horror Sinners
One Battle After Another and Sinners are feeling confident ahead of Oscar nominations, as both movies set re-releases
 
 
Latest in News
Fallout season 2
Bethesda refused to make a Fallout TV show for years because Hollywood insisted on "the guy who makes video game movies"
 
 
Halo
Halo Master Chief actor tells AI to keep its filthy paws off of his voice: "That's where we cross a line"
 
 
Forza Horizon 6
Forza Horizon 6 is going full anime with Initial D-inspired Touge Battle mode and a full-sized Gundam
 
 
Screenshot from Hytale, showing three warriors with a sword, bow, and staff sighting a big, icy dragon.
Minecraft creative lead plays Hytale and decides "I'd rather just play Minecraft," Hytale dev says he's "probably right"
 
 
Forza Horizon 6 gameplay screenshot
Forza Horizon 6 adds Assassin's Creed Shadows-style base where you can build anything, if you fund it with tofu delivery
 
 
KCD2 screenshot of a combat encounter
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 dev had to "change the rules of the game" because it couldn't compete with giga budget RPGs
 
 
  1. Origin Story box and cards laid out on a wooden surface
    1
    Looking for a good 2-player board game? This superhero adventure is worth suiting up for
  2. 2
    Trails Beyond the Horizon review: "This JRPG's thrilling real-time and turn-based combat evolves Metaphor ReFantazio's hybrid battles, making up for a poorly paced adventure"
  3. 3
    Scythe review: "This alt-history board game is still a gold standard for modern strategy"
  4. 4
    Skate Story review: "A beautiful and unique skateboarding game with great, stylized visuals set in a grungy underworld"
  5. 5
    Octopath Traveler 0 review: "The strongest entry in this retro-styled JRPG series yet, I love the greater focus on tactical battles"
  1. Return to Silent Hill protagonist James Sunderland
    1
    Return to Silent Hill review: "Neither an impressive adaptation nor coherent enough to act as a standalone film"
  2. 2
    28 Years Later: The Bone Temple review: "The wildest and weirdest entry into the franchise yet"
  3. 3
    Avatar: Fire and Ash review: "Still a technical marvel, with some of the year's best action filmmaking"
  4. 4
    Five Nights at Freddy's 2 review: "We have waited two years for a Five Nights at Freddy's 1.5"
  5. 5
    Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery review: "Brings Knives Out back to its roots for a sequel that's almost on a par with the original"
  1. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams in Wonder Man.
    1
    Wonder Man review: "A low key gem that's up there with the MCU's best"
  2. 2
    Starfleet Academy review: "It may feel a little different to what we're used to, but this is Star Trek through and through"
  3. 3
    A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms review: "This Game of Thrones spin-off is a heartfelt and fun return to Westeros"
  4. 4
    Stranger Things season 5 finale review: “Shows off both the best and the worst of Hawkins”
  5. 5
    Stranger Things season 5, Volume 2 review: “All set up for a finale that has so much to deliver”

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...