Avatar of James Cameronreleased in December 2009, is the best-known and highest-grossing film in the history of cinema, with $2.92 billion box office revenue according to Box Office Mojo.
It is this criterion—total worldwide box office revenue—that serves as the benchmark for ranking the biggest hits in cinema. In streaming, titles such as Squid Game or movies Netflix are breaking view records, but here we're really talking about international box office.
The Ranking of the Highest-Grossing Movies of All Time
The all-time global top 10 continues to be dominated by major film franchises. Titanic (1997), which held the top spot for a long time, now ranks 4th place. The figures come from Box Office Mojo and The Numbers, updated in July 2026.
| Rank | Title | Director | Recipes from Around the World | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avatar | James Cameron | 2.92 billion $ | 2009 |
| 2 | Avengers: Endgame | Anthony et Joe Russo | 2.80 billion $ | 2019 |
| 3 | Avatar: La Voie de l’eau | James Cameron | 2.32 billion $ | 2022 |
| 4 | Titanic | James Cameron | 2.26 billion $ | 1997 |
| 5 | Star Wars, épisode VII : Le Réveil de la Force | J.J. Abrams | 2.07 billion $ | 2015 |
| 6 | Avengers: Infinity War | Anthony et Joe Russo | 2.05 billion $ | 2018 |
| 7 | Spider-Man: No Way Home | Jon Watts | 1.92 billion $ | 2021 |
| 8 | Jurassic World | Colin Trevorrow | 1.67 billion $ | 2015 |
| 9 | Le Roi Lion | Jon Favreau | 1.66 billion $ | 2019 |
| 10 | The Avengers | Joss Whedon | 1.52 billion $ | 2012 |
| 11 | La Reine des neiges II | Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee | 1.45 billion $ | 2019 |
| 12 | Harry Potter et les Reliques de la Mort, partie 2 | David Yates | 1.34 billion $ | 2011 |
| 13 | Captain America: Civil War | Anthony et Joe Russo | 1.15 billion $ | 2016 |
| 14 | Avengers: L’Ère d’Ultron | Joss Whedon | 1.40 billion $ | 2015 |
| 15 | Spider-Man: Far From Home | Jon Watts | 1.13 billion $ | 2019 |
| 16 | Pirates des Caraïbes : Le Secret du Coffre Maudit | Gore Verbinski | 1.07 billion $ | 2006 |
| 17 | Pirates des Caraïbes : La Fontaine de Jouvence | Rob Marshall | 1.04 billion $ | 2011 |
| 18 | Le Seigneur des Anneaux : Le Retour du Roi | Peter Jackson | 1.12 billion $ | 2003 |
| 19 | Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom | J.A. Bayona | 1.31 billion $ | 2018 |
| 20 | The Fate of the Furious | F. Gary Gray | 1.24 billion $ | 2017 |
The World's Most Famous Movies, One by One
Avatar (2009)
Avatar follows a paralyzed former Marine who regains the use of his legs thanks to an alien body on the planet Pandora. He falls in love with a local woman and must choose a side, even as the fate of an entire world rests on his shoulders.
Its success is based on a technological innovation A major feature: immersive 3D, which was unprecedented on this scale in cinema at the time of its release. With $2.92 billion in revenue—a world record that still stands.
The following, Avatar: La Voie de l’eau, reached 2.32 billion dollars in 2022. James Cameron is thus the only director with three movies more than $2 billion in revenue.
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Avengers: Endgame is directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, not to be confused with Joss Whedon, who signed the first The Avengers (2012) and Avengers: L’Ère d’Ultron (2015).
The film wraps up more than ten years of the’Marvel universe at the movies. All the heroes come together to repair the damage caused by Thanos. Her cultural impact Its global reach has enabled it to achieve $2.80 billion box office revenue. In its first week of release, the film broke box office records in many countries, including France. You can also check out our guide to watching movies The Avengers: Streaming in French.
Avatar: La Voie de l’eau (2022)
The direct continuation of’Avatar arrived in December 2022, that is 13 years old after the first movie. James Cameron He explores the oceans of Pandora and the traditions of the people Metkayina.
The film grossed 2.32 billion dollars in global box office revenue, making it the third-highest-grossing film in cinema history. This confirms that’Avatar is truly a franchise in a class of its own, capable of drawing millions of moviegoers to theaters, even years after the first film was released.
Titanic (1997)
Long the world's number one, Titanic currently holds the 4th place, later surpassed by’Avatar. Released in 1997, it's yet another film directed by James Cameron. He is one of the most expensive films never produced.
The sinking of the ocean liner is a real historical event. However, Rose DeWitt Bukater is a fictional character. The film grossed more than 2.26 billion dollars worldwide, an all-time record that stood for years. Its 3D re-release in 2012 allowed it to once again surpass $2 billion in cumulative box office revenue.
Star Wars, épisode VII : Le Réveil de la Force (2015)
Star Wars, épisode VII : Le Réveil de la Force of J.J. Abrams was released in December 2015. This is the first episode of the series Skywalker since the acquisition of Lucasfilm by Disney.
The film has attracted millions of fans around the world, particularly in Amérique in the North, where it broke box office records as early as its opening weekend.
With $2.07 billion, it remains the fifth highest-grossing film of all time. The saga continued with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Episode IX L’Ascension de Skywalker.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Before Avengers: Endgame, the brothers Anthony and Joe Russo have signed Avengers: Infinity War in April 2018.
This movie brings all the heroes together for the first time Marvel in the face of Thanos and his Jewels of Infinity. It generated $2.05 billion in revenue worldwide.
The climactic moment at the end—with half the universe vanishing—left a lasting impression on millions of viewers and gave even greater significance to the release of’Endgame the following year.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Spider-Man: No Way Home was released in December 2021. The gathering of three generations of Spider-Man The movie sparked a massive craze in theaters around the world.
The movie grossed $1.92 billion in box office receipts, a record for a movie Spider-Man. This result is all the more remarkable given that it was achieved in the midst of the post-pandemic recovery. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), the direct sequel to the previous installment, had also grossed over $1 billion.
Jurassic World (2015) and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
Jurassic World of Colin Trevorrow was released in June 2015. The film revives the dinosaur saga with a fully operational park populated by new species created in a laboratory.
It has attracted millions of viewers worldwide and generated $1.67 billion recipes. Its sequel, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, reported 1.31 billion dollars in 2018. Both films confirm that the franchise Jurassic Park It remains one of the most popular film franchises in the world.
Le Roi Lion (2019)
The CGI remake of the classic Disney The 1994 film was directed by Jon Favreau.
Released in july 2019, Le Roi Lion reported $1.66 billion in global box office revenue. The film succeeds thanks to both the nostalgia evoked by the original title and the visual quality of this new version.
Harry Potter in the world rankings
The saga Harry Potter includes several of the highest-grossing films in history. Harry Potter et les Reliques de la Mort, partie 2 is the best in the series, with $1.34 billion recipes. Harry Potter et les Reliques de la Mort, partie 1 It, too, has surpassed $900 million.
This is Harry Potter à l’école des sorciers which launched the entire franchise in 2001, laying the groundwork for an 8-film saga that has generated billions of dollars in total revenue. Harry Potter It remains one of the most popular film franchises in the world.
La Reine des neiges and animated films
La Reine des neiges IIdirected by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, was released in November 2019. With $1.45 billion In terms of box office revenue, it is one of the highest-grossing animated films of all time.
The first Reine des neiges (2013), also by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, had already set a record for an animated film with more than $1 billion in box office revenue.
Animated Films Disney prove that they rightfully belong among the top-grossing films at the box office.
Le Seigneur des Anneaux in the rankings
Le Seigneur des Anneaux : Le Retour du Roi of Peter Jacksonreleased in December 2003, grossed more than one billion dollars.
It is the only film in the trilogy to surpass that box-office threshold. It also won 11 Oscars, including the award for Best Picture. Le Seigneur des Anneaux : Les Deux Tours is also approaching that milestone with nearly $950 million in box office revenue. The trilogy of the Seigneur des Anneaux remains an absolute landmark in the history of cinema.
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Captain America: Civil War was released in May 2016. Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, this movie divides the heroes Marvel into two opposing camps.
It has generated more than $1.15 billion in revenue worldwide. Captain America stands out here as a film in its own right within the universe Marvel, far more than just a solo episode. America Civil War is often cited as one of the best superhero movies ever made.
Pirates des Caraïbes and other major sagas
Pirates des Caraïbes : Le Secret du Coffre Maudit grossed more than a billion dollars in box office receipts upon its release in July 2006. Pirates des Caraïbes : La Fontaine de Jouvence did the same in 2011, confirming the franchise's global popularity.
These films demonstrate how a franchise can generate millions of dollars in revenue across multiple installments, thanks to a strong central character and a cohesive universe.
In the same vein, The Fate of the Furious of F. Gary Grayreleased in April 2017, reported $1.24 billion. The saga Fast and Furious is one of the most popular franchises worldwide, with a massive audience in Amérique Latin America and Asia.
The Most Popular Movies in France
As for the French box office, the French film industry has produced films that have gained international recognition. Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain of Jean-Pierre Jeunetreleased in 2001, remains the most famous French film in the world.
Filmed in Paris, it has captivated millions of viewers around the world and remains a symbol of French cinema abroad. The The Fate of Amélie Poulain is regularly cited as one of the best European films of all time.
In France, the films that have drawn the largest theater audiences include many sequels to major Hollywood franchises. These include, in particular, Harry Potter à l’école des sorciers, Le Seigneur des Anneaux : Les Deux Tours, Star Wars épisode IV : Un Nouvel Espoir in its new edition, or La Belle et la Bête (2017). Major Hollywood franchises dominate the box office charts in France as well as around the world.
Why do these movies dominate the global box office?
Three elements consistently appear in the most popular films in the history of cinema.
- Technical innovation: Avatar has redefined 3D in movie theaters. Jurassic World has revived large-scale digital effects. These films have given audiences a real reason to go see them in theaters rather than watch them online.
- The cultural impact: Avengers: Endgame Where Harry Potter et les Reliques de la Mort brought to a close sagas that fans had been following for years. Millions of viewers had a strong emotional connection to these worlds even before the film was released.
- International distribution: These films are released simultaneously in dozens of countries, accompanied by massive marketing campaigns. Their box office receipts accumulate over several months—and sometimes several years—thanks to re-releases.
These movies didn't reach the top by chance. Epic sagas, technical innovation, and deep cultural roots explain why the same songs always top the charts.
For an overview of the most-watched films Across all categories, that's another topic to explore. If you want to know Which movie is a must-see? We've also got a selection for you from his life. Which of these movies is your favorite?
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