Ne Zha 2 has entered the big league of global blockbusters by becoming the highest-grossing animated film of all time. Its place cemented among the highest-grossing movies of all time at the worldwide box office, the success of Ne Zha 2 points to the fact that movie lovers will throng the theatres if they love what they see on the big screen.
Movies are a mega business for everyone involved. Thus, the financial success of a film is crucial for the producers and other stakeholders. Studios often embark on massive marketing and distribution campaigns centred around their films to ensure their success in theatres. But in the end, it all boils down to the film’s creative aspects rather than the money that is poured to promote it. This is where the top tier of the highest-grossing movies of all time set themselves apart from the rest, by which we mean the 15-20 biggest grossers.
When looking at a list of such movies, it becomes apparent that renowned franchises, such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and Star Wars, make tonnes of money at the box office with their movies. They often enjoy record-making opening weekends, largely due to the high anticipation among their fans.
But even though most of the movies in the top tier of this list are part of mega franchises, there is also one standalone romantic disaster drama alongside a record-smashing non-English animated movie that has gone past our cut-off of USD 1.5 billion at the worldwide box office to be considered for this list.
Just in case you are wondering, there are around 57 movies that have grossed over USD 1 billion at the worldwide box office. But only 13 have managed to cross the USD 1.5 billion mark and just seven have gone past USD 2 billion.
Note: Figures for Ne Zha 2 according to media reports. All other figures according to Box Office Mojo as of 17 March 2025.
Here are the 13 highest-grossing movies of all time
Avatar (2009)
Worldwide box office gross: USD 2,923,710,708
Directed and written by Academy Award-winner James Cameron, this sci-fi fantasy is the highest-grossing film of all time. The story follows Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a paraplegic ex-Marine, who is deployed on Pandora, an alien planet filled with exotic and evolved Na’vi beings.
During his tenure as an ‘avatar’, a human mind in an alien body, he falls in love with one of the Na’vi women, Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña). However, Jake is conflicted about following orders given to him by his seniors and protecting Pandora and its indigenous people.
Avatar also stars Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang in prominent roles. Cameron, who has also co-produced the movie along with Jon Landau, wrote the first draft of the film’s screenplay in 1994, according to ABC News.
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Worldwide box office gross: USD 2,799,439,100
Avengers: Endgame is said to be the finale of 22 interconnected movies of Infinity Saga (2008-2019) in the MCU.
In its previous instalment, Avengers: Infinity War, evil demigod Titan Thanos (Josh Brolin) misuses his powers to ruin the earth and the universe. The repercussions of the wreckage continue in Avengers: Endgame, where even the Avengers come together to undo the damage done by Thanos.
To fight one of the biggest battles of all time against Thanos, Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Captain America (Chris Evans), Spider-Man (Tom Holland) and the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) join forces along with allies like Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), Black Panther (late Chadwick Boseman) and Captain Marvel (Brie Larson).
This second highest-grossing movie is directed by the famous Russo brothers, Anthony and Joe.
Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
Worldwide box office gross: USD 2,320,250,281
Cameron returned to direct the sequel to Avatar, which follows Jake (Worthington) and Neytiri (Saldaña) more than 15 years after the events of the first film. The two characters now have their children and are trying to live peacefully as a family, despite the continued threat of invading humans. However, when the situation takes a dangerous turn, Jake and Neytiri are forced to seek refuge with a clan of the Na’vi people that shares a bond with Pandora’s oceans.
Besides Worthington and Saldaña, returning cast members in major roles in the sequel include Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang and CCH Pounder. Prominent new characters are played by Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis and Edie Falco.
The sequel was released on 16 December 2022, having been delayed an entire year because of the pandemic. It will be followed by Avatar 3, Avatar 4 and Avatar 5. Avatar 3 has a confirmed release date of 19 December 2025, making it one of the most anticipated movies of the year. The other two are expected to release in December 2029 and December 2031, respectively.
Titanic (1997)
Worldwide box office gross: USD 2,264,812,968
Another masterpiece by Cameron, Titanic follows Rose DeWitt Bukater, a centenarian, who shares her experience of being onboard the ‘unsinkable” R.M.S Titanic on 10 April 1912, with her granddaughter and the crew of the scientific research vessel, Keldysh.
When 19-year-old Rose (Kate Winslet) boards the ill-fated ship with her mother, fiancé and other aristocrats, she meets a drifter and artist named Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio), who wins third-class tickets to the luxury liner and boards with his best friend.
Through their journey, Rose gets close to Jack and learns to let loose. They eventually fall in love, but their feelings for each other are tested by the unprecedented collision of the Titanic with an iceberg in the North Atlantic.
The romantic film also stars Gloria Stuart as older Rose, Billy Zane as Cal Hockley (young Rose’s fiancé), Kathy Bates as Molly Brown and Bernard Hill as Captain Smith, among others.
Interestingly, it took about USD 200 million to make the classic film, which has etched its name among the greatest movies of all time. Titanic is the only Best Picture Oscar winner in this list of highest-grossing movies and also holds the distinction of being the joint-winner of most Oscars.
Ne Zha 2 (2025)
Worldwide box office gross: USD 2,084,000,000
The most recent name among the highest-grossing movies of all time, this Chinese animated sequel to Ne Zha (2019) became a record-breaking juggernaut within weeks of its release. It occupies the top spot among the highest-grossing animated films of all time and is also the highest-grossing among all non-English language movies. It is the first non-English language film to go past USD 1 billion and then USD 2 billion and is the only animated film to surpass the latter mark. The most remarkable factor is that it grossed almost all of it in just one market — China.
Partly based on the 16th-century Chinese novel Investiture of the Gods, the film follows its titular protagonist (voiced by Lü Yanting), an extremely powerful entity born out of a demon orb, in a quest to reclaim the lost body of his friend, Ao Bing (voiced by Han Mo), by completing a series of trials.
According to Deadline, data from Maoyan, a Hong Kong-listed entertainment major, revealed that Ne Zha 2 collected around RMB 14.86 billion (or USD 2.054 billion) in China alone as of 16 March 2025. Its gross outside China was more than USD 31 million, raising its total above that of Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015).
Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015)
Worldwide box office gross: USD 2,071,310,218
The epic space opera movie portrays how a group of unlikely heroes come together to prevent a new threat from Kylo Ren, the grandson of Darth Vader.
Rey (Daisy Ridley), a desert scavenger, and Finn (John Boyega), a rogue stormtrooper, join hands with members of the Resistance to restore peace. To do so, they must find the legendary Jedi Master, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), with the help of a droid, which carries the whereabouts of his location.
Directed by J.J. Abrams, the film’s cast also includes Harrison Ford as Han Solo, Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia and Adam Driver as Kylo Ren.
Since the first film released in 1977, Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope (later amended from its original title Star Wars), there have been 12 movies released in the franchise.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Worldwide box office gross: USD 2,052,415,039
Another Marvel movie that amassed huge box office receipts, Avengers: Infinity War brings together superheroes Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Spider-Man to defeat their common enemy — the mighty Thanos.
On the other hand, Thanos is determined to collect all six Infinity Stones to realise his twisted goal. The planet’s fate lies in the hands of the Avengers, who must stop Thanos from implementing his evil plan.
Directed by the Russo brothers, the film casts Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo and other actors in prominent roles. It is the 19th film in the MCU and the seventh instalment of Phase Three.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Worldwide box office gross: USD 1,952,732,181
With his identity exposed as Spider-Man, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) asks Doctor Strange to help him restore his secret with an arcane ritual. However, when a spell goes awry due to Peter’s repeated interference, it rips the multiverse open.
Peter then encounters villains from other Spider-Man movies like Dr Otto Octavius/Doc Ock (Alfred Molina), Max Dillon/Electro (Jamie Foxx) and Norman Osborn/Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), who are not only a threat to his future but also the multiverse.
Directed by Jon Watts, Spider-Man: No Way Home stars Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, reprising their versions of the Spidey, along with Zendaya as MJ, Marisa Tomei as Aunt May, Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds and Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan.
Inside Out 2 (2024)
Worldwide box office gross: USD 1,698,863,816
The highest-grossing among all movies of 2024, Inside Out 2 was also the highest-grossing animated movie of all time for about six months till its record was broken by Ne Zha 2 in February 2025.
The film is a sequel to Inside Out (2015) and follows 13-year-old Riley Andersen (voiced by Kensington Tallman) as she tries to navigate new challenges in her life with the help of her core emotions led by Joy (Amy Poehler) in her mind. But things get complicated when four new emotions – Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser) and Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos) – arrive in Riley’s mind and clash with her core emotions.
Inside Out 2 received critical acclaim upon release and was nominated in the best animated film categories at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes and BAFTAs among others.
Jurassic World (2015)
Worldwide box office gross: USD 1,671,537,444
This thrilling sci-fi title revolves around Jurassic World, a dinosaur theme park, that shelters many genetically engineered hybrid dinosaurs, such as the ferocious yet intelligent Indominus Rex.
One day, the dinosaur escapes its containment, causing the other creatures to cut loose and join the killing spree. What follows is how dinosaur trainer Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and the park’s operations manager Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) race to save the tourists from a complete, prehistoric assault. The cast also includes Irrfan Khan as Simon Masrani and Vincent D’Onofrio as Vic Hoskins.
Jurassic World is directed by Colin Trevorrow. According to The Hollywood Reporter, in 2015, he stated that the T-Rex featured in the film is the same as the one that appeared in the original Jurassic Park (1993).
The Lion King (2019)
Worldwide box office gross: USD 1,662,020,819
The remake of the original 1994 movie of the same name, The Lion King (2019) received mixed reviews from audiences, especially those who had seen the earlier animated film but is nevertheless among the 13 highest-grossing movies of all time.
The film follows Simba (voiced by Donald Glover), a young lion prince of the African Savanna, who is born to rule. But a conspiracy planned by his uncle Scar (voiced by Chiwetel Ejiofor) to take over the kingdom forces Simba to flee.
Simba finds new friends Pumbaa (voiced by Seth Rogen) and Timon (voiced by Billy Eichner) and learns about the desolate state of his formerly thriving kingdom in a chance encounter with a grown-up Nala (voiced by Beyoncé). He then decides to take back what is legitimately his.
Alfre Woodard, John Oliver, Florence Kasumba, Eric André, John Kani, Keegan-Michael Key, JD McCrary, Shahadi Wright Joseph and James Earl Jones have also lent their voices to various characters in the film directed by Jon Favreau.
A sequel titled Mufasa: The Lion King has been planned by the makers and is slated for a release in 2024. The film will be helmed by Berry Jenkins and will mark the return of the cast members Rogen and Eichner.
The Avengers (2012)
Worldwide box office gross: USD 1,520,538,536
Twelfth in our list of highest-grossing movies of all time, this movie brings together Iron Man, the Hulk, Captain America, Thor, Hawkeye and Black Widow for the first time as Avengers to prevent the notorious Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and his alien army from invading the earth.
Directed by Joss Whedon, The Avengers had a phenomenal run at the box office. Interestingly, The Avengers is the first MCU film to go past the USD 1 billion mark.
Furious 7 (2015)
Worldwide box office gross: USD 1,515,342,457
Last on our list of highest-grossing movies with at least USD 1.5 billion in gross is the seventh instalment of the Fast & Furious franchise.
Hoping to return to their normal lives, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) and the rest of the crew dispersed after defeating international terrorist Owen Shaw (Luke Evans). Meanwhile, Owen’s elder brother, Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), vows to settle scores with Dominic and his family in order to avenge his brother.
Facing threats from faraway Abu Dhabi and at home in Los Angeles, the gang reunites to protect their families. They are offered help by a government agent in exchange for rescuing a kidnapped hacker who has developed a powerful surveillance programme.
Starring Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris, among others, Furious 7 is directed by James Wan. The film marks Paul Walker’s final appearance on the big screen. The actor passed away during its making and his scenes had to be completed by his brothers, Caleb and Cody.
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