52 Best Animated Movies of All Time, Ranked - Parade
From the hand-drawn masterworks of Walt Disney to modern-day technological wonders from Pixar, Laika and Illumination, we love animated films.
highest-grossing film
The one that started it all, the first animated feature in history, is one of the key American artistic triumphs of the 20th century. Walt Disney bet the farm on this musical fantasy, and a lot of people thought he was nuts to believe audiences would connect with hand-drawn creations for 80 minutes. Well, Snow White made grown men weep, and it became the <anchor>highest-grossing film</anchor> ever upon release (dethroned two years later by Gone With the Wind, still the all-time adjusted box-office champ).
Top 100 Highest Grossing Movies of All Time (2024) - Parade
September 13, 2024

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Highest Grossing Films of All Time

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# Avatar vs. Avengers—Find Out Which Earned the #1 Spot on the 100 Top-Grossing Films of All Time

Cha-ching!

- Author:

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Aug 16, 2024

It's a cinematic tale that seems tailor-made for a big-budget blockbuster: A team of extraordinary superheroes takes on a group of extraterrestrial humanoids in an epic battle for all time-dominance!

Translation: The 2009 hit movie Avatar and 2019's Avengers: Endgame keep trading places on the top two spots of Box Office Mojo's list of the 100 top-grossing feature films of all time. Endgame was enjoying a stint at #1 until March 2021 when Avatar received a limited re-release overseas and, well, as a villainous antihero might say, now the tables have turned, haven't they? But that being said, you never know when a Endgame might get a re-release of its own and with new movies coming out every week, it's only a matter of time before another movie snatches that top spot.

Check out our latest list of the 100 highest-grossing movies of all time below.

## 100 highest-grossing movies of all time

### 100. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) Lifetime gross: $816,037,575

JK Rowling’s spin-off starring Eddie Redmayne transports the magic and mythology of her Potterverse to New York.

### 99. Independence Day (1996) Lifetime gross: $817,400,891

The summer spectacle blew up the White House—and Will Smith’s career—christening the former Fresh Prince as the king of the blockbuster.

### 98. Hi, Mom (2021)  Lifetime gross: $822,009,764

This Chinese word-of-mouth hit became a phenomenon in Asia, but was never even released in the US despite its massive sales. An English remake, however, is in the works.

### 97. Wonder Woman (2017) Lifetime gross: $823,970,682

Gal Gadot’s lasso-wielding Amazon gets her own empowering standalone.

### 96. Spider-Man (2002) Lifetime gross: $825,776,725

The one with the upside-down kiss between Peter Parker ( Tobey Maguire)and Mary Jane( Kirsten Dunst).

### 95. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) Lifetime gross: $836,303,693

The effects-heavy sequel starring Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox features even more “robots in disguise.”

### 94. Inception (2010) Lifetime gross: $839,030,630

Christopher Nolan’s mind-blowing masterpiece is a one-of-a-kind heist thriller with an A-list cast ( Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard, Tom Hardy, Elliot Page and Joseph Gordon-Levitt).

### 93. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)  Lifetime gross: $845,555,777

The final Guardians film (at least in this iteration) underperformed in the US box office but still hauled in an impressive chunk of change.

### 92. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 2(2012)  Lifetime gross: $848,593,948

The girl-meets-vamp love story comes to a close—and surprisingly doesn’t suck.

### 91. Thor: Ragnarok (2017) Lifetime gross: $855,301,806

Taika Waititi’s colorful contribution to the MCU really taps into Chris Hemsworth’ s comedic timing and pits the Nordic god against Cate Blanchett’ s Hela-cool villain.

### 90. Venom (2018) Lifetime gross: $856,085,161

The comic-book antihero gets his own origin story—slobbery tongue and all—with another intense Tom Hardy performance.

### 89. Inside Out (2015) Lifetime gross: $859,076,254

Pixar’s innovative and emotional classic, set in the mind of an 11-year-old girl, has us all in our feelings.

### 88. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)  Lifetime gross: $859,208,836

While the Black Panther sequel didn't quite live up to the original when it comes to box office sales, it did give us "Angela Bassett did the thing."

### 87. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) Lifetime gross: $863,756,903

More intergalactic antics from this merry band of misfits in a fun—and funny—sequel.

### 86. The Hunger Games—Catching Fire (2013) Lifetime gross: $865,011,746

No sophomore slump here— Jennifer Lawrence and Co. dig even deeper in this thought-provoking sequel.

### 85. Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith (2005) Lifetime gross: $868,390,560

George Lucas’ uneven prequels end on a high note, as Anakin ( Hayden Christensen) finally embraces the Dark Side and sets up the original trilogy we know and love.

### 84. Wolf Warrior II (2017) Lifetime gross: $870,325,439

A record-breaking Chinese-produced adventure that gives off 80s action flick vibes—in the best sense.

### 83. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) Lifetime gross: $874,362,803

### 82. The Secret Life of Pets (2016)  Lifetime gross: $875,698,161

Fast-paced and funny family fare with a superb cast voicing over the lovable furballs.

### 81. Ice Age: Continental Drift(2012)  Lifetime gross: $877,244,782

The franchise is starting to show its Age with this frivolous fourth entry but provides enough slapstick to keep the kids happy.

### 80. Spectre (2015)  Lifetime gross: $880,707,597

Daniel Craig’s fourth turn as 007 packs plenty of Easter eggs for longtime Bond fans.

### 79. Spider-Man: Homecoming(2017)  Lifetime gross: $880,918,840

Dare we say the delightfully dorky Tom Holland makes a better Spidey than Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield?

### 78. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)  Lifetime gross: $882,545,232

The follow-up to The Sorcerer's Stone is much darker than its predecessor.

### 77. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs(2009)  Lifetime gross: $886,686,817

The dino-myte third installment is the highest-grossing Ice Age movie.

### 76. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)  Lifetime gross: $887,434,648

Peter Jackson masterfully brings J.R.R. Tolkien’s masterpiece to life with eye-popping visuals, deliberate pacing and pitch-perfect casting.

### 75. Spider-Man 3(2007)  Lifetime gross: $895,735,062

Sam Raimi throws not one, not two, but three supervillains at Peter Parker.

### 74. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire(2005)  Lifetime gross: $897,468,952

Harry’s fourth year at Hogwarts is the perfect mix of story and spectacle.

### 73. The Battle at Lake Changjin(2021)   Lifetime gross: $902,548,476

While this Chinese film earned less than $350,000 in sales in the United States it was such a massive hit in Asia that it climbed onto the list without most Americans having ever heard of the movie.

### 72. Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)  Lifetime gross: $910,813,521

Rami Malek gives a rousing, Oscar-winning performance as charismatic Queen frontman Freddie Mercury.

### 71. Shrek 2 (2004) Lifetime gross: $932,396,221

The ogre opus might be even better than the first, thanks to the addition of Puss in Boots ( Antonio Banderas).

### 70. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) Lifetime gross: $937,893,849

Frodo’s ( Elijah Wood) epic quest continues.

### 69. Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022)  Lifetime gross: $940,203,765

The prequel to the Despicable Me franchise also performed extremely well, proving yet again that kids movies make a lot of money.

### 68. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)  Lifetime gross: $941,055,851

### 67. Finding Nemo (2003)  Lifetime gross: $941,637,960

Disney/Pixar heads under the sea for this instant classic. Marlin ( Albert Brooks) searches for his son with the help of a forgetful fish named Dory ( Ellen Degeneres).

### 66. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix(2007)  Lifetime gross: $942,859,770

The fifth in the series is as exciting and entertaining as a Quidditch match.

### 65. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)   Lifetime gross: $955,775,804

While the Doctor Strange sequel certainly did well, only one MCU film post- Endgame has crossed a billion dollars as Marvel fatigue sets in.

### 64. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)  Lifetime gross: $959,079,095

The middle chapter of the Middle Earth trilogy.

### 63. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1(2010)  Lifetime gross: $960,897,696

Splitting the Potter finale in two was a genius moneymaking idea.

### 62. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End(2007)  Lifetime gross: $961,691,209

The third film in the franchise brought in some serious pirate’s booty.

### 61. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies(2014)  Lifetime gross: $962,253,946

One would think Peter Jackson would be gassed after winning a slew of Oscars for his LOTR adaptation, but no: he returns to Middle Earth for another trilogy. This one’s the second in the series.

### 60. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle(2017)  Lifetime gross: $962,544,585

A reboot for the video game generation.

### 59. The Jungle Book (2016)  Lifetime gross: $967,724,775

The rare remake that more than retreads the bare necessities—it improves upon the original.

### 58. Despicable Me 2 (2013)  Lifetime gross: $970,766,005

Gru ( Steve Carell) forsakes a life of crime for his newfound family of minions.

### 57. Oppenheimer(2023)  Lifetime: $975,440,031

While Oppenheimer didn't do quite as well as Barbie did at the box office, there's no denying that the pair helped each other become two of the biggest movies of all time.

### 56. The Lion King (1994)  Lifetime gross: $979,046,652

Audiences felt the love of Disney’s Shakespearean animated classic.

### 55. Jurassic World Dominion (2022)  Lifetime gross: $1.001 billion

Barely creeping over the billion dollar line, the third Jurassic World film which brought back actors from the original Jurassic Park movies is the final entry in the billion dollar club to date.

### 54. The Dark Knight ( 2008) Lifetime gross: $1.008 billion

Heath Ledger won a posthumous Oscar for his thrilling take on Gotham’s No. 1 troublemaker, and its exclusion from Oscar’s top prize eventually led to the Academy expanding its slate of contenders.

### 53. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) Lifetime gross: $1.017 billion

Peter Jackson shifts his lens to Bilbo Baggins ( Martin Freeman).

### 52. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)  Lifetime gross: $1.024 billion

The start of a spellbinding franchise.

### 51. Alice in Wonderland (2010) Lifetime gross: $1.025 billion

Tim Burton reimagines Wonderland as only Tim Burton can, with a mesmerizing performance from Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter.

### 50. Zootopia (2016)  Lifetime gross: $1.025 billion

State-of-the-art animation with a timely message of inclusivity.

### 49. Finding Dory (2016) Lifetime gross: $1.029 billion

An endearingly worthy follow-up and indelible experience—even for movie-goers with the shortest of memories.

### 48. Despicable Me 3 (2017) Lifetime gross: $1.034 billion

The threequel is twice as funny, thanks to Steve Carell pulling double duty as brothers Gru and Dru.

### 47. Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace(1999)  Lifetime gross: $1.046 billion

An admittedly clunky start to the space opera, Star Wars fans were nevertheless ready to shell out big bucks to see Darth Vader’s origin story.

### 46. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) Lifetime gross: $1.046 billion

Penelope Cruz energizes the franchise, four films in.

### 45. Deadpool & Wolverine (2024  Lifetime gross: $1.048 billion

The first Deadpool movie in the MCU provided a boost to the franchise, sending it over the billion dollar mark.

### 44. Aladdin (2019) Lifetime gross: $1.054 billion

Look, Will Smith is no Robin Williams, but the wise-cracking genie still fulfilled Disney’s boffo box-office wishes.

### 43. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) Lifetime gross: $1.058 billion

Freed from the weight of Star Wars’ wildly obsessed-over mythology, this female-led ( Felicity Jones) story breaks new ground.

### 42. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) Lifetime gross: $1.066 billion

Proving you can launch a blockbuster franchise off a theme park ride, Pirates even earned guy-linered Johnny Depp an Oscar nomination.

### 41. Toy Story 3 (2010) Lifetime gross: $1.067 billion

With beloved owner Andy college-bound, it’s the tear-jerking end to Woody ( Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear’s ( Tim Allen) toy story...or is it?

### 40. Toy Story 4 (2019) Lifetime gross: $1.073 billion

It’s a testament to the power of Pixar’s storytelling that it can unspool a fourth (and presumably final) installment of its signature series. Woody, Buzz and the gang are joined by a plastic spork in the midst of an existential crisis.

### 39. Star Wars: Episode IX—The Rise of Skywalker (2019) Lifetime gross: $1.077 billion

A saga that’s spanned more than four decades finally comes to end—thankfully, Episode IX sticks the landing.

### 38. Joker (2019) Lifetime gross: $1.078 billion

Is this modern-day masterpiece really from the guy who did The Hangover ( Todd Phillips)? An uber-dark (and ultra-violent) origin story for Gotham City’s most infamous villain, it’s worth a looksy for Joaquin Phoenix’s Oscar-winning tour-de-force performance as the mentally unstable Arthur Fleck.

### 37. The Dark Knight Rises (2012) Lifetime gross: $1.085 billion

The conclusion of Christopher Nolan’s acclaimed Batman trilogy introduced us to Christian Bale as Bane and Anne Hathaway as Catwoman.

### 36. Transformers: Age of Extinction (2004) Lifetime gross: $1.104 billion

Mark Wahlberg replaces Shia LaBoeuf for the franchise’s fourth go-around, and not even a bloated three-hour running time could keep Transformers fans away.

### 35. Jurassic Park(1993)  Lifetime gross: $1.104 billion

Steven Spielberg’s technological marvel of a movie still shocks and awes decades later. And while inevitable sequels made more dough, none comes close to the the wonder of the original.

### 34. Skyfall (2012)  Lifetime gross: $1.108 billion

The first James Bond mission in 50-plus years to cross a billion dollars. Adele’s Oscar-winning hit of the same name couldn’t have hurt.

### 33. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)  Lifetime gross: $1.123 billion

It was a critical clunker (35% Rotten Tomato rating), but there’s more than meets the eye: the third Transformers installment had the lowest budget but the highest gross worldwide of the series.

### 32. Captain Marvel (2019)  Lifetime gross: $1.131 billion

Oscar winner Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers is the MCU’s first headlining female superhero.

### 31. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)  Lifetime gross: $1.132 billion

The Spidey sequel was Sony’s highest grossing film of all time until that crown was snatched by its sequel.

### 30. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King(2003)  Lifetime gross: $1.151 billion

Peter Jackson’s epic trilogy went undefeated at the Oscars (winning all 11 trophies it was up for, including Best Picture and Best Director).

### 29. Aquaman (2018)  Lifetime gross: $1.152 billion

Director Jason Wan gave DC Extended Universe its first blockbuster to break the billion-dollar mark. Jason Momoa stars as the titular, trident-wielding superhero.

### 28. Captain America: Civil War(2015)  Lifetime gross: $1.155 billion

Avengers Lite: sure, Thor and Hulk were MIA, but MCU did introduce us to Spider-Man and Black Panther.

### 27. Minions (2015) Lifetime gross: $1.159 billion

Gru’s kooky yellow sidekicks get their own prequel.

### 26. Iron Man 3 (2013) Lifetime gross: $1.215 billion

Impressive action sequences combined with Robert Downey Jr.’s trademark charisma and wit make Tony Stark’s third solo outing an entertaining thrill-ride.

### 25. The Fate of the Furious (2017) Lifetime gross: $1.236 billion

F8 gets a tune-up thanks to its Oscar-winning villain ( Charlize Theron as Cipher).

### 24. Incredibles 2 (2018) Lifetime gross: $1.243 billion

Brad Bird’s superhero sequel is the pinnacle of Pixar’s run of blockbusters, becoming the highest-grossing animated film of all-time at the domestic box office.

### 23. Beauty and the Beast (2017) Lifetime gross: $1.266 billion

Disney’s live-action adaptation of its tale as old as 1991 starred Emma Watson as the Belle of this ball.

### 22. Frozen (2013)  Lifetime gross: $1.306 billion

Complex heroines, catchy tunes and an endearing snowman lead to a happily-ever-after—for Disney’s bottom line.

### 21. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)  Lifetime gross: $1.310 billion

Dino-mayhem follows Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard off the island.

### 20. Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)  Lifetime gross: $1.334 billion

Ironically, Rian Johnson’s polarizing entry in the Skywalker saga is also one of the best-reviewed (90% fresh on RottenTomatoes).

### 19. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2(2011)  Lifetime gross: $1.342 billion

The back-half of J.K. Rowling’s fantasy saga. For a decade, Potterheads watched Harry, Hermione and Ron (and their real-life counterparts) grow up before their eyes.

### 18. The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)   Lifetime gross: $1.361 billion

It makes perfect sense that the best-selling video game franchise of all time would scoop in big bucks when it made its long-awaited arrival in theaters. Plus with international appeal, the movie did even better abroad than it did in the US.

### 17. Black Panther (2018)  Lifetime gross: $1.374 billion

Marvel’s first big-budget black superhero movie—with a black director and a predominantly black cast, to boot—was a cultural phenomenon. Wakanda Forever!

### 16. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) Lifetime gross: $1.405 billion

Joss Whedon’s Avengers sequel fell short of the Top 10 but still scored the second best opening of all time at its release.

### 15. Barbie (2023)  Lifetime gross: $1.445 billion

$1.4 billion dollars is certainly Kenough to classify it as a box office smash. The Greta Gerwig film based on the classic Mattel doll had drove of pink-wearing fans flooding theaters during Barbenheimer weekend.

### 14. Frozen II (2019) Lifetime gross: $1.453 billion

Did you honestly think after Elsa and Anna made $400 million domestically that Disney would let it go?The snowy sequel is the highest-grossing animated film of all time.

### 13. Top Gun: Maverick (2022)   Lifetime gross: $1.495 billion

Tom Cruise came flying back into theaters during summer of 2022 with a sequel decades in the making. The taut action thriller not only earned a lot of money, but also nabbed a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars.

### 12. Furious 7 (2015) Lifetime gross: $1.515 billion

Paul Walker’s last ride with the franchise, after his untimely death IRL led to large box office numbers.

### 11. Marvel's The Avengers (2012) Lifetime gross: $1.520 billion

Teamwork makes the dream work—and the first combined outing of superfriends also became the first flick to make $200 million in its opening weekend.

### 10. Inside Out 2(2024)  Lifetime gross: $1.596 billion

After several years on the struggle bus, this Pixar sequel ended up being their highest box office earner to date.

### 9. The Lion King (2019) Lifetime gross: $1.663 billion

The Beyhive must have come out in hordes to hear Beyonce as CGI'd Nala because this live-action remake of Disney’s beloved animated hit roared at the box office ($191 million opening weekend). Also starring Donald Glover as grown-up Simba and the iconic James Earl Jones reprising Mufasa.

### 8. Jurassic World (2015) Lifetime gross: $1.671 billion

A real-life dinosaur theme park? What could go wrong? (Lucky for us action junkies— everything!) A dazzling direct sequel to Steven Spielberg’s OG cinematic marvel.

### 7. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)   Lifetime gross: $1.922 billion

While Spider-Man has always been a hit at the box office, putting three Spider-Men in one film helped the web slinger reach new heights. Past Spidies Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield joined Tom Holland in the third MCU entry into the franchise.

### 6. Avengers: Infinity War (2018) Lifetime gross: $2.052 billion

A decade of interconnected MCU flicks built up toward this intergalactic showdown with Big Bad Thanos, hellbent on securing the Infinity Stones. And what a cliffhanger!

### 5. Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015) Lifetime gross: $2.071 billion

JJ Abrams reawakened Star Wars fans by bringing back the OG trio of Luke, Leia and Han Solo and injecting the franchise with some new blood: Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, and Daisy Ridley.

### 4. Titanic (1997) Lifetime gross: $2.264 billion

James Cameron’s sweeping romance-disaster epic—starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio as star-crossed lovers—was buoyed at the box office by repeat viewings from Leo fanatics and a ubiquitous Celine Dion anthem.

### 3. Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)   Lifetime gross: $2.320 billion

While many doubted that the long-awaited Avatar sequel would live up to the box office glory of its predecessor, it got pretty darn close. Only time will tell if Avatar 3 can also crack the top five.

### 2. Avengers: Endgame (2019) Lifetime gross: $2.799 billion

The MCU's Infinity Saga culminated with this star-studded finale, featuring a who’s-who of Hollywood—including Robert Downey, Jr. as Iron Man, Scarlett Johannson as Black Widow, Chris Evans as Captain America and the late Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther.

### 1. Avatar (2009) Lifetime gross: $2.923 billion

Pandora’s blue-hued aliens brought in serious green at the box office, thanks to jaw-dropping special effects.

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