The hugely popular Top Gun: Maverick recently crossed the one billion mark, and it keeps going strong. It's impressive for a film to reach that milestone, especially when it's not a superhero franchise. And after the last couple of difficult years for the film industry, it's even better to celebrate a movie like Maverick.
Still, it's not just Tom Cruise and company that are raking up the big box. 2022 has delivered some of the best blockbusters in recent memory, and audiences have shown up to them. Many films have made it big at the 2022 box office, with a couple possibly on their way to Maverick in the prestigious one billion dollar club.
Uncharted - $401 Million
The beloved Uncharted, with Mark Wahlberg ing him as Sully. The plot follows Nate and Sully as they race against an evil billionaire and a mercenary leader to find the lost treasure of the Magellan expedition.
Uncharted received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics but was a considerable box office success. It grossed $148 million in the United States and Canada and $253 million internationally, for a worldwide gross of $401 million. It is currently the second highest-grossing film based on a video game at the domestic box office.
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 - $401 Million
After the surprising success of the first Sonic movie in 2020, Paramount premiered the sequel, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, in April 2022. The plot follows Sonic and his new friend Tails as they face Doctor Eggman and a new dangerous foe, Knuckles.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was a big box office success, grossing is also Jim Carrey's second-highest grossing film, sured only by his 2003 hit comedy Bruce Almighty.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore - $405 Million
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. The Fantastic Beasts series was never as successful or culturally relevant as Harry Potter, but The Secrets of Dumbledore marks an all-time low for the Wizarding World. The convoluted plot continues the battle against Grindelwald, introducing new characters while neglecting previous ones.
Despite grossing Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, questioning whether this series will continue or if Warner Bros. will ax it and explore other parts of the Wizarding World.
Thor: Love And Thunder - $498 Million
Despite being a relatively new addition in the box office race, Thor: Love and Thunder is already in at number seven, an impressive feat, even for a Marvel film. The film, which features the return of Natalie Portman to the MCU, sees Thor ing forces with Mighty Thor and Valkyrie to take on Gorr, the God Butcher.
Thor: Love and Thunder has grossed $233 million in the United States and Canada and $264.6 elsewhere, for a total of Thor: Ragnarok's $854 million.
Minions: The Rise Of Gru - $532.7 Million
The Despicable Me franchise continues to be a top performer for Illumination Studios. Its most recent release, Minions: The Rise of Gru, follows the titular yellow characters and their new master, a young Gru, as they go against the Vicious 6, a dangerous group of supervillains.
Minions: The Rise of Gru is full of appropriately despicable characters, jokes, and musical numbers, explaining its considerable box office success. The film has grossed $532.7 million so far, becoming the highest-grossing animated film of the pandemic era. It's unlikely it will match Minions' $1.159 billion, but it should end somewhere in the $800 million range.
Water Gate Bridge - $626 Million
China is a huge film market, and Hollywood is quickly realizing it. Their 2022 war film Water Gate Bridge, a sequel to 2021's The Battle at Lake Changjin, is based on the battle at Funchilin during the Korean War and is part of the celebrations of the Communist Party's 100th anniversary.
Water Gate Bridge was a massive box office success in China, with the Middle Kingdom ing for $626 million out of the film's $626.5 worldwide gross. Domestically, Water Gate Bridge only grossed $117,294, but it's clear the film was always going to do most of its business in its home country.
The Batman - $770 Million
Matt Reeves' neo-noir adaptation of DC Comics' most popular hero received critical acclaim and earned the struggling DC Universe a ton of goodwill. The Batman follows a young Bruce Wayne who, early in his Batman career, must deal with a psychopathic killer and a Gotham City rampant with corruption.
Critics and fans widely consider The Batman one of the best movies of 2022. The film was a box-office success, grossing $770 million worldwide, making it the fourth highest-grossing picture of 2022. Thor: Love and Thunder will likely take its place eventually, but The Batman will surely end the year within the Top 10.
Jurassic World Dominion - $902 Million
Ostensibly the last film in the Jurassic World trilogy, Jurassic World Dominion features the return of original cast Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neil, and Laura Dern. The film follows the characters as they embark on a rescue mission while trying to expose a conspiracy by a corrupt company.
Despite scathing reviews from critics, Jurassic World Dominion is a massive box office success. The film is at $902.5 million at the international box office, making it very likely to cross the one billion dollar mark before it finishes its theater run. Not bad for a film everyone seemingly hated.
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness - $954 Million
Sam Reimi made his MCU debut with Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness. The film follows the titular character as he goes on a multiversal adventure while trying to protect America Chavez from the now-villainous Scarlet Witch.
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness is one of the best fantasy films of 2022, although it did receive a mixed reception from fans. That didn't stop it from earning a whopping $954 million worldwide. The race to one billion continues, although it's unclear whether it will actually make it or end frustratingly close.
Top Gun: Maverick - $1.237 Billion
After numerous delays, Top Gun: Maverick finally premiered in 2022, and it was worth the wait. Tom Cruise reprises his role as Maverick in a story that finds him training a new group of pilots, including the son of his deceased best friend Goose.
Few could've anticipated the massive box office success of Top Gun: Maverick. The film defied odds and sured all expectations by grossing $1.237 billion worldwide and counting. Maverick is a positive sign that cinema is not only recovering but that non-comic book films can win big at the box office.
