As the international box office shows signs of recovering from the pandemic, it's a good time to break down the top 10 highest-grossing movies of the 2020s so far. These films give the industry and audiences hope that the movie-going experience is not dead yet, and people will show up in theaters, popcorn and candy in hand, to see big-budget spectacle from their favorite franchises. Franchise is truly the defining word for Hollywood in the 2020s, as most of its highest-grossing films represent the trend of reboots, remakes, and sequels that currently dominate the box office.
This list acts as a victory lap for Disney, who produced four of the 10 movies on the list, as well as an honorable mention for animation studio Illumination, who produced two of them. Marvel can still proudly own three of the movies on this list, even as superhero movies are slowly starting to lose their iron grip on the industry. Taking the international box office into with a couple of films produced in China, here are the top 10 highest-grossing films of the 2020s.
10 Hi, Mom
Hi, Mom was released in China on February 12, 2021, and grossed $841,674,419. It had a limited release in a few countries like Australia and New Zealand, but China represents the majority of its profits. According to The Hollywood Reporter, China, which typically represents a good amount of profit for Hollywood with each big release, is seeing the same recovery in their film industry as the U.S. Around the world, people are returning to theaters, and the film industry is breathing a collective sigh of relief. Even in 2021, still fairly early in the pandemic, Hi, Mom grossed as much as it did and earned its spot as number 10.
9 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was released on November 11, 2022, and grossed $859,208,836. Fans of the original Black Panther had cause to worry about the sequel with the tragic death of Chadwick Boseman. However, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever proved itself a worthy sequel, paying homage to Boseman's work as T'Challa, and its box office success reflects that. Audiences' excitement to the film drove the opening weekend earnings of $181 million and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever continued to do well in its global release. After the success of this film, fans can hold onto hope for Black Panther 3 as a way to end the franchise.
8 The Battle at Lake Changjin
The Battle at Lake Changjin was released in China on October 1, 2021, and grossed $902,548,476. It did see a limited domestic release, but much like Hi, Mom, the Chinese box office drove the vast majority of the film's gross earnings. The film is a fictionalized portrayal of the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War. At the time of its release, it was the most expensive film China had ever made, with a budget of over $200 million. Though it occupies number 8 on the list, it was almost as expensive to make as the number 1 highest-grossing movie of the 2020s.
7 Minions: The Rise of Gru
Minions: The Rise of Gru was released on June 23, 2022, and grossed $939,628,210. Its domestic opening weekend brought in $107 million, demonstrating families' desire to bring their kids back to the movies during summer break. The film shows the staying power of franchises that have defined the last two decades of movies, as Minions: The Rise of Gru serves as a prequel to Despicable Me, a film that was released 12 years prior. It also solidifies Illumination's place as a serious competitor for Disney in the production of animated films, capable of making multimillion dollar blockbusters.
6 Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was released on May 4, 2022, and grossed $955,775,805. It actually earned more than half of its profits in the international box office - Marvel has long been able to rely on its films performing well on a global scale. Though some feel MCU Phase 4 has gone wrong in a few ways, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was largely well-received. Fans especially enjoyed director Sam Raimi infusing the movie with his signature horror touch, showing a greater desire from audiences to see a unique personality in each Marvel project.
5 Jurassic World Dominion
Jurassic World Dominion was released on June 1, 2022, and grossed $1,001,978,080. The film marks not only the halfway point on the list, but also the start of the films of the 2020s that have grossed over a billion dollars worldwide. Released in the same summer box office that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness began and Minions: The Rise of Gru continued, the success of Jurassic World Dominion may make Hollywood hopeful for the summer of 2023. Despite the film's financial success, as the conclusion to the Jurassic World trilogy, some fans feel that Jurassic World Dominion cannot end the franchise and should receive a sequel.
4 The Super Mario Bros. Movie
The Super Mario Bros. Movie was released on April 5, 2023, and grossed $1,334,866,709. It is the only film released in 2023 to make the list and a second impressive showing from Illumination. When The Super Mario Bros. Movie box office crossed $1 billion, it showed how the film industry has recovered from the pandemic. The levels of movie theater attendance and gross earnings from The Super Mario Bros. Movie have been some of the first since 2020 to match pre-pandemic levels. Its success has also left people guessing which movie in 2023 could be the next to break a billion dollars in profit.
3 Top Gun: Maverick
Top Gun: Maverick was released on May 20, 2022, and grossed $1,495,696,292. Riding the massive wave of 80s nostalgia that has taken over pop culture, Top Gun: Maverick performed well domestically and internationally to earn its spot at number 3. The film can owe part of its success to how its practical stunts stand out in a Hollywood landscape dominated by CGI. The movie made use of real planes to craft sequences that left audiences wondering how much was real and how much was CGI. With star power, thrilling stunts, and brand recognition behind it, Top Gun: Maverick had everything it needed to soar well past a billion dollars in gross earnings.
2 Spider-Man: No Way Home
Spider-Man: No Way Home was released on December 15, 2021, and grossed $1,921,847,111. Marvel brought together all three actors who have portrayed Spider-Man in the last couple of decades to craft a hugely successful film capable of bringing people to the theaters. Audiences cheered in their seats when Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire shared the screen with Tom Holland, and they even cried a little when Garfield had the chance to save MJ, played by Zendaya. Fans proved all their excitement with an opening weekend that earned over $260 million to catapult Spider-Man: No Way Home to be the second highest-grossing film of the 2020s.
1 Avatar: The Way of Water
Avatar: The Way of Water was released on December 14, 2021, and grossed $2,320,250,281. As the sequel to the highest-grossing film of all time, it's no surprise it occupies this spot at the top. Its success has made Avatar: The Way of Water the 4th highest grossing movie of all time. The film made most of its earnings in the international box office, making it a true global hit, and more than paid for the ambitious $250 million budget director James Cameron put into it. Only time will tell if the 2020s produce a blockbuster that can topple Avatar: Way of Water, but that film will first have to break 2 billion dollars, a feat only achieved by five other movies.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
