32 Movies That Earned Over $1 Billion That May Surprise You

 Johnny Depp in Alice in Wonderland.
Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

There are movies out there that will surprise you to learn they earned over that magic number of $1 billion. No one is shocked to see Avatar: Way of the Water or Titanic on the list, those movies are well known for their monster success, but then there are dozens of movies who have hit that number, mostly in the 21st Century, and some of them are really surprising. So here is our list of those, with the numbers reported by Box Office Mojo.

Judy Hopps in Zootopia
Judy Hopps in Zootopia

Zootopia

Disney's Zootopia didn't feel like it was going to be a billion-dollar franchise. Sure, the trailer was great and the movie was fantastic, but if you were placing bets on which Disney movies released in 2016 would earn more, Zootopia or Moana, most people would have guessed the latter. But it's the former that far outearned Moana, bringing in just over a billion dollars.

Will Smith in Aladdin
Will Smith in Aladdin

Aladdin

Disney has taken a lot of grief from some of the movie-going public for their live-action remakes, but the House of Mouse has consistently proven their critics wrong, at least in terms of box office revenue. Will Smith's Aladdin is one such example, as it brought in just north of a cool billion upon release in 2019.

Bill Hader and Kate McKinnon in Finding Dory
Bill Hader and Kate McKinnon in Finding Dory

Finding Dory

Say what you want about Disney, but they are good at building many of their franchises. Finding Nemo was a huge hit, but its sequel, Finding Dory, smashed Nemo's box office numbers, bringing in more than a billion, beating its big brother by more than $500 million.

Joaquin Phoenix as Joker
Joaquin Phoenix as Joker

Joker

Oppenheimer took the world by storm in the summer of 2023 and quickly became the second-highest-grossing rated R movie at the time. As well as it did at the box office, it couldn't top Todd Phillips' Joker. Joker became the first adult-only movie to top $1 billion in 2019.

Buzz in Spanish mode in Toy Story 3.
Buzz in Spanish mode in Toy Story 3.

Toy Story 3

It's probably not all that surprising that a Toy Story movie made a billion bucks. What is a little surprising is that it took until the 3rd installment of the franchise to become the first to do it. After nearly a decade since Toy Story 2 Pixar hit it big, both critically and financially, with 2010's Toy Story 3. Good things come to those who wait.

Shockwave in Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Shockwave in Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Transformers: Dark Of The Moon

There are probably still people out there that are surprised by the monster success of the Michael Bay Transformers movies. Critics loathe them, but fans can't get enough, and that shows when they earn over a billion despite terrible reviews, like Transformers: Dark Of The Moon.

A lion growling in Mufasa: The Lion King.
A lion growling in Mufasa: The Lion King.

The Lion King

A year after releasing the hugely successful Aladdin live-action remake, Disney followed up with another live-action remake of one of their beloved '90s cartoons, The Lion King and it too went wild at the box office, earning more than $1.6 billion.

Laura Dern and Sam Neill in Jurassic Park
Laura Dern and Sam Neill in Jurassic Park

Jurassic Park

This is arguably the most surprising on the list. No, not that a Jurassic Park movie raked in over a billion, each of the three released between 2015 and 2022 did that. No, what makes this entry so surprising is that it came out in 1993! It's by far the oldest movie on this list and it's astounding that it's earned over a billion. It was all earned in the '90s, of course, it's been re-released multiple times, but it just keeps crushing it whenever it is.

Daniel Craig looking up in curiosity in Skyfall.
Daniel Craig looking up in curiosity in Skyfall.

Skyfall

Amazingly, it took 23 movies before the James Bond franchise had its first billion-dollar+ release. 2012's Skyfall, which CinemaBlend ranks in the middle of the pack of the Daniel Craig era was the first movie about the super spy to bring in over a billion.

Dwayne Johnson in the Fate of the Furious.
Dwayne Johnson in the Fate of the Furious.

The Fate Of The Furious

Sometimes franchises just prove the critics wrong over and over. The Fast franchise is the poster child of this. While film reviewers and movie snobs often scoff at the franchise, the fans keep flocking, and The Fate Of The Furious is one huge example, as it earned more than $1.2 billion at the box office.

Jason Momoa in Aquaman
Jason Momoa in Aquaman

Aquaman

Never underestimate the power of Jason Momoa. While it's never surprising to see superhero movies earn tons of money, the DCEU never quite kept up with its rival, Marvel. Despite mixed reviews and some bad press, 2018's Aquaman still crushed at the box office, raking in more than $1.1 billion.

Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone

No one is surprised by the success of the Harry Potter movies. Most of the series earned just under a billion, but only just. It's also not surprising to learn that the highest-grossing movie of the franchise was the final one, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, released in 2010. What is very surprising is that number two on the list is the oldest, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, released way back in 2001. It has benefitted from re-releases, but it's still pretty shocking.

A minion coming out of the water and spitting water out of its mouth
A minion coming out of the water and spitting water out of its mouth

Minions

One could argue that Minions is really a spinoff more than a prequel to the original Despicable Me and as such, you wouldn't expect it to be one of the most successful releases in the very popular series. the 2015 release earned over $1.1 billion, far out earning the main installments in the franchise.

Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, walking across a table in Alice in Wonderland
Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, walking across a table in Alice in Wonderland

Alice In Wonderland

This may be the most surprising movie on the list. Tim Burton's 2010 release, Alice in Wonderland earned just over a billion dollars at the box office, which is more than all but two of Johnny Depp's Pirates of the Caribbean movies. It's just remarkable. How did this oddball movie earn so much? Well, Johnny Depp was one of the biggest stars in the world at the time, but that still doesn't fully explain it. We may never know.

Anxiety with Envy, Anger, Fear, Sadness and Disgust in Inside Out 2
Anxiety with Envy, Anger, Fear, Sadness and Disgust in Inside Out 2

Inside Out 2

In 2024 Pixar proved it's still a force to be reckoned with when Inside Out 2 earned over $1.2 billion at the box office. Released nine years after the first movie, Inside Out 2 crushed at the box office and proved the Disney animation studio has more up its sleeve than we ever realized.

The teapot singing in Beauty and the Beast.
The teapot singing in Beauty and the Beast.

Beauty And The Beast

Beauty And The Beast was the first '90s Disney animated movie to get the live-action remake treatment. Released in 2017, it was an instant success, packing theaters and printing money to the tune of over $1.2 billion. It paved the way for later success like Aladdin and The Lion King.

Bob Odenkirk's character in Incredibles 2.
Bob Odenkirk's character in Incredibles 2.

Incredibles 2

it's never really a huge surprise when a Disney-animated movie makes a ton of dough. What makes Incredibles 2 so surprising is just how much that was. The 2018 sequel made more than $1.2 billion, ranking only below Frozen as Disney's most successful animated movie at the time.

Mario standing atop big mushroom in The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Mario standing atop big mushroom in The Super Mario Bros. Movie

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

2023's The Super Mario Bros. Movie got crushed by many critics. Audiences completely ignored them, however, and generally loved it. That paid off at the box office in a big way, to the tune of more than $1.3 billion. Huge numbers.

Gru and Minions in Despicable Me 3
Gru and Minions in Despicable Me 3

Despicable Me 3

After the huge success of Minions, Despicable Me 3 was released in 2016 and followed the success of its spinoff, earning just over a billion at the box office. It was followed up 8 years later with Despicable Me 4 in 2024 which wasn't a hit with critics, but still made a ton of money.

Tom Cruise and Jennifer Connelly sailing a ship in Top Gun: Maverick
Tom Cruise and Jennifer Connelly sailing a ship in Top Gun: Maverick

Top Gun: Maverick

1986's Top Gun is a cultural touchstone to anyone who grew up in the '80s. It was wildly popular, and while people were skeptical of a sequel getting released almost 40 years later, the movie makers proved it was the correct decision. Top Gun: Maverick "saved" cinema, according to some, as it was the first monster release after the pandemic, bringing in almost $1.5 billion. Just incredible.

Brie Larson as Captain Marvel
Brie Larson as Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel

It might not be surprising that an MCU movie would earn over a billion, lots of them have. Captain Marvel, however, was a bit of a surprise. Not only did some overzealous fans scoff at a female lead in a superhero movie, it came sandwiched between the two monster Avengers movies. Brie Larson and Marvel proved their critics wrong when the movie brought in $1.1 billion and change.

Princess Anna smiling in Frozen II
Princess Anna smiling in Frozen II

Frozen II

Anyone who has had a kid in the last 20 years knows how huge Frozen was. Its sequel, however, was less well-received by fans and critics alike. That didn't stop fans from flocking to theaters to see it, however. It made an amazing $1.4 billion.

Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso in Rogue One
Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso in Rogue One

Rogue One

A few Star Wars movies have made over a billion, but Rogue One is the only one outside of the main trilogy of trilogies to earn that distinction. It's also one of the best Star Wars movies since the original three.

Bilbo and Dwarves from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Bilbo and Dwarves from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy was a monster success. His follow-up, the Hobbit trilogy wasn't as successful, but the first one, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, still managed to crack the billion-dollar mark. The only one of the three to do so.

Heath Ledger as The Joker in The Dark Knight
Heath Ledger as The Joker in The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight

Okay, we'll be honest, this one isn't all that surprising. Not only is The Dark Knight arguably the best superhero movie ever made, it marked Heath Ledger's most electrifying performance before we lost him far too soon. Still, for a movie as dark as it is, it's surprising it was as successful in theaters as it was.

Johnny Depp in On Stranger Tides
Johnny Depp in On Stranger Tides

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

By the time Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the fourth movie in the Pirates of the Caribbean series was released, it seemed like the franchise was running on borrowed time. The box office receipts proved that wrong in a big way when it earned more than a billion and became the second most successful movie in the Johnny Depp-led series at the time.

Anne Hathaway and Christian Bale in The Dark Knight Rises
Anne Hathaway and Christian Bale in The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight Rises

Another dark entry in the superhero genre is the third film in the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy. It did not have auspicious opening weekend when a gunman killed 12 people at a midnight screening of the movie. It was a tragic moment, but the box office rebounded and The Dark Knight Rises still earned over a billion.

Barbie smiling while wearing a cowgirl hat in Barbie.
Barbie smiling while wearing a cowgirl hat in Barbie.

Barbie

While it wasn't a surprise that the Margot Robbie-led Barbie became a hit, but the absolutely huge impact of the movie took almost everyone by surprise. When it was all said and done, Barbie was the highest-grossing movie of 2023, earning more than $1.4 billion.

Buzz and Woody in Toy Story 4.
Buzz and Woody in Toy Story 4.

Toy Story 4

It's always risky to release a sequel a decade after the previous installment of a franchise, much less decades after the original, but Toy Story 4 proved that the world truly loves the franchise as much as any other Disney has ever created. It just topped its predecessor with over a billion dollars earned in 2019.

Viggo Mortensen in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Viggo Mortensen in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Everyone knows that The Lord of the Rings trilogy was a massive success, but still, the fact that a movie released in 2003 earned north of a billion is very surprising. That's exactly what The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King did when it was released, right before it cleaned up at the Oscars.

Lockdown's grenade blast in Transformers: Age of Extinction
Lockdown's grenade blast in Transformers: Age of Extinction

Transformers: Age of Extinction

Critics continue to slam the Transformers franchise, but fans don't care. The 2014 release, Transformers: Age of Extinction, proves just how much the fans don't care as they flocked to the theater, handing over a collective $1.1 billion.

Ewan McGregor in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
Ewan McGregor in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

Only three movies released in the 1990s have ever earned over a billion dollars. Titanic, of course, is the top earner. Jurassic Park is the second. The third, is maybe not as surprising, as it's a Star Wars movie and it was the first one in almost two decades. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace may not be a fan favorite today, but in 1999 fans couldn't wait. It destroyed box offices all over the work, raking in an impressive one billion dollars. It far outpaced its sequels and that mark was not reached by the franchise again until 2015's Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens.