What is the highest grossing movie of all time? Top 10 box office record breakers
Putting together a movie can cost millions of dollars. The most expensive movie ever made is the fourth installment of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," which had production costs of $410.6 million, according to Forbes.
But what about the money-making side of the film industry? Movies can make anywhere from thousands to billions in the box office, domestically and worldwide. The highest-grossing film of all time has a price tag beyond this planet, just like the setting of the movie.
Here is the highest-grossing film of all time, plus other box-office record breakers.
What is the highest-grossing movie of all time?
Avatar, directed by James Cameron, is the highest-grossing movie of all time, having a lifetime gross of over $2.9 billion, according to Box Office Mojo by IMDbPro.
The 2009 science fiction film, starring Sam Worthington and Zoe Salda?a, follows Jake Sully, who is sent to Pandora, a moon in the Alpha Centauri star system, as a part of the Avatar Program. Along the way, Jake becomes conflicted between following orders and protecting the Na'vi people and their home.
A sequel to Avatar, "Avatar: The Way of Water," hit theaters on Dec. 16, 2022, 13 years after the original film and once again directed by Cameron. The movie stars original cast members, including Worthington, Salda?a, Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang, as well as newcomers to the franchise, such as Kate Winslet and Jemaine Clement. The film is the third highest-grossing film of all time.
Three additional installments to the Avatar franchise are planned with releases set for 2024, 2026 and 2028, according to IMDb.
Top 10 highest-grossing films of all time
Here are the top 10 highest-grossing movies of all time, according to Box Office Mojo by IMDbPro:
Avatar (2009), $2.9 billion
Avengers: Endgame (2019), $2.7 billion
Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), $2.32 billion
Titanic (1997), $2.2 billion
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015), $2.07 billion
Avengers: Infinity War (2018), $2.05 billion
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), $1.9 billion
Jurassic World (2015), $1.67 billion
The Lion King (2019), $1.66 billion
The Avengers (2012), $1.52 billion
What is the highest-grossing movie adjusted for inflation?
The highest-grossing film at the global box office adjusted for inflation is "Gone With the Wind," making a total gross of $3.44 billion, according to Guinness World Records. The historical romance adaptation of the 1936 novel of the same name stars Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh and Leslie Howard.
Released in 1939, "Gone With the Wind" made $393.4 million domestically and 88 million pounds internationally, says Guinness World Records.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Highest-grossing movies of all time: See the top 10 list