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Steven Spielberg has directed a record four films to end the year as the highest-grossing in the U.S.
This is a listing of the highest-grossing films by year, based on their
United States box-office gross. The films are listed by in-year release, rather than the gross they accumulated during a calendar year.
[1]
Six different directors have directed the highest-grossing film on multiple occasions:
George Lucas ,
Steven Spielberg ,
James Cameron ,
Sam Raimi ,
Robert Zemeckis , and
Chris Columbus . Spielberg has the record, directing four of the yearly highest-grossing films:
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981),
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982),
Jurassic Park (1993), and
Saving Private Ryan (1998). Lucas has directed three such films, all of which are part of the
Star Wars franchise, which he created: the original
Star Wars (1977), and two of its prequels
The Phantom Menace (1999), and
Revenge of the Sith (2005). James Cameron has also directed three such films:
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991),
Titanic (1997), and
Avatar (2009). Sam Raimi, Robert Zemeckis and Chris Columbus have directed two each:
Spider-Man (2002) and
Spider-Man 3 (2007) for Raimi;
Back to the Future (1985) and
Forrest Gump (1994) for Zemeckis;
Home Alone (1990) and
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) for Columbus.
Films that are a part of larger film or media franchises are frequently atop the highest-grossing films in the United States. The
Star Wars franchise has had the highest-grossing film in 8 different years since 1977. In addition to the five aforementioned which Lucas directed, the franchise has also had
The Force Awakens ,
Rogue One , and
The Last Jedi (2015–2017, respectively), top a year. The
Marvel Cinematic Universe has had four films atop the yearly U.S. box office:
The Avengers (2012),
Black Panther (2018),
Avengers: Endgame (2019), and
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). No Way Home also gave the
Spider-Man film franchise its third leading film.
Batman films ,
Harry Potter ,
Top Gun , and
Toy Story are the other franchises with two films to top the U.S. box office in a single year.
By in-year release
The following is the annual listing:
Denotes current record
Denotes former record
Year
Film
Gross
Ref.
1977
Star Wars
$221,280,994
[2]
1978
Grease
$159,978,870
[3]
1979
Kramer vs. Kramer
$106,260,000
[4]
1980
The Empire Strikes Back
$209,398,025
[2]
1981
Raiders of the Lost Ark
$212,222,025
[5]
1982
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
$359,197,037
[6]
1983
Return of the Jedi
$252,583,617
[7]
1984
Beverly Hills Cop
$234,760,478
[8]
1985
Back to the Future
$210,609,762
[9]
1986
Top Gun
$176,781,728
[10]
1987
Three Men and a Baby
$167,780,960
[11]
1988
Rain Man
$172,825,435
[12]
1989
Batman
$251,188,924
[13]
1990
Home Alone
$285,761,243
[14]
1991
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
$204,843,345
[15]
1992
Aladdin
$217,350,219
[16]
1993
Jurassic Park
$357,067,947
[17]
1994
Forrest Gump
$329,694,499
[18]
1995
Toy Story
$191,796,233
[19]
1996
Independence Day
$306,169,268
[20]
1997
Titanic
$600,788,188
[21]
1998
Saving Private Ryan
$216,540,909
[22]
1999
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
$431,088,295
[23]
2000
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
$260,044,825
[24]
2001
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
$317,575,550
[25]
2002
Spider-Man
$403,706,375
[26]
2003
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
$377,027,325
[27]
2004
Shrek 2
$441,226,247
[28]
2005
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
$380,270,577
[29]
2006
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
$423,315,812
[30]
2007
Spider-Man 3
$336,530,303
[31]
2008
The Dark Knight
$533,345,358
[32]
2009
Avatar
$749,766,139
[33]
2010
Toy Story 3
$415,004,880
[34]
2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
$381,011,219
[35]
2012
The Avengers
$623,357,910
[36]
2013
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
$424,668,047
[37]
2014
American Sniper
$350,126,372
[38]
2015
Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens
$936,662,225
[39]
2016
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
$532,177,324
[40]
2017
Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi
$620,181,382
[41]
2018
Black Panther
$700,059,566
[42]
2019
Avengers: Endgame
$858,373,000
[43]
2020
Bad Boys For Life
$206,305,244
[44]
2021
Spider-Man: No Way Home
$804,793,477
[45]
2022
Top Gun: Maverick
$718,732,821
[46]
2023
Barbie
$636,236,401
[47]
2024
Dune Part Two
$276,640,680
See also
References
^
"Domestic Yearly Box Office" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
a
b " 'Star Wars' B.O. History".
Variety . May 17, 1999. p. 30.
^
"Domestic Box Office For 1978" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved July 25, 2022 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 1979" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 1981" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 1982" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 1983" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 1984" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 1985" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 1986" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 1987" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 1988" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 1989" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 1990" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 1991" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 1992" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 1993" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 1994" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 1995" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 1996" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 1997" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 1998" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 1999" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 2000" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 2001" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 2002" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 2003" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 2004" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 2005" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 2006" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 2007" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 2008" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 2009" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 2010" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 2011" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 2012" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 2013" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 2014" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 2015" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 2016" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 2017" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 2018" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 2019" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 26, 2020 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 2020" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved November 8, 2022 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 2021" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved January 15, 2021 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 2022" .
Box Office Mojo . Retrieved March 7, 2022 .
^
"Domestic Box Office For 2023" . Box Office Mojo . Retrieved 2023-08-25 .
Films listed as number-one by in-year release
1970s–1980s 1990s−2000s 2010s−2020s