While reaching $1 billion at the global box office once seemed like a cinematic milestone that was very uncommon to see, it has now become expected for blockbuster films to cross that threshold. In the 20th Century, only a rare few films includingTitanic, Jurassic Park,andStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menacemanaged to cross that $1 billion mark; in the next decade,Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,andAvatarjoined that exclusive club.
However, the 2010s saw many films easily crossing the threshold, and many Marvel Cinematic Universe projects, popular family animated films, live-action remakes of Walt Disney Animated classics, and sequels to popular franchises managed to easily reach their expected worldwide totals. Take 2019 for example; in that year alone,Avengers: Endgame, Captain Marvel, Aladdin, Toy Story 4, Spider-Man: Far From Home, The Lion King, Joker, Frozen II,andStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalkerall managed to easily pass $1 billion.
Unfortunately, moviegoers have been returning to the theaters slower than expected after movie-going began to open up again in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only did it become less frequent for films to hit the $1 billion mark, but the notion of another $2 billion film seemed almost preposterous. James Cameron seemed to be the only one capable of reviving the box office thanks to the success ofAvatar: The Way of Water, which nearly topped its predecessor with an impressiveglobal sum of over $2.3 billion. To date, perInsider, only six movies have ever grossed $2 billion. Here is every $2 billion movie, ranked from worst to best.
6Avengers: Infinity War — $2.052 Billion
Avengers: Infinity Warmanaged to do the impossible, as it tied together over a decade of multilayered storytelling and told a coherent narrative that united the heroes together in a compelling way. The most brilliant decision made in the film was to makeThanos (Josh Brolin)the main character; by fleshing out the origins of the main villain in the “Infinity Saga,” the heroes’ quest seemed even more desperate. Unfortunately, this meant that a lot of great characters like Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), and James Rhodes (Don Cheadle) were left with very little to do. It ultimately grossed $2.052 billion at the box office.
Related:10 Fastest Movies to Hit $1 Billion at the Box Office
5Avatar — $2.923 Billion
Avatarwas a masterwork form James Cameron that pushed the boundaries of 3D technology, visual storytelling, and science fiction mythology. It remains impressive that unlike other films that became blockbuster hits,Avatarwas completely original; it did not rely on any piece of previously existing media for inspiration, and was only based on the ideas in James Cameron’s mind. While there are some narrative shortcomings and Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) isn’t a very compelling character,Avataris too ambitious to not be respected, especially now that it’s grossed just shy of $3 billion.
4Avengers: Endgame — $2.798 Billion
The final chapter in the Infinity Saga,Avengers: Endgamestands as a towering achievement and a testament to Kevin Feige’s abilities as a producer. The film is visually bland and features some cringe-inducing moments of fan service, but for every dull moment, there’s a genuine emotional payoff. Key scenes such as Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) reunion with his father, Howard (John Slattery), the return of Peter Parker (Tom Holland), and Steve Rogers’ dance with Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) evoked genuine emotion from the audience in a way that superhero movies rarely do. It grossed $2.798 billion at the box office.
Related:The 20 Highest-Grossing Movies of All Time
3Avatar: The Way of Water — $2.32 Billion
Cameron silenced all the doubters that claimed that the originalAvatarhad left no cultural footprint by creating an even more in-depth sequel that matched the first film’s bold creative vision. Even though it seemed impossible,Avatar: The Way of Watermanaged to feature even better visual effects by expanding the word of Pandora to the sea. There was also much more attention paid to the characters, as Colonel Quaritch (Stephenen Lang) was given more backstory, and Jake Sully became a father. The most recent film on this list, it grossed $2.32 billion at the box office.
2Star Wars: The Force Awakens — $2.066 Billion
After the disappointment of theStar Warsprequel trilogy, a new sequel to 1983’sStar Wars: Episode VI- Return of the Jedihad a lot of lofty expectations in front of it. While some skeptics may complain that the film is nothing more than a retread of the same story that was introduced inStar Wars: Episode VI- A New Hope, the brilliance ofStar Wars: The Force Awakenswas in how it revamped theStar Warsmythology by introducing a new set of heroes like Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Finn (John Boyega). Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) became the most complex villain in theStar Warsfranchise thus far. It grossed $2.066 billion at the box office.
1Titanic — $2.257 Billion
While it’s easy to mock and even easier to dismiss as nothing but a corny love story,Titanictruly is one of the greatest historical epics of all-time. In the decades since its release, the film’s visual splendor has not waned in the slightest, nor has the charisma of Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. It remains one of the three films to have won a total of 11 Academy Awards. Its box office gross of $2.257 billion is also notable.
