List of highest-grossing fantasy films

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This article shows the lists of highest-grossing fantasy films of all time.

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Highest-grossing fantasy films

The following is a list of the highest-grossing fantasy films of all time. The top 11 are among the highest-grossing films of all time. Superhero films and science fiction films often have some fantasy elements but are not included here, having their own separate lists.

Highest-grossing films [1]
RankFilmWorldwide grossYearRef
1 Frozen II $1,450,026,9332019 [2]
2 Barbie $1,445,638,4212023 [3]
3 The Super Mario Bros. Movie $1,362,680,5392023 [4] [5]
4 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 $1,342,321,6652011 [2]
5 Frozen $1,290,000,0002013 F
6 Beauty and the Beast $1,263,521,1262017 [2]
7 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King $1,150,779,8252003 [2]
8 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest $1,066,179,7252006 [2]
9 Aladdin $1,050,693,9532019 [2]
10 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides $1,045,713,8022011 [2]
11 Alice in Wonderland $1,025,467,1102010 [2]
12 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey $1,017,003,5682012 [2]
13 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone $1,006,968,1712001 [2]
14 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 $976,941,4862010 [2]
15 The Jungle Book $967,724,7752016 [2]
16 Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle $962,542,9452017 [2]
17 Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End $960,996,4922007 [2]
18 The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug $958,366,8552013 [2]
19 The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies $956,019,7882014 [2]
20 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers $947,495,0952002 [2]
21 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix $942,172,3962007 [2]
22 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince $934,454,0962009 [2]
23 Shrek 2 $919,838,7582004 [2]
24 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring $897,690,0722001 [2]
25 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire $896,678,2412005 [2]
26 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets $879,602,3662002 [2]
27 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 $829,747,6542012 [2]
28 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them $814,044,0012016 [2]
29 Shrek the Third $813,367,3802007 [6]
30 Coco $807,817,8882017 [2]
31 Jumanji: The Next Level $800,059,7072019 [2]
32 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban $797,361,6182004 [2]
33 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales $794,881,4422017 [2]
34 Maleficent $758,411,7792014 [2]
35 Shrek Forever After $752,600,8672010 [2]
36 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe $745,013,1152005 [7]
37 Ne Zha $742,718,4962019 [8]
38 Up $735,099,1022009 [9]
39 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 $712,171,8562011 [10]
40 The Twilight Saga: New Moon $709,827,4622009 [11]
41 The Twilight Saga: Eclipse $698,491,3472010 [12]
42 Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald $654,855,9012018 [13]
43 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl $654,264,0152003 [14]
44 Wonka $631,042,6122023 [15]
45 How to Train Your Dragon 2 $621,537,5192014 [16]
46 Night at the Museum $574,481,2292006 [17]
47 Wicked $571,309,8752024 [18]
48 The Smurfs $563,749,3232011 [19]
49 Puss in Boots $554,987,4772011 [20]
50 Cinderella $542,358,3312015 [21]

F Box Office Mojo stopped updating its main total for Frozen in August 2014, while it was still in release. The total listed here incorporates subsequent earnings in Japan, Nigeria, Spain, the United Kingdom and Germany up to the end of 2015 but omits earnings in Turkey, Iceland, Brazil, and Australia (2016), which amount to a few hundred thousand dollars. The total is rounded to $1 million to compensate for the numerical inaccuracy. It was re-released in the United Kingdom in December 2017 with Olaf's Frozen Adventure earning an additional $2.3 million.

Biggest worldwide openings on record for fantasy films

This list charts films the biggest worldwide openings. Since films do not open on Fridays in many markets, the 'opening' is taken to be the gross between the first day of release and the first Sunday following the movie's release. Figures prior to the year 2002 are not available.

Since many American films do not open in all markets at the same time, the 'opening' gross varies depending on when it was released in the US-Canada market. For example, for films like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 which opened in the US-Canada market and in most other major markets during the same weekend, the 'opening' is the total gross of the film during that weekend. On the other hand, for films which opened in several markets a week ahead of their respective releases in the US-Canada market, the 'opening' is the sum of the opening grosses in the markets where they were released first and the opening in the US-Canada market. In the latter case, the opening grosses from territories after the initial overseas opening are not included in the 'opening' of the film. In all cases, if a film opens in a market after its release in the US-Canada market, that opening is not included in the 'opening' of the film.

RankFilmYearOpening (USD) [22]
1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 2011$483,189,427
2 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 2009$394,022,354
3 The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2023$377,200,000 [23]
4 Frozen II 2019$358,503,293
5 Beauty and the Beast 2017$357,026,593 [24]
6 Barbie 2023$356,322,044 [25]
7 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides 2011$350,653,677
8 Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End 2007$343,972,864
9 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 2012$340,667,634
10 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 2007$332,715,157
11 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 2010$330,017,372
12 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 2011$291,022,261
13 The Twilight Saga: New Moon 2009$274,939,137
14 The Mermaid 2016$274,049,983 [26]
15 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales 2017$271,809,637
16 Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald 2018$253,663,104
17 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 2003$250,000,534
18 The Twilight Saga: Eclipse 2010$228,893,465
19 Jiang Ziya: Legend of Deification 2020$151,700,000 [27]
20 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 2012$222,617,303
21 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 2016$219,903,387
22 Aladdin 2019$214,700,000
23 Alice in Wonderland 2010$210,101,023
24 The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug 2013$209,845,197
25 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 2004$207,200,000
26 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 2002$189,900,000
27 Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire 2005$188,200,000
28 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest 2006$182,300,000
29 Maleficent 2014$170,000,000
30 Maleficent: Mistress of Evil 2019$155,100,000
31 Oz the Great and Powerful 2013$149,000,000
32 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 2002$147,900,000
33 Shrek the Third 2007$136,800,000
34 Shrek 2 2004$131,100,000
35 Dumbo 2019$119,500,000
36 Frozen 2013$110,600,000
37 Wrath of the Titans 2012$109,600,000
38 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 2005$107,100,000

Highest-grossing fantasy films by year

High-grossing films by year of release
YearTitleWorldwide grossBudgetReference(s)
2001 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone $1,006,968,171 ($974,755,371)$125,000,000 [28]
2002 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers $947,495,095 ($936,689,735)$94,000,000 [29]
2003 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King $1,150,779,825 ($1,140,692,011)$94,000,000 [30]
2004 Shrek 2 $919,838,758$150,000,000 [31]
2005 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire $896,346,413 ($895,921,036)$150,000,000 [32]
2006 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest $1,066,179,725$225,000,000 [2]
2007 Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End $963,420,425$300,000,000 [2]
2008 The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian $419,665,568$225,000,000 [33]
2009 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince $934,454,096 ($933,959,197)$250,000,000 [34]
2010 Alice in Wonderland $1,025,468,216($1,025,467,110)$200,000,000 [35]
2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 $1,342,321,665 ($1,341,511,219)$125,000,000 [36]
2012 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey $1,017,003,568$200,000,000 [2]
2013 Frozen $1,290,000,000 ($1,287,000,000)$150,000,000 [37]
2014 The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies $956,019,788$209,000,000 [2]
2015 Cinderella $542,358,331 ($542,351,353)$84,210,000 [38]
2016 The Jungle Book $966,554,929 ($966,550,600)$175,000,000 [39]
2017 Beauty and the Beast $1,264,434,525 ($1,263,521,126)$255,000,000 [40]
2018 Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald $654,855,901$200,000,000 [2]
2019 Frozen II $1,450,026,933$150,000,000 [2]
2020 Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train $503,063,688$15,850,000 [41]
2021 A Writer's Odyssey $159,848,488TBA [42]
2022 Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore $407,150,844$200,000,000 [43]
2023 Barbie $1,445,638,421$145,000,000 [44] [3]
2024 Moana 2 $717,016,469$150,000,000 [2]

(...) Since grosses are not limited to original theatrical runs, a film's first-run gross is included in brackets after the total if known.

TBATo be ascertained.

Timeline of highest-grossing fantasy films

The following is a timeline of highest-grossing fantasy films of all time.

Timeline of the highest-grossing film record
EstablishedTitleRecord setting grossReference(s)
1991 Beauty and the Beast $331,907,151 [45]
1992 Aladdin $504,050,219 [2]
2001 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone $974,755,371 [28]
2004 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King $1,140,682,011 [30]
2005$1,141,093,340
2011$1,141,911,920
2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 $1,341,511,219 [36]
2016$1,341,836,224
2018$1,342,028,110
2019 Frozen II $1,450,026,933 [2]

Includes revenue from re-releases. If a film increased its gross through re-releases while holding the record, the year in which it recorded its highest gross is also noted in italics.

Highest-grossing fantasy film series & franchises

The following is a list of the highest-grossing fantasy film series & franchises of all time. The top 6 are along the highest grossing film series and franchises of all time. The Wizarding World has the highest gross with a total gross of $9.6 billion, while Frozen has the highest average with $1.4 billion.

Highest-grossing fantasy film series & franchises(The films in each series can be viewed by selecting "show".)
RankSeriesTotal worldwide grossNo. of filmsAverage of filmsHighest-grossing film

Box office admissions

FilmYearKnown ticket sales (est.) Territories with known ticket sales data [a] Notes
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone 2001148,973,885USA, Canada, Europe, Japan, Australia, Brazil, South Korea [b]
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 2003142,573,659USA, Canada, Europe, Korea, South America, Australia, Japan [c]
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 2002130,420,246Worldwide [51]

See also

Notes

  1. Box office territories for which the film's ticket sales data are currently known
  2. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone:
    • United States, Canada, Europe (excluding Turkey) – 118,168,288 [47]
    • Japan, Australia, Brazil, South Korea, Turkey – 30,805,597 [48]
  3. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
    • United States, Canada, Europe – 116,823,097 [49]
    • South Korea, Chile, Brazil, Australia, Argentina, Japan – 25,750,562 [50]

Related Research Articles

The year 2001 in film involved some significant events, including the first instalments of the Harry Potter, Fast & Furious, Spy Kids, Monsters, Inc. and Shrek franchises, and The Lord of the Rings and Ocean's trilogies. Significant non-English language films released included Monsoon Wedding, Amélie and Spirited Away. There was one film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, that passed over $1 billion in a re-release of 2020.

<i>Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets</i> (film) 2002 film by Chris Columbus

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is a 2002 fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus from a screenplay by Steve Kloves. It is based on the 1998 novel Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling. Produced by David Heyman, it is the sequel to Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) and the second instalment in the Harry Potter film series. The film stars Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, with Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger respectively. The story follows Harry's second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where the Heir of Salazar Slytherin opens the Chamber of Secrets, unleashing a monster that petrifies the school's students.

<i>Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince</i> (film) 2009 fantasy film directed by David Yates

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a 2009 fantasy film directed by David Yates from a screenplay by Steve Kloves. It is based on the 2005 novel Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling. It is the sequel to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) and the sixth instalment in the Harry Potter film series. It stars Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, alongside Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as Harry's best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger respectively. The story follows Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts as he receives a mysterious textbook, falls in love, and attempts to retrieve a memory that holds the key to Lord Voldemort's downfall.

<i>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1</i> 2010 film by David Yates

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 is a 2010 fantasy film directed by David Yates from a screenplay by Steve Kloves. The film is the first of two cinematic parts based on the 2007 novel Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling. It is the sequel to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) and the seventh instalment in the Harry Potter film series. The film stars Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, with Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, respectively, reprising roles as Harry's best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. The story follows Harry Potter, who has been asked by Dumbledore to find and destroy Lord Voldemort's secret to immortality – the Horcruxes.

<i>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2</i> 2011 film by David Yates

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 is a 2011 fantasy film directed by David Yates from a screenplay by Steve Kloves. The film is the second of two cinematic parts based on the 2007 novel Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling. It is the sequel to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010) and the eighth and final instalment in the Harry Potter film series. The story concludes Harry Potter's quest to find and destroy Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes in order to stop him once and for all.

2015 in film is an overview of events, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies, festivals, and a list of films released and notable deaths.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hollywood cinema in the 21st century</span>

Hollywood movies refers to the cinema of United States of America. The Hollywood cinema industry plays an important role among the world movie making studios. It is the third largest film market in the world. Hollywood movies in the 21st century are sometimes called "New Hollywood". Beginning in the 2000s, American movies began to attract more fans and to impact total box office receipts. Science fiction, fantasy films, and animated movies have been globally impacting the movie industry. Research shows that compared to 20th century, the value of the movies approximately doubled. International advertising had a crucial role in making "New Hollywood" bigger, compared to 20th century. Most of the movies` box office numbers are increased by overseas viewers.

2020 in film is a history of events, which includes the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies, critics' lists of the best films of 2020, festivals, a list of country-specific lists of films released, and notable deaths.

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  30. 1 2 "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved 6 June 2021.
    Total: $1,146,030,912
    Original Release: $1,140,682,011
    2005 Re-release: $411,329
    2011 Re-release: $818,580
    2017 Re-release: $307,481
    2020 Re-release: $237,586
    2021 Re-release: $3,573,925
  31. "Shrek 2".
  32. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
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  34. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved 7 June 2021. Worldwide: $934,454,096; Original Release: $933,959,197
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    Total: $1,342,321,665
    Original Release: $1,341,511,219
    2016 Re-release: $325,005
    2018 Re-release: $191,886
    2017 Re-release: $307,481
    2020 Re-release: $293,555
  37. Frozen
    Total as of 3 August 2014: $247,650,477
    Total as of 31 August 2014: $249,036,646
    Total as of 17 August 2014: $167,333
    Total as of 27 July 2014: $21,668,593
    Total as of 2 November 2014: $22,492,845
    Total as of 8 June 2014: £39,090,985
    Total as of 30 November 2014: £40,960,083 ($1 = £0.63866)
    Total as of 7 December 2014: £41,087,765 ($1 = £0.64136)
    Total as of 14 December 2014: £41,170,608 ($1 = £0.636)
    Total as of 26 November 2017: £42,840,559 ($1 = £0.7497)
    Total as of 3 December 2017: £42,976,318 ($1 = £0.742)
    Total as of 30 March 2014: €35,098,170
    Total as of 18 October 2015: €42,526,744
    nb. the exact euro to dollar conversion rate is unknown for earnings since April 2014, but the euro never fell below parity with the dollar during 2014 and 2015 (as can be verified by comparing the exchange rate on the individual date entries at the provided reference) so an approximate conversion rate of €1: $1 is used here to give a lower-bound.
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