The following is a list of highest-grossing fantasy films of all time.
The following is a list of the highest-grossing fantasy films of all time. The top 12 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.
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.
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.
Year | Title | Worldwide gross | Budget | Reference(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 | $1,146,030,912 ($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 | $159,848,488 | TBA | [42] |
2022 | Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore | $407,150,844 | $200,000,000 | [43] |
2023 | Barbie † | $1,403,778,771 | $145,000,000 | [44] [3] |
(...) 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.
The following is a timeline of highest-grossing fantasy films of all time.
Established | Title | Record setting gross | Reference(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.
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.
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Film | Year | Known ticket sales ( est.) | Territories with known ticket sales data [a] | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | 2001 | 148,973,885 | USA, Canada, Europe, Japan, Australia, Brazil, South Korea | [b] |
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | 2003 | 142,573,659 | USA, Canada, Europe, Korea, South America, Australia, Japan | [c] |
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | 2002 | 130,420,246 | Worldwide | [51] |
If overseas is still at $173M by tomorrow AM, then the new global opening record for an animated movie set by Super Mario Bros stands at $377.2M.
Worldwide: $947,495,095; Original Release: $936,689,735
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
Worldwide: $797,361,618; Original Release: $795,634,069
Worldwide: $934,454,096; Original Release: $933,959,197
Worldwide: $1,025,468,216; Original Release: $1,025,467,110
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
Worldwide – $1,274,219,009 (total as of 8 August 2014; including Japanese gross up to August 3, Spanish gross up to July 27, UK gross up to June 8, German gross up to March 30, and omitting Nigerian gross)
Worldwide: $542,358,331; Original Release: $542,351,353
Worldwide: $966,554,929; Original Release: $966,550,600
Worldwide: $1,264,434,525; Original Release: $1,263,521,126
The following is a list of highest-grossing fantasy films of all time.
The following is a list of the highest-grossing fantasy films of all time. The top 12 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.
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.
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.
Year | Title | Worldwide gross | Budget | Reference(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 | $1,146,030,912 ($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 | $159,848,488 | TBA | [42] |
2022 | Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore | $407,150,844 | $200,000,000 | [43] |
2023 | Barbie † | $1,403,778,771 | $145,000,000 | [44] [3] |
(...) 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.
The following is a timeline of highest-grossing fantasy films of all time.
Established | Title | Record setting gross | Reference(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.
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.
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Film | Year | Known ticket sales ( est.) | Territories with known ticket sales data [a] | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | 2001 | 148,973,885 | USA, Canada, Europe, Japan, Australia, Brazil, South Korea | [b] |
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | 2003 | 142,573,659 | USA, Canada, Europe, Korea, South America, Australia, Japan | [c] |
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | 2002 | 130,420,246 | Worldwide | [51] |
If overseas is still at $173M by tomorrow AM, then the new global opening record for an animated movie set by Super Mario Bros stands at $377.2M.
Worldwide: $947,495,095; Original Release: $936,689,735
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
Worldwide: $797,361,618; Original Release: $795,634,069
Worldwide: $934,454,096; Original Release: $933,959,197
Worldwide: $1,025,468,216; Original Release: $1,025,467,110
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
Worldwide – $1,274,219,009 (total as of 8 August 2014; including Japanese gross up to August 3, Spanish gross up to July 27, UK gross up to June 8, German gross up to March 30, and omitting Nigerian gross)
Worldwide: $542,358,331; Original Release: $542,351,353
Worldwide: $966,554,929; Original Release: $966,550,600
Worldwide: $1,264,434,525; Original Release: $1,263,521,126