Since the advent of cinema, people have been completely fascinated by the moving pictures on the big screen. Over the years since the first camera was invented, technology has improved leaps and bounds, contributing immensely to how we experience watching movies on the big screen or at home.

Hollywood has been a pioneer in the world of cinema. Today, its movies are making a big run at the box office as has been the case of 2023 movie ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ – released on the same day and sending the box office register ringing.

We look at the Top 10 Highest Grossing Hollywood movies that has redefined the business of cinema worldwide. Note, these movies and its final figures are just indications of the returns at the ticket counters. These figures doesn’t include television, DVDs and other rights:

Avatar – Turnover: $2,923,706,026

Released in 2009, Avatar is a sci-fiction movie that set the box office ringing with its unique storyline and amazing VFX. Directed by James Cameron, this futuristic movie is about humans wanting to take Pandora, a moon in the universe rich in superconductor minerals, and in the bargain, threatening the very existence of its local tribe of Na’vi.

Avengers: Endgame – $2,797,501,328

Released in 2019, Avengers: Endgame was a sequel to Avengers: Infinity War and broke all box office records on its release. Directed by Russo brothers Anthony & Joe, it had an ensemble casts of Robert Downy Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Josh Brolin, Gwyneth Paltrow among others.

Avatar: The Way of Water – Turnover:  $2,320,250,281           

A sequel to the 2009 film, ‘Avatar’, Avatar: The Way of Water was released in 2022 and once again like its predecessor, created a ripple at the box office. Directed by James Cameron, the story  follows a blue-skinned humanoid Na’vi named Jake Sully as he and his family face renewed human threat. To protect his family Jake seeks refuge with the aquatic Metkayina clan of Pandora, a habitable exomoon on which they live.

                  Titanic – Turnover: $2,257,844,554

                  Titanic was probably the first film to set the billion-dollar club in motion. Released in 1997, the film directed by James Cameron became a huge hit not just for its story but also for its iconic painting scene featuring its lead cast, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet  as members of different social classes who fall in love during the ship’s maiden voyage and the ultimate sinking of the ship.

                  Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Turnover: $2,068,223,624

                  One of the most successful franchisee movies, Star Wars – The Force Awakens directed by JJ Abrams, released in 2015. The story follows Han Solo’s search for Luke Skywalker and their fight in the Resistance, led by General Leia Organa and veterans of the Rebel Alliance, against Kylo Ren and the First Order, a successor to the Galactic Empire.

                  Avengers: Infinity War – Turnover: $2,048,359,754

                  Released in 2018, Avengers: Infinity War was a huge blockbuster thanks to its main antagonist Thanos. Directed by the Russo Brothers, the film tells the story of the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy’s attempt to stop Thanos from collecting the six powerful Infinity Stones as part of his quest to kill half of all life in the universe.

                  Spiderman: No Way Home – Turnover: $1,922,598,800           

                  Another superhero movie to create a ripple at the box office, Spiderman: No Way Home was released in 2021 and was directed by Jon Watts. In the film, when the spell to hide Peter Parker’s identity as a Spiderman goes wrong because of Parker’s actions, the multiverse is broken open and visitors from alternate realities are brought into Parker’s universe.

                  Jurassic World – Turnover: $1,671,537,444

                  A 2015 film, Jurassic World was directed by Colin Trevorrow and stars Chris Pratt in the lead. The story is set 20 years after the park was established for the dinosaurs. In the current period, the park plunges into chaos when a transgenic dinosaur escapes from its enclosure and goes on a rampage, while a conspiracy orchestrated by the park’s staff creates more dangers.

                  The Lion King – Turnover: $1,656,943,394

                  A reboot of a 1994 film by the same name, this Jon Favreau directed 2019 film was one of the biggest grossers among animated movies on its release. The plot follows Simba, a young lion who must embrace his role as the rightful king of his homeland following the murder of his father, Mufasa, at the hands of his uncle, Scar.

                  The Avengers – Turnover: $1,518,815,515     

                  This 2012 superhero film directed by Joss Whedon was the first of the Avengers movies. The movie features an ensemble cast and some wonderful action sequences. In the film, Nick Fury and the spy agency S.H.I.E.L.D. recruit Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner, Thor, Natasha Romanoff, and Clint Barton to form a team capable of stopping Thor’s brother Loki from subjugating Earth.

                  It’s noteworthy that director James Cameron has not only established the billion-dollar club with Titanic but also established himself firmly as the Box Office King with his mega offerings – Avatar and its sequel listed in the Top 10 Highest Grossing Hollywood films.