Putting together a movie can costmillions of dollars. The most expensive movie ever made is the fourth installment of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," which hadproduction costs of$410.6 million, according to Forbes.
But what about the money-making side of the film industry? Movies can make anywhere from thousands to billions in the box office, domestically and worldwide. The highest grossing film of all time has a price tag beyond this planet, just like the setting of the movie.
Here is the highest grossing film of all time, plus other box-office record breakers.
What is the highest grossing movie of all time?
Avatar, directed by James Cameron, is the highest grossing movie of all time, having a lifetime gross of over $2.9billion, according to Box Office Mojo by IMDbPro.
The 2009 science fiction film, starringSam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña, follows Jake Sully, who is sent to Pandora, a moon in the Alpha Centauri star system,as a part of the Avatar Program. Along the way, Jake becomes conflicted between following orders and protecting the Na'vi people and their home.
A sequel to Avatar, "Avatar: The Way of Water,"hit theaters onDec. 16, 2022, 13 years after the original film and once again directed by Cameron.The movie stars original cast members, includingWorthington, Saldaña,Sigourney Weaver andStephen Lang, as well as newcomers to the franchise,such as Kate Winsletand Jemaine Clement. The film is the third highest grossing film of all time.
Three additional installments to the Avatar franchise are planned with releases set for 2024, 2026 and 2028, according to IMDb.
'Avatar: The Way of Water' review:Prepare for a visually stunning return to Pandora
'Avatar: The Way of Water':Director James Cameron talks replicating box-office magic
Top 10 highest grossing films of all time
Here are the top 10 highest grossing movies of all time, according toBox Office Mojo by IMDbPro:
- Avatar (2009), $2.9billion
- Avengers: Endgame (2019), $2.7 billion
- Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), $2.32billion
- Titanic (1997), $2.2billion
- Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015), $2.07billion
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018), $2.05billion
- Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), $1.9 billion
- Jurassic World (2015), $1.67 billion
- The Lion King (2019),$1.66billion
- The Avengers (2012), $1.52 billion
What is the highest grossing movie adjusted for inflation?
The highest grossing film at the global box office adjusted for inflation is "Gone With the Wind," making a total gross of $3.44 billion, according to GuinnessWorld Records. The historical romance adaptation of the 1936 novel of the same name stars Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh and Leslie Howard.
Released in 1939, "Gone With the Wind" made $393.4 million domestically and 88 million pounds internationally, saysGuinnessWorld Records.
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