List of highest-grossing films in the United States by year

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Steven Spielberg has directed a record four films to end the year as the highest-grossing in the U.S.

This is a listing of the highest-grossing films by year, based on their United States box-office gross. The films are listed by in-year release, rather than the gross they accumulated during a calendar year.[1]

Six different directors have directed the highest-grossing film on multiple occasions: George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Sam Raimi, Robert Zemeckis, and Chris Columbus. Spielberg has the record, directing four of the yearly highest-grossing films: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Jurassic Park (1993), and Saving Private Ryan (1998). Lucas has directed three such films, all of which are part of the Star Wars franchise, which he created: the original Star Wars (1977), and two of its prequels The Phantom Menace (1999), and Revenge of the Sith (2005). James Cameron has also directed three such films: Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Titanic (1997), and Avatar (2009). Sam Raimi, Robert Zemeckis and Chris Columbus have directed two each: Spider-Man (2002) and Spider-Man 3 (2007) for Raimi; Back to the Future (1985) and Forrest Gump (1994) for Zemeckis; Home Alone (1990) and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) for Columbus.

Films that are a part of larger film or media franchises are frequently atop the highest-grossing films in the United States. The Star Wars franchise has had the highest-grossing film in 8 different years since 1977. In addition to the five aforementioned which Lucas directed, the franchise has also had The Force Awakens, Rogue One, and The Last Jedi (2015–2017, respectively), top a year. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has had four films atop the yearly U.S. box office: The Avengers (2012), Black Panther (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). No Way Home also gave the Spider-Man film franchise its third leading film. Batman films, Harry Potter, Top Gun, and Toy Story are the other franchises with two films to top the U.S. box office in a single year.

By in-year release

The following is the annual listing:

  Denotes current record
  Denotes former record
Year Film Gross Ref.
1977 Star Wars $221,280,994 [2]
1978 Grease $159,978,870 [3]
1979 Kramer vs. Kramer $106,260,000 [4]
1980 The Empire Strikes Back $209,398,025 [2]
1981 Raiders of the Lost Ark $212,222,025 [5]
1982 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial $359,197,037 [6]
1983 Return of the Jedi $252,583,617 [7]
1984 Beverly Hills Cop $234,760,478 [8]
1985 Back to the Future $210,609,762 [9]
1986 Top Gun $176,781,728 [10]
1987 Three Men and a Baby $167,780,960 [11]
1988 Rain Man $172,825,435 [12]
1989 Batman $251,188,924 [13]
1990 Home Alone $285,761,243 [14]
1991 Terminator 2: Judgment Day $204,843,345 [15]
1992 Aladdin $217,350,219 [16]
1993 Jurassic Park $357,067,947 [17]
1994 Forrest Gump $329,694,499 [18]
1995 Toy Story $191,796,233 [19]
1996 Independence Day $306,169,268 [20]
1997 Titanic $600,788,188 [21]
1998 Saving Private Ryan $216,540,909 [22]
1999 Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace $431,088,295 [23]
2000 How the Grinch Stole Christmas $260,044,825 [24]
2001 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone $317,575,550 [25]
2002 Spider-Man $403,706,375 [26]
2003 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King $377,027,325 [27]
2004 Shrek 2 $441,226,247 [28]
2005 Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith $380,270,577 [29]
2006 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest $423,315,812 [30]
2007 Spider-Man 3 $336,530,303 [31]
2008 The Dark Knight $533,345,358 [32]
2009 Avatar $749,766,139 [33]
2010 Toy Story 3 $415,004,880 [34]
2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 $381,011,219 [35]
2012 The Avengers $623,357,910 [36]
2013 The Hunger Games: Catching Fire $424,668,047 [37]
2014 American Sniper $350,126,372 [38]
2015 Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens $936,662,225 [39]
2016 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story $532,177,324 [40]
2017 Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi $620,181,382 [41]
2018 Black Panther $700,059,566 [42]
2019 Avengers: Endgame $858,373,000 [43]
2020
Bad Boys For Life
 		$206,305,244 [44]
2021 Spider-Man: No Way Home $804,793,477 [45]
2022 Top Gun: Maverick $718,732,821 [46]
2023 Barbie $636,236,401 [47]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Domestic Yearly Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  2. ^ a b "'Star Wars' B.O. History". Variety. May 17, 1999. p. 30.
  3. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 1978". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  4. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 1979". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  5. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 1981". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  6. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 1982". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  7. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 1983". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  8. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 1984". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  9. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 1985". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  10. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 1986". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  11. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 1987". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  12. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 1988". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  13. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 1989". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  14. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 1990". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  15. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 1991". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  16. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 1992". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  17. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 1993". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  18. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 1994". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  19. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 1995". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  20. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 1996". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  21. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 1997". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  22. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 1998". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  23. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 1999". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  24. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 2000". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  25. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 2001". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  26. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 2002". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  27. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 2003". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  28. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 2004". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  29. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 2005". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  30. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 2006". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  31. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 2007". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  32. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 2008". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  33. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 2009". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  34. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 2010". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  35. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 2011". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  36. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 2012". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  37. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 2013". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  38. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 2014". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  39. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 2015". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  40. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 2016". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  41. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 2017". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  42. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 2018". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  43. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 2019". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  44. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 2020". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  45. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 2021". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  46. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 2022". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  47. ^ "Domestic Box Office For 2023". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2023-08-25.
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