Which film has been the highest-grossing since 1925? Cinema is an art that has captivated millions of people for over a century. From its beginnings to the present day, the film industry has undergone a great evolution, both in technical and narrative terms. Throughout this journey, numerous films have managed to capture the attention of the public and become true box office hits.
In this article, we will embark on a journey through time to discover which film has been the highest-grossing since 1925, the year in which some of the masterpieces of silent cinema were released. To do this, we will analyze the different eras of cinema and the films that marked each of them.
List of the highest-grossing film since 1925
| Year | Movie | Worldwide Collection (USD) | Production Cost (USD) |
| 1925 | The Big Parade | 22,000,000 | 382,000 |
| 1926 | The Son of the Sheik | 1,000,000 | 200,000 |
| 1927 | The Jazz Singer | 2,625,000 | 422,000 |
| 1928 | The Singing Fool | 5,900,000 | 300,000 |
| 1929 | Broadway Melody | 4,389,000 | 379,000 |
| 1930 | Hell’s Angels | 8,000,000 | 4,000,000 |
| 1931 | Frankenstein | 12,000,000 | 291,000 |
| 1932 | Shanghai Express | 3,700,000 | 879,000 |
| 1933 | King Kong | 2,800,000 | 670,000 |
| 1934 | It Happened One Night | 2,500,000 | 325,000 |
| 1935 | The Bride of Frankenstein | 4,400,000 | 397,000 |
| 1936 | The Great Ziegfeld | 3,000,000 | 2,183,000 |
| 1937 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | 8,000,000 | 1,488,000 |
| 1938 | Alexander’s Ragtime Band | 3,500,000 | 1,200,000 |
| 1939 | Gone with the Wind | 32,000,000 | 3,977,000 |
| 1940 | Pinocchio | 2,600,000 | 2,600,000 |
| 1941 | Sergeant York | 10,400,000 | 1,701,000 |
| 1942 | Bambi | 3,000,000 | 1,700,000 |
| 1943 | For Whom the Bell Tolls | 6,300,000 | 3,000,000 |
| 1944 | Going My Way | 6,500,000 | 1,500,000 |
| 1945 | The Bells of St. Mary’s | 21,333,000 | 1,300,000 |
| 1946 | Song of the South | 65,000,000 | 2,125,000 |
| 1947 | Life with Father | 6,500,000 | 4,200,000 |
| 1948 | The Red Shoes | 5,000,000 | 2,500,000 |
| 1949 | Samson and Delilah | 28,000,000 | 3,000,000 |
| 1950 | Cinderella | 263,600,000 | 2,900,000 |
| 1951 | Quo Vadis? | 30,000,000 | 7,623,000 |
| 1952 | The Greatest Show on Earth | 36,000,000 | 4,000,000 |
| 1953 | Peter Pan | 60,100,000 | 4,000,000 |
| 1954 | White Christmas | 30,000,000 | 2,000,000 |
| 1955 | Lady and the Tramp | 66,400,000 | 4,000,000 |
| 1956 | The Ten Commandments | 85,400,000 | 13,500,000 |
| 1957 | The Bridge on the River Kwai | 33,300,000 | 3,000,000 |
| 1958 | South Pacific | 36,800,000 | 5,600,000 |
| 1959 | Ben-Hur | 73,300,000 | 15,175,000 |
| 1960 | Spartacus | 60,000,000 | 12,000,000 |
| 1961 | 101 Dalmatians | 153,000,000 | 4,000,000 |
| 1962 | Lawrence of Arabia | 45,000,000 | 15,000,000 |
| 1963 | Cleopatra | 57,700,000 | 44,000,000 |
| 1964 | Mary Poppins | 31,000,000 | 6,000,000 |
| 1965 | The Sound of Music | 286,000,000 | 8,200,000 |
| 1966 | The Bible: In the Beginning… | 34,900,000 | 18,000,000 |
| 1967 | The Graduate | 104,900,000 | 3,000,000 |
| 1968 | 2001: A Space Odyssey | 146,000,000 | 10,500,000 |
| 1969 | Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid | 102,000,000 | 6,000,000 |
| 1970 | Love Story | 136,400,000 | 2,200,000 |
| 1971 | Fiddler on the Roof | 83,300,000 | 9,000,000 |
| 1972 | The Godfather | 246,100,000 | 6,000,000 |
| 1973 | The Exorcist | 441,300,000 | 12,000,000 |
| 1974 | Blazing Saddles | 119,600,000 | 2,600,000 |
| 1975 | Jaws | 471,100,000 | 9,000,000 |
| 1976 | Rocky | 225,000,000 | 1,000,000 |
| 1977 | Star Wars | 775,500,000 | 11,000,000 |
| 1978 | Grease | 394,955,690 | 6,000,000 |
| 1979 | Moonraker | 210,300,000 | 34,000,000 |
| 1980 | Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back | 538,400,000 | 18,000,000 |
| 1981 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | 389,900,000 | 18,000,000 |
| 1982 | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial | 792,900,000 | 10,500,000 |
| 1983 | Star Wars: Return of the Jedi | 475,100,000 | 32,500,000 |
| 1984 | Beverly Hills Cop | 316,400,000 | 13,000,000 |
| 1985 | Back to the Future | 381,100,000 | 19,000,000 |
| 1986 | Top Gun | 356,800,000 | 15,000,000 |
| 1987 | Three Men and a Baby | 240,000,000 | 11,000,000 |
| 1988 | Rain Man | 354,800,000 | 25,000,000 |
| 1989 | Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade | 474,200,000 | 48,000,000 |
| 1990 | Home Alone | 476,700,000 | 18,000,000 |
| 1991 | Terminator 2: Judgment Day | 520,900,000 | 102,000,000 |
| 1992 | Aladdin | 504,100,000 | 28,000,000 |
| 1993 | Jurassic Park | 1,046,000,000 | 63,000,000 |
| 1994 | The Lion King | 1,083,300,000 | 45,000,000 |
| 1995 | Toy Story | 394,400,000 | 30,000,000 |
| 1996 | Independence Day | 817,400,000 | 75,000,000 |
| 1997 | Titanic | 2,257,800,000 | 200,000,000 |
| 1998 | Armageddon | 553,700,000 | 140,000,000 |
| 1999 | Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace | 1,027,000,000 | 115,000,000 |
| 2000 | Mission: Impossible 2 | 546,400,000 | 125,000,000 |
| 2001 | Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone | 974,800,000 | 125,000,000 |
| 2002 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | 926,000,000 | 94,000,000 |
| 2003 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | 1,142,000,000 | 94,000,000 |
| 2004 | Shrek 2 | 919,800,000 | 150,000,000 |
| 2005 | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire | 896,400,000 | 150,000,000 |
| 2006 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest | 1,066,200,000 | 225,000,000 |
| 2007 | Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End | 960,900,000 | 300,000,000 |
| 2008 | The Dark Knight | 1,004,600,000 | 185,000,000 |
| 2009 | Avatar | 2,847,200,000 | 237,000,000 |
| 2010 | Toy Story 3 | 1,066,900,000 | 200,000,000 |
| 2011 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 | 1,342,000,000 | 250,000,000 |
| 2012 | The Avengers | 1,518,800,000 | 220,000,000 |
| 2013 | Frozen | 1,290,000,000 | 150,000,000 |
| 2014 | Transformers: Age of Extinction | 1,104,000,000 | 210,000,000 |
| 2015 | Star Wars: The Force Awakens | 2,068,200,000 | 245,000,000 |
| 2016 | Captain America: Civil War | 1,153,300,000 | 250,000,000 |
| 2017 | Beauty and the Beast | 1,263,500,000 | 160,000,000 |
| 2018 | Avengers: Infinity War | 2,048,400,000 | 325,000,000 |
| 2019 | Avengers: Endgame | 2,798,000,000 | 356,000,000 |
| 2020 | Bad Boys for Life | 426,500,000 | 90,000,000 |
| 2021 | Spider-Man: No Way Home | 1,901,200,000 | 200,000,000 |
| 2022 | Top Gun: Maverick | 1,488,000,000 | 170,000,000 |
| 2023 | Avatar: The Way of Water | 2,320,000,000 | 250,000,000 |
The Silent Film Era (1894 to 1927)
The 1920s were marked by the heyday of silent films. Despite the absence of sound, the films of this era managed to move audiences thanks to their visual storytelling and the expressiveness of their actors. Among the highest-grossing films of this period are:
The Sound Film Era (1927-Present)
The arrival of sound to cinema in 1927 marked a turning point in the history of this art. Sound films allowed directors to explore new ways of telling stories and connecting with the emotions of the audience. Among the highest-grossing films of the sound film era are:
Conclusion
Throughout a century of cinema, there have been many films that have managed to conquer the public and become box office hits. The choice of the highest-grossing film since 1925 depends on various factors, such as the historical context, inflation, and audience preferences. However, all of these films have left an indelible mark on the history of cinema and continue to be enjoyed by millions of people around the world.
We hope this article has answered the question: Which film has been the highest-grossing since 1925?. If you are passionate about cinema, we invite you to continue exploring our blog.
