The Only 7 Films to Gross More Than $2 Billion at the Box Office
A lot of movies make impressive money, but hitting $2 billion is a completely different category. Only a handful of releases have ever reached that territory, and each one arrived there through its own circumstances. These seven movies show how unpredictable global box-office performance can be when a film captures the world’s attention.
Ne Zha 2
Credit: IMDb
This animated sequel began as a strong domestic performer, and international turnout also didn’t disappoint. China carried most of the weight, and the worldwide total climbed past $2.04 billion. The result shifted how analysts view animation from non-U.S. studios, since it proved a homegrown property could compete globally at the highest tier.
Titanic
Credit: IMDb
During its original run, Titanic continued to draw new audiences long after most films fade, and its 2012 3D return reignited attention. Those combined waves, along with its long theatrical life, pushed the movie past $2.26 billion. However, the more surprising outcome was that a historical drama managed to dominate pop culture for months, a feat rarely repeated since.
Avengers: Infinity War
Credit: IMDb
What pushed Infinity War into rare territory didn’t rely solely on spectacle, but also on the reaction afterward. Viewers left discussing the ending’s shock rather than the visual effects, and that conversation fueled return visits. Its $2.05 billion finish marked a moment when comic-book films proved that emotional stakes could match the momentum of large action set pieces.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Credit: IMDb
Years of anticipation funneled into a single December weekend when fans returned to long-absent characters and a familiar galaxy. The film crossed $2.07 billion during its run, but the detail that shaped industry chatter was its U.S. total of about $936 million. That domestic figure influenced how studios evaluated holiday releases for years afterward.
Avatar: The Way of Water
Credit: IMDb
The sequel followed an unusual box-office pattern. Instead of an early spike, it kept drawing steady crowds through the winter holidays, helped by premium screens and regions where the first film still carried weight. With global earnings above $2.32 billion, studios started reconsidering how long big releases can stay in theaters.
Avengers: Endgame
Credit: IMDb
When Endgame arrived in 2019, theaters prepared for crowd surges that started before sunrise. Its rapid leap to $2 billion in just 11 days reflected the momentum of a story audiences had followed for years. The film eventually influenced how other franchises planned multi-film arcs, since few projects had ever shown that level of cumulative pull.
Avatar
Credit: IMDb
The conversation around Avatar began with its visual effects rather than its earnings, since audiences were curious about a new kind of 3D immersion. Its long theatrical life later turned that curiosity into a $2.92 billion total. What lingered even more was the shift it triggered in how studios approached large-format releases during the following decade.