Do you know which movies are the best selling movies of all time? Cinema has continuously changed and evolved across history, which is why many of its genres have flourished in various eras, with some being more popular and successful than others.
Hence, if you haven’t seen some of the best selling movies of all time, this is your best shot to discover what gave them their critical acclaim.
We can all agree that nothing is more relaxing than kicking back on the couch and unwinding on a lazy evening in front of the Screen with your favorite munchies to accompany you.
So, buckle up because we have compiled a list of the best selling movies of all time for your pick.
1. Avatar (2009)
- Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, Sigourney Weaver
- Runtime: 162 Minutes
- Worldwide Gross: $2.847 billion
- Domestic Gross: $760.5 million
We would have had this incredible box office smash grace our screens in 1999, but it was determined that the technology wasn’t advanced enough to accomplish the film’s vision at the time.
Despite the delay, Avatar earns the number one spot on our list of best selling movies of all time, probably because of its diligent effort and excellent visuals.
According to the story, the Na’vi are creatures who appear basic but are highly evolved, and they inhabit the beautiful, extraterrestrial world of Pandora.
Because of Pandora’s toxic environment, human/Na’vi hybrids known as Avatars must attach to human minds to wander freely.
Then one Avatar, who is a paraplegic former Marine named Jake Sully, regains his mobility and falls in love with a Na’vi lady, and is drawn into the fight for her world’s preservation as their connection develops.
2. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner
- Runtime: 181 Minutes
- Worldwide Gross: $2.798 billion
- Domestic Gross: $858.4 million
Second, on our list of best selling movies of all time is this box office hit released in 2019. It is the most recent entry in the wildly popular “Avengers” trilogy, Avengers: Endgame, surpassing “Avatar” by earning 2.8 billion dollars globally.
In the story, Tony Stark sends Pepper Potts a message when his oxygen supply begins to run low while he is stranded in space.
Meanwhile, to prepare for an epic fight with Thanos, the villainous titan who destroyed the world and the universe, the other Avengers must summon their allies for assistance.
3. Titanic (1997)
- Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates, Frances Fisher, Bernard Hill, Jonathan Hyde.
- Runtime; 195 Minutes
- Worldwide Gross: $2.202 billion
- Domestic Gross: $659.4 million
The film, based on the actual Titanic sinking in 1912, simultaneously delivers a captivating, sentimental, and dramatic story. The setting for this love story is realized in the historic ship of Titanic as well.
The plot opens with Rose breaking her engagement to a rich man named Cal after encountering the unfortunate Jack, who is from the lower strata of society. However, their love is short-lived, as the Titanic sinks, with it, all their romantic aspirations.
4. Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015)
- Cast: Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o.
- Runtime: 138 Minutes
- Worldwide Gross: $ 2.070 billion
- Domestic Gross: $936.7 million
The buzz surrounding Star Wars’ comeback in 2015 was phenomenal, and the film didn’t disappoint in any way. It became one of the best selling movies of all time, with a box office figure of over $2 billion.
The story is set when Kylo Ren and the First Order pose a new threat to Han Solo and his companions thirty years after the Galactic Empire was conquered.
The squad led by Han Solo is on the lookout for Skywalker as part of their effort to take out the First Order’s new weapon of mass destruction, Starkiller Base, which is aimed at destroying the New Republic and the Resistance as well.
5. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
- Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch.
- Runtime: 149 Minutes
- Worldwide Gross: $2.048 billion
- Domestic Gross: $678.8 million
Nearly all of the characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe came together on this epic smash-and-lock horn with Thanos.
It surfaced as one of the best selling movies of all time because it appealed to fans of the sci-fi genre globally.
Thanos is on a quest to gather each of the six Infinity Stones to use them to turn reality in his favor. The Avengers must assemble to fight this formidable foe and end his world domination plans.
6. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
- Cast: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jacob Batalon, Jon Favreau, Jamie Foxx, Willem Dafoe.
- Runtime: 148 Minutes
- Worldwide Gross: $1.901 billion
- Domestic Gross: $804.8 million
Given that the COVID-19 pandemic was still keeping most people at home at this movie’s debut, its box office success was somewhat unexpected. This web-slinging delight is an exciting addition to our list owing to this feat.
With his identity now public, Spider-Man finds it hard to maintain a separation between his everyday existence as Peter Parker and the severe obligations of being a superhero.
He is forced to learn the true meaning of being Spider-Man as he turns to Doctor Strange for assistance on his path to more profound self-discovery.
7. Jurassic World (2015)
- Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D’Onofrio, Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson, Omar Sy, BD Wong, Irrfan Khan
- Runtime: 124 Minutes
- Worldwide Gross: $1.671 billion
- Domestic Gross: $653.4 million
The Jurassic Park movie series was revived once again with the 2015 release of Jurassic World, which also features the best selling movies of all time.
The plot is set in the Jurassic World theme park, home to various genetically altered dinosaurs, including the dangerous and clever Indominus rex.
The giant creature escapes Jurassic World, which triggers a series of events that sends the other dinosaurs into a frenzy.
The timely intervention lies in the hands of a wildlife expert to use his unique abilities to protect two siblings and the other tourists from impending doom.
8. The Lion King (1994)
- Cast: Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Moira Kelly, Ernie Sabella.
- Runtime: 88 Minutes
- Worldwide Gross: $1.663 billion
- Domestic Gross: $543.6 million
The Lion King is an all time best seller and a true classic. This Disney animated film chronicles the exploits of Simba, a young lion who is Mufasa’s successor.
Scar, Simba’s evil uncle, plans to take Mufasa’s throne by tricking the father and son onto a cliff overlooking some wildebeests’ rush so they can fall to their deaths.
Simba manages to flee, and only Mufasa is killed. Later, as an adult, Mufasa returns to reclaim his home from Scar with his allies Timon and Pumbaa.
9. The Avengers (2012)
- Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston.
- Runtime: 143 Minutes
- Worldwide Gross: $1.519 billion
- Domestic Gross: $623.4 million
Marvel’s first admission into the Billion Dollar Club was made possible with this 2012 installment of the Avengers franchise. It became the first to earn over $200 million in a single weekend. The plot is both intriguing and engaging simultaneously.
Nick Fury, the head of S.H.I.E.L.D., launches a recruitment drive for superheroes to fight the unexpected threat to Earth when Loki, the evil twin of Thor, gets hold of the Tesseract’s limitless power.
The Avengers must find a way to stop the elusive god of mischief or watch the earth burn.
10. Furious 7 (2015)
- Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges.
- Runtime: 137 Minutes
- Worldwide Gross: $1.515 billion
- Domestic Gross: $ 353 million
This action thriller is also a favorite with fans of high-frenzied and smash-up movies. Dominic Toretto, Brian O’Conner, and the rest of the gang had split off to resume their more routine lives after taking down the international terrorist, Owen Shaw.
Owing to the gang’s capture of Shaw, Owen’s older brother, Deckard Shaw, is eager for retribution.
Subsequently, in exchange for assistance in freeing an abducted computer hacker who has created a complete monitoring program, an intelligent government agent promises to help Dom and his crew take care of Shaw once and for all.
11. Frozen II (2019)
- Cast: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad, Jonathan Groff
- Runtime: 103 Minutes
- Worldwide Gross: $1.450 billion
- Domestic Gross: $477.4 million
Frozen II came as a sequel because the first part was both a global success and the highest-grossing movie in the animated genre.
Its success was commendable, as evidenced in its fourth weekend of release, becoming Disney’s sixth billion-dollar film of the year.
In the plot of this best selling movie of all time, Elsa, the Snow Queen, is endowed with a remarkable gift: the ability to produce ice and snow.
However, despite being comfortable with Arendelle’s inhabitants, she keeps feeling oddly uneasy. Elsa eventually leaves her kingdom to explore the enchanting forests and icy oceans after hearing a mysterious voice reach out to her. She hopes to uncover the meaning of this call.
12. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
- Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle.
- Runtime: 141 Minutes
- Worldwide Gross: $1.402 billion
- Domestic Gross: $459 million
Avengers: Age of Ultron was a box office hit and one of the best selling movies of all time, regardless of its fair share of minor setbacks. Even though it didn’t have the original movie’s record-breaking opening weekend, it still had the second-best opening ever when it was released.
The storyline has things going wrong when Tony Stark reactivates a dormant peacekeeping program, compelling him, Thor, the Incredible Hulk, and the rest of the Avengers to come back together.
The crew is faced with battling Ultron, a technological horror set on the destruction of humans, while Earth’s future hangs loose.
13. Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
- Cast: Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Ed Harris, Val Kilmer
- Runtime: 130 Minutes
- Worldwide Gross: $1.357 billion
- Domestic Gross: $666.7 million
The Top Gun sequel received many positive reviews in the US, propelling it to No. 7 on the domestic charts and into the top 20 global earners, where it landed at No. 13, grossing over $1.3 billion worldwide.
The most explosive summer blockbuster of 2022 was delivered with its breathtaking action-packed scenes.
Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, one of the Navy’s greatest aviators for over three decades, is doing what he knows best, pushing the limits as a daring test pilot and avoiding the promotion that would have grounded him.
Maverick must face his darkest fears and confront his past while preparing a group of recent grads for a particular assignment. The training results in a mission that requires a selfless act of sheer sacrifice.
14. Black Panther (2018)
- Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright.
- Runtime: 134 Minutes
- Worldwide Gross: $1.348 billion
- Domestic Gross: $700.4 million
The superhero movie Black Panther, released in 2018, is based on the same-named Marvel Comics character and was one of the best selling movies of all time that year.
The plot has T’Challa returning to Wakanda, an African country, after the passing of his father to assume the throne in his due place.
T’Challa’s resolve as king and as Black Panther is put to the test when he is lured into a struggle that threatens the future of Wakanda and the entire globe when a formidable opponent reappears out of nowhere.
It is left for T’Challa to gather his supporters and unleash Black Panther’s total strength to fight his enemies and ensure the security of his people.
15. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
- Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis.
- Runtime: 146 Minutes
- Worldwide Gross: $1.342 billion
- Domestic Gross: $381.4 million
With $169.1 million, the second part of the Harry Potter finale broke the previous record for an opening weekend, and its $960 million worldwide gross placed it third only after Titanic and Avatar.
The adventure’s conclusion started in 2001 and allowed viewers to witness the characters’ development from childhood to adulthood.
In this chapter, young Harry, Ron, and Hermione prepare for Lord Voldemort’s ultimate confrontation. Before Harry and Voldemort meet at Hogwarts Castle for the final duel, the three friends must look for the Horcruxes that keep the villainous wizard immortal to aid Harry in defeating Voldemort.
16 . Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
- Cast: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson.
- Runtime: 152 Minutes
- Worldwide Gross: $1.333 billion
- Domestic Gross: $620.2 million
This movie is yet another one of the best selling movies of all time that is simply out of this world and was well worth the wait.
The Star Wars tale continues as fresh heroes and galactic legends embark on an epic journey to solve Force mysteries and startling historical puzzles.
Things change for Luke Skywalker when he meets Rey, a young lady with powerful Force abilities. He is compelled to make a choice that permanently alters their life because of her desire to learn the Jedi ways.
Meanwhile, Leia and the Resistance are being relentlessly attacked by the First Order under the leadership of Kylo Ren and General Hux in a battle for galactic dominion.
17. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
- Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rafe Spall, Toby Jones, Ted Levine, BD Wong, Isabella Sermon, Jeff Goldblum
- Runtime: 128 Minutes
- Worldwide Gross: $1.311 billion
- Domestic Gross: $417.8 million
Coming as the second-highest-grossing domestic film of the 2018 summer season, this entry on the best selling movies of all time is a ‘fun watch.’ If you have to keep up with prehistoric sci-fi movies, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is your pick.
When a volcano is on the island of Isla, Nublar is poised to explode. Owen Grady and Claire Dearing travel back there three years after the Jurassic World theme park was destroyed to save the remaining dinosaurs.
They soon come upon horrifying new species of enormous dinosaurs and uncover a plot that endangers the entire world, which they must work together to stop.
18. Frozen (2013)
- Cast: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, Santino Fontana
- Runtime: 102 Minutes
- Worldwide Gross: $1.282 billion
- Domestic Gross: $401 million
This animated feature on our list of best selling movies of all time topped the box office for a while due to its intriguing musical sing-along scenes.
Additionally, this tale of two sisters seeking their happily-ever-after received the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
Anna teams up with Kristoff and his reindeer companions to track down her sister, Elsa, and break her ice spell while their kingdom is confined in an eternal winter.
Anna and Kristoff boldly continue on their epic quest despite encounters with challenging circumstances as they fight to save their realm from winter’s grasp.
19. Beauty and the Beast (2017)
- Cast: Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Kevin Kline, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Audra McDonald, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson
- Runtime: 129 Minutes
- Worldwide Gross: $1.274 billion
- Domestic Gross: $504.5 million
This addition to our movie list is a thriller with an exciting twist that inspired several works after it. An evil witch doctor casts a spell on an arrogant young prince and his household, transforming him into a terrible beast and can only be returned to his original state when he learns to love and is loved in return.
As the story unfolds further, following the beast’s imprisonment of her father, Maurice, a brave and independent girl named Belle enters the castle in an attempt to rescue her father.
Belle encounters the strange beast and starts to nudge the heartless creature out of his solitude with the aid of his enchanted staff, especially Mrs. Potts.
20. Incredibles 2 (2018)
- Cast: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Huckleberry Milner, Samuel L. Jackson, Bob Odenkirk.
- Runtime: 118 Minutes
- Worldwide Gross: $1.243 billion
- Domestic Gross: $608.6 million
Here in this entry on our list of best selling movies of all time, Elastigirl is recruited by telecommunications expert Winston Deavor to battle crime and win back the public’s affection for superheroes.
This development leaves Mr. Incredibly faced with one of his most challenging tasks, staying at home and caring for three boisterous kids.
Meanwhile, Cybercriminal Screenslaver launches his evil scheme to hypnotize the world through computer screens. As a result, Mr. Incredible has to abandon daddy duties and jump into saving the world one more time.
21. The Fate of the Furious (2017)
- Cast: Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Kurt Russell, Charlize Theron
- Runtime: 136 Minutes
- Worldwide Gross: $1.236 billion
- Domestic Gross: $226 million
This mix of action and racing was a sensation at the time of release, and the seventh and eighth installments cost half a billion dollars to make, yet they brought in a total of $2.75 billion worldwide.
The plot has the crew established on some everyday life now that Dom and Letty are married. Also, Brian and Mia are retired, and the rest of the crew has been cleared of all charges.
Nevertheless, they soon encounter an unforeseen obstacle when Dom is turned on them by a Cipher, and the team must work together to rescue Dom and stop Cipher from causing more mayhem.
22. Iron Man 3 (2013)
- Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stéphanie Szostak.
- Runtime: 131 Minutes
- Worldwide Gross: $1.215 billion
- Domestic Gross: $409 million
Following the acclaim of Joss Whedon’s “The Avengers,” Iron Man 3, which came immediately after, had the same massive impact.
It was the highest-grossing non-Avengers picture in the MCU internationally, with over $805 million, and also the 13th-ranking movie to cross $400 million domestically in its initial release.
Due to Tony Stark’s increased reliance on the Iron Man suits due to the traumas he suffered while saving New York from destruction, everything in his life has been negatively impacted, including his relationship with Pepper. Tony is left with nothing but his drive to get back at Mandarin for tearing his world apart.
23. Minions (2015)
- Cast: Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm, Michael Keaton, Allison Janney, Steve Coogan, Jennifer Saunders, Pierre Coffin, Geoffrey Rush
- Runtime: 91 Minutes
- Worldwide Gross: $1.159 billion
- Domestic Gross: $336 million
This epic animated movie makes it to the list of best selling movies of all time with a $115.7 million first-weekend haul, which earned Illumination Entertainment’s biggest-ever opening.
Despite falling short of Despicable Me 2 domestically, $336 million against $368 million, it nevertheless has the second-best foreign box office performance of any animated picture with $823.4 million in revenue.
Right from the beginning, minions have always lived to serve, but they are forced to do so for a never-ending list of failing masters.
However, the minions in this story sink into terrible despair when they have no master to serve. But Kevin has a plan, he sets out to find a new supervillain to lead the pack, and in doing so, they come across Scarlet Overkill.
24. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
- Cast: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner.
- Runtime: 147 Minutes
- Worldwide Gross: $1.153 billion
- Domestic Gross: $408.1 million
Captain America: Civil War had the fifth-highest opening weekend ever, taking in $179.1 million to start its earnings.
It became the fourth MCU movie to achieve billion in sales thanks to an additional $745 million abroad.
When the Avengers’ operations result in accidental harm, a system is put in place by the government to make sure they are held accountable for their actions.
Team members are divided by the new situation because they all have opposing views and might need to take sides.
Captain America, however, believes that governments shouldn’t interfere with superheroes’ ability to defend humanity.
25. Aquaman (2018)
- Cast: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Nicole Kidman
- Runtime: 143 Minutes
- Worldwide Gross: $812.6 million
- Domestic Gross: $335.1 million
Last on our list of best sellers is this underwater thriller. Being once the most developed civilization on Earth, Atlantis is now an underwater realm controlled by the egotistical King Orm.
Orm intends to conquer the last aquatic inhabitants and eventually the surface world with the help of his enormous army.
To this end, Aquaman must collect the mighty Trident of Atlan with the aid of the royal counselor Vulko and accept his role as the deep sea’s defender.
