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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.

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
1978 Grease $159,978,870
1979 Kramer vs. Kramer $106,260,000
1980 The Empire Strikes Back $209,398,025
1981 Raiders of the Lost Ark $212,222,025
1982 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial $359,197,037
1983 Return of the Jedi $252,583,617
1984 Beverly Hills Cop $234,760,478
1985 Back to the Future $210,609,762
1986 Top Gun $176,781,728
1987 Three Men and a Baby $167,780,960
1988 Rain Man $172,825,435
1989 Batman $251,188,924
1990 Home Alone $285,761,243
1991 Terminator 2: Judgment Day $204,843,345
1992 Aladdin $217,350,219
1993 Jurassic Park $357,067,947
1994 Forrest Gump $329,694,499
1995 Toy Story $191,796,233
1996 Independence Day $306,169,268
1997 Titanic $600,788,188
1998 Saving Private Ryan $216,540,909
1999 Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace $431,088,295
2000 How the Grinch Stole Christmas $260,044,825
2001 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone $317,575,550
2002 Spider-Man $403,706,375
2003 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King $377,027,325
2004 Shrek 2 $441,226,247
2005 Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith $380,270,577
2006 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest $423,315,812
2007 Spider-Man 3 $336,530,303
2008 The Dark Knight $533,345,358
2009 Avatar $749,766,139
2010 Toy Story 3 $415,004,880
2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 $381,011,219
2012 The Avengers $623,357,910
2013 The Hunger Games: Catching Fire $424,668,047
2014 American Sniper $350,126,372
2015 Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens $936,662,225
2016 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story $532,177,324
2017 Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi $620,181,382
2018 Black Panther $700,059,566
2019 Avengers: Endgame $858,373,000
2020 Bad Boys For Life $206,305,244
2021 Spider-Man: No Way Home $804,793,477
2022 Top Gun: Maverick $718,732,821
2023 Barbie $636,236,401
2024 Inside Out 2 $652,538,284

See also

References

  1. "Domestic Yearly Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  2. ^ "'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.
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  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.
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  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.
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  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.
  48. "Domestic Box Office For 2024". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
Yearly highest-grossing films in the United States
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