We all know movies like Avatar, Avengers: Endgame, and Titanic have made a ton of cash at the box office, with each comfortably eclipsing the $2 billion line. However, there are other films whose impressive theatrical runs aren’t as remembered, despite making a ton of money before they left the silver screen. Here are 32 movies you might not know made over $500 million, per Box Office Mojo.
The Smurfs (2011)
Remember The Smufs, the 2011 CGI/live-action hybrid starring Neil Patrick Harris and those titular blue villagers from the classic cartoon of the same name? If not, you’ll probably be even more surprised to learn the forgotten film made a staggering $564 million at the box office. Sure, the vast majority of that was in international markets, but still!
Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (2008)
Despite being far from the best Indiana Jones movie, 2008’s The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull happens to be the best-performing entry in the franchise with a ridiculous $787 million theatrical run. Sometimes folks go in droves to see a bad movie, especially when there’s a nearly 20-year break between entries in a franchise.
Mission: Impossible II (2000)
Mission: Impossible II is considered by many to be the worst film in the Tom Cruise action franchise, and there’s a case to be made for that. And even though we don’t look at the 2000 movie fondly, there’s no denying the fact that moviegoers were all about it nearly a quarter-century ago, as the film made $546 million worldwide during its theatrical run.
The Grinch (2018)
It’s no secret that animated movies make a ton of cash, especially releases that appeal to both children and adults. And it appears that was the case for Illumination’s 2018 adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ classic Christmas book, The Grinch. This movie, which we often forget about, made an impressive $540 million back in late 2018.
The Passion Of The Christ (2004)
Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ was one of the most talked about movies of the early 2000s, but we honestly forgot it made THIS much money during its run. The celebrated or controversial film, depending on who you ask, made a mind-boggling $612 million worldwide, with most of that being in the United States (remember all those church groups buying up entire screenings?).
Mamma Mia! (2008)
We all remember Mamma Mia! for its catchy renditions of ABBA classics, a fun-loving spin on a Broadway musical, and its all-star cast, but what’s often forgotten is the fact that it raked in a ton of cash. Though the lion’s share of its $695 million gross was in international markets, there’s no denying this Greek-set romance story was a success.
Ted (2012)
The 2012 summer box office was wild with successful movies like The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises, but there was another major hit released between two of the best superhero movies of all time: Ted. Seth MacFarlane’s raunchy comedy about a man and his stuffed animal was a massive hit with audiences, bringing in $549 million by the time everything was said and done.
Cinderella (2015)
There have been a crazy number of Disney live-action adaptations over the past decade or so, but one that is often left out of the conversation is Cinderella. Though not as successful as The Lion King or The Jungle Book, this Lily James-led fantasy film brought in an impressive $542 million worldwide back in 2015.
The Meg (2018)
People must really like to see a) Jason Statham movies or b) shark-centric thrillers or c) all of the above because The Meg, a seemingly non-descript 2018 action flick took a massive bite out of the box office with a wild $529-million run a little more than a half-decade ago. And while its sequel didn’t reach as high of a mark, it still performed really well.
Meet The Fockers (2004)
No one would hold anything against you if you didn’t remember a single thing from Meet the Fockers, the 2004 sequel to the Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro 2000 comedy, Meet the Parents. This is especially true when it comes to how well the movie performed worldwide: $523 million.
World War Z (2013)
One of the more recent additions to the list of movies with disastrous productions, World War Z was able to turn it around and absolutely kill it in theaters back in the summer of 2013. Despite all the problems during production and post-production, as well as OK reviews, this Brad Pitt zombie thriller brought in $540 million worldwide.
Night At The Museum (2006)
The Night at the Museum franchise has gone on to produce multiple sequels and give families something to watch on family movie night, and so it shouldn’t be surprising that the Ben Stiller-led fantasy comedy performed well at the box office. But did you know it made $574 million back in 2006? That’s a stack of cash.
Life Of Pi (2012)
Sometimes it feels like Ang Lee’s Life of Pi is a movie that has been lost to the sands of time, but let’s not forget that the 2012 book-to-screen adaptation of one of the most decorated novels of the early 21st century made more than $609 million during its run. It didn’t perform all too well in the States ($125 million), but its international gross was something to behold.
The Croods (2013)
Remember The Croods, the 2013 animated film that saw Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone, Nicolas Cage, and Catherine Kenner voice a family of cavemen? If the answer is no (or even if it is yes), you’ll probably be surprised to learn that it made $587 million worldwide during its theatrical run, which was enough to launch an entire franchise that included movies, shows, and even video games.
The Boss Baby (2017)
The Boss Baby is a movie many of us probably remember for one reason or another, meaning we either watched the Alec Baldwin-led animated film or saw its trailer during our visits to the theater in 2017. Well, the movie was not only a hit, but a massive hit, bringing in a total of $527 million before it finally left the big screen.
Hancock (2008)
Here’s something crazy to think about: Hancock, the 2008 Will Smith-led superhero movie made more money at the box office than Iron Man, the film that launched the MCU and changed Hollywood as we know it today.
Kong: Skull Island (2017)
Not only was Kong: Skull Island the most successful movie in the Monsterverse, but it also performed really well at the box office back in early 2017. By the time everything was said and done, this monster movie made a staggering $569 million worldwide.
The Martian (2015)
We’re not knocking the movie, but Ridley Scott’s The Martian somehow won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy at the 73rd Golden Globes, which is crazy to think about. Know what else is crazy? Oh, just the fact that this 2015 Matt Damon movie made $631 million months before it received all those accolades.
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Thor: The Dark World is nowhere near the top of the ranking of best Marvel movies, and at one point it was seen as a failure or misstep for the young franchise. However, it still made $645 million worldwide. Sure, it’s not quite Avengers numbers, but this mops the floor with some of the later MCU films.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)
The first Venom movie made more than $850 million back in 2018. And while its sequel, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, didn’t come close to touching that, its $506 million run is impressive considering several factors. The biggest of these is the fact that it came out in October 2021, a time in which theaters were still struggling to rebound after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Men In Black 3 (2012)
Men in Black 3 wasn’t necessarily a bad movie, but it’s wild to think that the third entry in the Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones franchise would be its most successful. Released in 2012, this sci-fi action comedy brought in an otherworldly $654 million in box office receipts.
Maleficent (2014)
2014 was a massive year at the box office with movies like Godzilla, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Interstellar bringing in bundles of cash and millions of moviegoers to screens around the world. Another addition to that list was the Angelina Jolie-led Maleficent, which earned $760 million worldwide, making it one of the biggest movies of all time.
The Da Vinci Code (2006)
The Da Vinci Code is a bad movie with one of the worst Tom Hanks hairdos of all time. However, Ron Howard’s 2006 adaptation of Dan Brown’s conspiracy thriller was a huge hit with audiences and made $760 million worldwide.
2012 (2009)
Roland Emmerich’s 2012 is one of the craziest disaster movies of all time, but it’s also one of the most successful, which is somehow hard to believe. Released in 2009, a time in which people still thought the world would end in 2012, this John Cusack-led thriller brought in an impressive $791 million worldwide.
The Secret Life Of Pets (2016)
This one is wild, but did you know The Secret Life of Pets made $876 million at the box office back in 2016? No, well, it actually happened and we can’t figure out a) how it happened and b) why we don’t recall its massive success. But with Illumination being behind the runaway hit, it shouldn’t be all that surprising.
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
A wildly inaccurate historical film or a biopic everyone needs to see depending on who you ask, Bohemian Rhapsody was one of the biggest movies of 2018. And while Avengers: Infinity War and Black Panther dominated the box office conversation that year, let’s not forget that the Queen movie made $911 million before it left the big screen.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald (2018)
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald didn’t quite reach the heights of its predecessor or the more popular Harry Potter movies, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a success. In fact, the 2018 sequel made a cool $656 million in the weeks following its release, which is quite a feat.
Suicide Squad (2016)
David Ayer’s Suicide Squad has received a ton of crap over the years for not really making sense and feeling like multiple movies taped together instead of one cohesive film. And while we can go on and on about the 2016 DCEU movie’s shortcomings, the movie did happen to make $749 million at the box office.
Beauty And The Beast (2017)
Not only did the 2017 live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast make more than $500 million at the box office, but it also crossed over into the $1 billion territory, which is quite surprising. All in all, the movie made $1.2 billion, which makes it one of the most successful films of all time.
Alice In Wonderland (2010)
Is Alice in Wonderland a good movie? No, not really. But did Tim Burton’s 2010 adaptation of the classic Lewis Carroll novel make a ton of cash? Yeah, by the boatloads. This wild, nonsensical, and nightmarish movie brought in more than $1 billion back in the day, which is mindboggling.
Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen (2009)
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is often considered not only one of the worst movies in the franchise but also one of Michael Bay’s worst films. However, this 2009 summer blockbuster made a mind-blowing $836 million at the box office, which was more than $100 million more than its predecessor.
X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
Though it didn’t make nearly as much as some of the earlier movies in the comic book franchise, X-Men: Apocalypse didn’t have a terrible run upon its release in 2016. In fact, the movie, which saw Oscar Isaac play a villain that looked a lot like a certain Power Rangers big bad, made a cool $544 million by the time it left theaters.
