Box Office Records

List of Highest-Grossing Films by Year (2000–2025)

This comprehensive list details the highest-grossing film for each year from 2000 through 2025. It highlights the top box office performers that captivated global audiences during this quarter-century period.

27 itemsUpdated Mar 13, 2026

The period from 2000 to 2025 offers a fascinating look into the evolution of the global film industry, with each year's highest-grossing film serving as a benchmark. The early 2000s quickly established the power of sequels and adaptations. Mission: Impossible 2 (2000) showcased enduring action franchise appeal, while Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) launched a cultural phenomenon. The dominance of fantasy epics was cemented by The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) and The Return of the King (2003), demonstrating the immense draw of ambitious, serialized storytelling. Animated features also proved their box office might, with Shrek 2 (2004) highlighting the growing global appeal of family-friendly blockbusters. As the years progressed, the landscape of highest-grossing films increasingly became defined by mega-franchises and cinematic universes, a strategic shift by studios to build interconnected narratives fostering sustained cultural engagement. Concurrently, the global box office expanded dramatically, with international markets becoming crucial for a film's overall financial success. Movies designed for universal appeal, often featuring spectacular visual effects and action sequences, found immense traction across diverse cultures. Significant advancements in filmmaking technology, from sophisticated CGI to 3D, further enhanced the theatrical experience, driving ticket sales for these event films. Beyond financial success, these films often reflect the prevailing cultural zeitgeist, offering escapism or resonant themes. While fantasy and action consistently performed well, the full list likely showcases a diverse range of genres, from animated adventures to sci-fi epics, each year's top earner telling a story about audience preferences and industry innovation. Looking towards 2025, the industry continues to navigate new challenges and opportunities, including the evolving relationship with streaming platforms and the ongoing demand for compelling, shared cinematic experiences. These films are not just financial successes; they are cultural touchstones, reflecting the pinnacle of cinematic achievement and audience engagement.

#	Name
1	2000 – Mission: Impossible 2 2000 This action spy film, starring Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, was the highest-grossing film of 2000 worldwide, earning $546,388,108 globally.
2	2001 – Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
3	2002 – The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 2002 The second film in Peter Jackson's epic fantasy trilogy continued Frodo's quest and earned $942,300,000 worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film of 2002.
4	2003 – The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 2003 The epic conclusion to 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy, this film garnered immense critical and commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2003 with a worldwide total of $1,142,279,715 and was only the second film to surpass the billion-dollar milestone.
5	2004 – Shrek 2
6	2005 – Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 2005 The fourth film in the Harry Potter series plunged Harry into the Triwizard Tournament, topping the 2005 box office with a worldwide gross of $895,921,036.
7	2006 – Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest 2006 Captain Jack Sparrow's swashbuckling adventures continued in this sequel, which became the highest-grossing film of 2006 and the first Disney film to cross the $1 billion mark, with a worldwide total of $1,066,179,725.
8	2007 – Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End 2007 The third installment in the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' series concluded the initial trilogy, grossing $963,400,492 worldwide and making it the highest-grossing film of 2007.
9	2008 – The Dark Knight 2008 Christopher Nolan's acclaimed superhero film redefined the genre, with Heath Ledger's iconic performance as the Joker. It was the highest-grossing film of 2008, earning an initial worldwide gross of $997,000,000.
10	2009 – Avatar
11	2010 – Toy Story 3 2010 Pixar's beloved animated sequel saw Woody, Buzz, and the gang navigate new adventures, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2010 with a worldwide box office of $1,063,171,911.
12	2011 – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
13	2012 – The Avengers 2012 Marvel's superhero ensemble united for the first time on the big screen, shattering box office records and becoming the highest-grossing film of 2012 with an impressive $1,518,812,988 worldwide.
14	2013 – Frozen
15	2014 – Transformers: Age of Extinction 2014 The fourth film in the Transformers franchise saw Optimus Prime and the Autobots facing new challenges, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2014 with a worldwide total of $1,104,039,076.
16	2015 – Star Wars: The Force Awakens 2015 The highly anticipated return to the Star Wars galaxy broke numerous records, quickly becoming the highest-grossing film of 2015 and one of the highest-grossing films of all time with $2,068,223,624 worldwide.
17	2016 – Captain America: Civil War 2016 This Marvel Cinematic Universe film pitted Captain America against Iron Man, dominating the 2016 box office with a worldwide gross of $1,153,296,293.
18	2017 – Star Wars: The Last Jedi
19	2018 – Avengers: Infinity War 2018 Marvel's epic crossover event brought together nearly every superhero to face Thanos, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2018 with a worldwide total of $2,048,359,754.
20	2019 – Avengers: Endgame 2019 The culmination of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Infinity Saga, this film broke numerous records and became the highest-grossing film of all time (for a period), ending 2019 as the highest-grossing film with $2,797,501,328 worldwide.
21	2020 – The Eight Hundred
22	2021 – Spider-Man: No Way Home 2021 The highly anticipated Marvel and Sony collaboration saw multiple Spider-Men unite, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2021 with an astounding worldwide gross of over $1.9 billion.
23	2022 – Top Gun: Maverick
24	2023 – Barbie
25	2024 – Inside Out 2 2024 The animated sequel explored new emotions in Riley's mind, captivating audiences and becoming the highest-grossing film of 2024 with a worldwide haul of nearly $1.7 billion.
26	2025 – Ne Zha 2 2025 This Chinese animated sequel, drawing on mythological tales, made history as the highest-grossing film of 2025, earning an estimated $2.25 billion worldwide.
27	2002 – Spider-Man

This list is compiled from verified public records and reference sources. Last verified: March 13, 2026.

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