Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in Top Gun: Maverick from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.
What are the highest grossing summer movies of all time?
Barbie and Oppenheimer are quite literally the must-see films of this summer, as both releases have a stellar ensemble of actors and actresses, exceptional visuals, and a talented director who created something that will stay with us for generations to come. It’s because of this that both films quickly made a profit only days after their release and will, most likely, continue to acquire more money from new watchers and re-watchers alike. Simply put, Barbie and Oppenheimer are money-makers!
All this buzz surrounding the 2023 movies and how much money they’ve made thus far has many wondering whether this type of success is unprecedented. Well, we’re here to tell you that a summer release this popular isn’t as uncommon as you think it is, as they are tons of films that also went on to have unfathomably large profits.
Without further ado, let’s get into which summer films are the highest-grossing ever!
Highest-grossing summer movies
As you might have guessed, the 1977 sci-fi film Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope has the top spot, making about $1.95 billion (inflated) in domestic and international box offices.
Prior to its release, Star Wars: A New Hope was a film decades ahead of its time due to the story behind the film, riveting special effects, and talented Hollywood stars who certainly knew how to express fear in a way that captivates all audiences. What’s more, the film has aged very well compared to its predecessors and successors, hence why years later, the 1977 title is still making more and more money.
After Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, the 1975 film Jaws is yet another highest-grossing summer film, as this thriller is said to have made $260 million domestically and $471.2 million internationally. This would mean that the Steven Spielberg film made approximately $1.24 billion (with inflation).
Whether you’re more of a Jaws fan or a Star Wars crusader, we can all agree that both films have left a profound effect on the film industry. But these blockbusters aren’t the only films that broke summer box offices. Here are the most financially successful films every summer since 1975 (as per USA Today, Business Insider, and Box Office Mojo):
Note: All numbers below are from domestic box offices unless stated otherwise.
- The Omen (1976) – $257.7 million
- Grease (1978) – $694.7 million
- The Amityville Horror (1979) – $310.3 million
- Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back – $884.6 million
- Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) – $797.8 million
- E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) – $435.1 million
- Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983) – $$847.5 million
- Ghostbusters (1984) – $641.3 million
- Back to the Future (1985) – $532.0 million
- Top Gun (1986) – $432.8 million
- Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) – $354.1 million
- Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) – $343.0 million
- Batman (1989) – $567.4 million
- Ghost (1990) – $463.7 million
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) – $439.4 million
- Batman Returns (1992) – $353.6 million
- Jurassic Park (1993) – $825.9 million
- The Lion King (1994) – $803.2 million
- Batman Forever (1995) – $381.2 million
- Independence Day (1996) – $624.1 million
- Men in Black (1997) – $492.1 million
- Saving Private Ryan (1998) – $412.7 million
- Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) – $813.7 million
- Mission: Impossible II (2000) – $360.1 million
- Shrek (2001) – $426.1 million
- Spider-Man (2002) – $626.1 million
- Finding Nemo (2003) – $554.9 million
- Shrek 2 (2004) – $640.2 million
- Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) – $534.5 million
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006) – $582.3 million
- Spider-Man 3 (2007) – $440.7 million
- The Dark Knight (2008) – $671.3 million
- Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) – $485.6 million
- Toy Story 3 (2010) – $480.6 million
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011) – $432.6 million
- The Avengers (2012) – $692.7 million
- Iron Man 3 (2013) – $440.1 million
- Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) – $371.0 million
- Jurassic World (2015) – $712.2 million
- Finding Dory (2016) – $506.0 million
- Wonder Woman (2017) – $415.5 million
- Incredibles 2 (2018) – $597.4 million
- Aladdin (2019) – $356.6 million
- Tenet (2020) – $58.5 million
- Black Widow (2021) – $183.6 million
- Top Gun: Maverick (2022) – $718.7 million
Will Greta Gerwig’s Barbie be the top film of Summer 2023? Or will Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer take the lead instead? Only time will tell! Until then, be sure to head to your local theater to catch either of the films and contribute to history in the making!
