What are the highest-grossing movies of 2023 so far?

The year 2023 has seen some surprises at the box office. Just what are the 10 highest-grossing movies of the year so far, and what does that say about the box office itself?

2023 was supposed to be a fantastic bounce back for the Hollywood box office following a great 2022 that included the smash hit Top Gun: Maverick. However, the story so far has been the surprising disappointments of several would-be smash hits.

The latest on that list is Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part I. The sequel was expected to be a huge success following Cruise saving cinemas last year with Maverick. Instead, the film had a weaker-than-expected opening and is struggling, which spells problems for Paramount as they have to finish production on Part 2.

There have been surprising stories such as the controversial Sound of Freedom cracking the $100 million mark domestically, even among accusations its numbers are inflated. There are also interesting bits like Pixar’s Elemental, which had a weak opening but much better legs than expected, earning over $300 million globally against bigger competition.

Of course, the big story is “Barbieheimer,” as the release of Barbie and Oppenheimer on the same weekend caused a box office phenomenon. Each has already easily cracked $100 million, with Barbie on its way to the billion-dollar mark.

With worries about some movies being delayed thanks to the ongoing strikes in Hollywood, it’s good to still see some major box office success, as while there are disappointments, several films have soared.

What are the ten highest-grossing global movies of 2023 so far?

1. The Super Mario Bros. Movie: $1,350,413,680 

It may not have been a critical favorite, but the animated adventure based on the beloved video game characters ranks as the highest-grossing film of 2023 so far. It cracked $574 million domestically with another $776 million abroad, adding up to $1.3 billion. Fans loved the shout-outs to the game and fun storyline, so it’s no wonder a sequel is being planned to continue this smash hit series.

2. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: $844,857,149 

The grand finale to the MCU trilogy was a terrific capper to the saga. The return of writer/director James Gunn combined with a powerful storyline on Rocket’s origins and an early May release date to soar to a global take of $844 million. That may be a bit less than hoped by Disney, yet it showed the Guardians still have a magic fans love.

3. Barbie: $774,502,851 

Expect this number to change as, at the rate it’s going, Barbie may end up cracking the billion-dollar mark and higher. A built-in audience for the property combined with Greta Gerwig’s direction, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling’s star turns and a wild storyline for success. It was aided by a huge media buzz, with its global take as of August 1 being $774.5 million and climbing, outdoing all expectations for its success.

4. Fast X: $704,709,660 

The penultimate movie in the long-running saga is a letdown domestically with only $145 million. However, its global take has been over half a billion to help salvage it. Some may have been wary as it’s clearly a setup for the final film, yet the wild stunts and huge cast still ensure the Fast franchise has gas left in the tank.

5. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse: $682,396,158 

The first half of the sequel to the Oscar-winning animated hit has been a sensational success. It’s almost perfectly balanced in his global and domestic takes to be a monster success. It’s buoyed by terrific reviews and a cliffhanger to set up next year’s Beyond the Spider-Verse. It was a long wait for this sequel but worth it for a huge hit.

6. The Little Mermaid $561,361,752 

The live-action version of the classic Disney animated film may not have reached the heights of past adaptations. However, over half a billion globally at the box office is still nothing to sneeze at as the film has clicked with the casting of Halle Bailey as Ariel. It’s done better than the initial weekend indicated and is still a favorite to be a good success that likely paves the way for more live-action adaptations to come.

7. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania: $476,071,180 

This was supposed to be a huge hit, the kick-off for Phase 5 of the MCU. However, the third film in the Ant-Man saga may have gone too far with a more serious storyline and a weaker-than-expected box office opening in February. Its nearly half-a-billion dollar take isn’t a disaster but still very underwhelming and the kick-off to a rough 2023 for the MCU.

8. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One: $448,533,033

If any movie this year looked like a can’t-miss, it was this. Hot off Top Gun: Maverick and returning to this iconic franchise, Tom Cruise looked set to rule the summer. Yet this had a weaker opening than expected than its legs cut off by “Barbieheimer.” It still has a global take aiding, but the slower-than-expected box office spells trouble for Paramount as they still need to finish Part 2 for next year with expectations lower.

9. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts: $429,737,282 

The Transformers movies are truly critic-proof. No matter how much they may be slammed as nothing but CGI fests, they can still bring folks into theaters. While this new sequel didn’t reach the heights of previous films, it still did well. Its weak $156 million domestic opening was offset by a better international one, aided by a high-powered voice cast. It may lose its slot in the future, but for now, the latest adventure of the robots in disguise is a top hit for 2023.

10. John Wick: Chapter 4: $426,978,565 

The possible grand finale of the action saga was long-awaited but worth it. Keanu Reeves was tops in a film packed with stunning action and some terrific turns from Donnie Yen, among others. The shocking ending got folks talking, and while Oppenheimer is right on its heels, so far, this last chapter closes out the top 10.