While it’s a common trend for action, sci-fi, and superhero films to rake in the big bucks, romantic films, when done right, are a sure-shot recipe for box-office success. Unlike their big-budget counterparts, romance movies don’t necessarily warrant a big budget or extensive scale, making them a fairly lucrative option for producers. Despite being marginally overshadowed by the more flashy sci-fi and bloody action movies, these box office numbers indicate that romance is and never will be dead.
10 Fight Shades of Grey (2015) - $569 Million
Based on E.L. James’ sensational novel series of the same name, this erotically-charged drama premiered at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival. For a film that was helmed by newcomers in Jamie Dornan and Dakota Fanning, Fifty Shades of Grey grossed more than $500 million dollars against a budget of $40 million. Despite not being critically acclaimed, the film was an immediate box office success, spawning two more films and launching Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan to worldwide fame.
9 Forrest Gump (1994) - $678 million
Forrest Gump is more of a journey than a film, with shades of drama and romance at its core. The film follows a man named Forrest (Tom Hanks) through several decades of his life, shedding light on his wonderful upbringing and his untainted love for his childhood sweetheart, Jenny. Following its release, Forrest Gump was an instant hit, grossing $678 million worldwide while winning six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor, among others.
8 Mamma Mia! (2008) - $694 million
Mamma Mia! is a jukebox musical that’s based on the music of Swedish pop group, ABBA. Playing out as a light-hearted celebration of love and life, Mamma Mia! is the perfect wedding-themed rom-com that follows Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfriend), who invites three of her mother’s lovers with the hope of finding her father.
Made on a budget of $52 million, Mamma Mia! Went on to gross $694 million and was heavily praised for its music and production value, rendering it a classic among fans of the romance genre for years to come.
7 The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010) - $698 Million
Based on Stephanie Meyer's best-selling novel series of the same name, The third installment in the Twilight Saga followsBella (Kristen Stewart) stuck in the middle having to choose between her vampire boyfriend, Edward (Robert Pattinson) or her werewolf friend, Jacob (Taylor Lautner). Torn between two different relationships, Bella’s decision is heavily overshadowed by strange killings plaguing the city of Seattle.
As anticipated, The Twilight Saga: Eclipsegrossed $689 million, recording the biggest midnight opening of its time, with $30.1 million.
6 The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) - $711 Million
In one of the rare cases where the sequel overshadows its predecessor, The Twilight Saga: New Moon follows Bella (Kristen Stewart) as she purposely puts herself in danger in a bid to convince Edward to come back after he ended his relationship with her. Despite hammering the film with negative reviews, the critics couldn’t stop the flow of money as New Moon went on to gross $711 million worldwide, solidifying its status as one of the most successful vampire movies of all time.
5 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 (2011) - $712 million
What’s better than a vampire-human love story? A human that gets impregnated with a vampire’s baby. Giving birth to a half-human, half-vampire child, Edward and Bella's baby grows at a rapid pace while Bella’s frail physique is unable to put up with the young demands for nourishment. Much like the Harry Potter series, it was announced that The Twilight Saga’s finale would also finish with a two-part movie concluding the most epic vampire-human love story.
4 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (2012) - $848 million
Arguably the most popular film in the franchise, the finale film sets up the stage for an epic battle between The Volturi and the Cullen family. Having been wrongly convicted of giving birth to an immortal child, the Cullens have no choice but to fight back as they are wrongly convicted by The Volturi. Apart from making the most money, the final film of The Twilight Saga is also considered to be a much better film than any of its predecessors by fans and critics alike.
3 Aladdin (2019) - $1.05 billion
When it was announced that Guy Ritchie was helming a live-action adaptation of Disney’s 1992 classic, Aladdin, it sent fans into a frenzy. Despite not impressing the fans with his movie, Guy Ritchie definitely impressed the top brass at Disney, making them more than a billion dollars in profit while garnering praise in particular for its musical choreography and elaborate set design.
2 Beauty and the Beast (2017) - $1.26 Billion
Beauty and the Beast is another live-action Disney classic to have gotten a remake that yielded more than a billion dollars in return. Considered to be one of the most expensive films to have ever been made, the film cost Disney around $225 million and was received with generally positive reviews from fans and critics alike.
1 Titanic (1997) - $2.19 Billion
Money aside, Titanic’smention itself has become synonymous with the theme of love and romance. James Cameron’s film penetrated through to most of Earth’s diasporas and rekindled the flame of romance within anybody who saw it. It comes as no surprise that Cameron’s epic romantic film was the first movie to reach the billion-dollar mark, grossing a gigantic sum of $2.19 billion dollars, along with a lot of love from fans and acclaim from critics.
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