Considered one of the "Big Five" in Hollywood, Warner Bros. has been recognized as one of the largest film studios in the world. The studio has been around for 100 years, distributing thousands of films across every genre most moviegoers can think of. Recent years have seen Warner Bros. release films such as Dune, The Batman, and Meg 2: The Trench.
While the rise of streaming has caused many shifts within the film industry, Warner Bros. has not lost sight of the power of a traditional theatrical release. During a summer when most tentpole films underperformed at the box office, Barbie became the highest-grossing film in Warner Bros.' history. But if Barbie is Warner Bros.' highest-grossing film of all time, how much did their other films such as The Dark Knight make?
Join us as we have a look at Warner Bros.' 12 highest-grossing movies thus far.
12 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) — $942.2M
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was the first Harry Potter film to be directed by David Yates, who went on to direct the remaining three films in the series as well as all of Fantastic Beasts. Order of the Phoenix was the second highest-grossing film of 2007, surpassing the box office totals of Spider-Man 3 and Transformers, but lagging behind Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.
Despite Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix grossing over $940 million on a $150–200 million budget, accounting statements from Warner Bros. reported that the film had lost the studio $167 million (via Deadline). This case has provided a small glimpse into the eyebrow-raising world known as Hollywood accounting.
11 The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) — $959M
The sequel to 2012's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, was unable to replicate the billion-dollar success of its predecessor. However, at $959 million, The Desolation of Smaug was still a commercial success, out-grossing The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Fast & Furious 6, and every 2013 superhero film other than Iron Man 3.
10 The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) — $962.2M
Peter Jackson's Hobbit trilogy came to an end with The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, which grossed over $960 million and became the second highest-grossing film of 2014. The film out-grossed Guardians of the Galaxy, Maleficent, and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, but was behind the $1.1 billion+ gross of Transformers: Age of Extinction.
9 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 (2010) — $977.1M
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 began a trend of film adaptations of the final book in a series being divided into two parts. Twilight and The Hunger Games followed to less successful results, and in the case of the Divergent series, the final film was never made. With the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book having more than 750 pages (Scholastic), the Harry Potter film series actually had a good reason to divide the concluding installment into two.
Eager to see the beginning of the end, Potterheads showed up to the theaters in droves. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 grossed $977.1 million worldwide and was the third highest-grossing film of 2010. Inception, another film from Warner Bros., sat at the number four spot with a worldwide gross of $837.2 million.
8 The Dark Knight (2008) — $1.006B
During a time before the Avengers, Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight became the first billion-dollar superhero movie. The Dark Knight presented one of the greatest box-office jumps for a direct sequel, with the film grossing over $630 million more than 2005's Batman Begins. Not only was The Dark Knight a box office juggernaut, but many praised the film as one of the best films ever made.
7 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) — $1.017B
Nearly nine years after The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Peter Jackson began a prequel trilogy with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The film introduced Martin Freeman's Bilbo Baggins and saw Ian McKellen return as Gandalf. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey grossed $1.017 billion and was the highest-grossing installment of the Hobbit trilogy.
6 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) — $1.017B
The film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, much like the book it was an adaptation of, was given the alternate title of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for U.S. markets. Taking audiences on a magical trip to the Wizarding World, the first Harry Potter film forever changed cinema and what we now recognize as "fandom."
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was beloved and, unsurprisingly, was also a massive success at the box office. Grossing over $970 million during its initial theatrical run, a rerelease pushed Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone into the billion-dollar club in 2020.
5 Joker (2019) — $1.074B
Set outside the DCEU, but released before the end of the franchise, Joker was one of the nine films that grossed over $1 billion in 2019. The film concluded its theatrical run with a higher box office total than that of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Toy Story 4, and Aladdin.
Joker was the first R-rated film to gross $1 billion and has remained the only R-rated film to gross more than $800 million. That could potentially change with the upcoming Joker: Folie à Deux and Deadpool 3.
4 The Dark Knight Rises (2012) — $1.081B
Coming off the success of 2008's The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises grossed $1.081 billion and became the highest-grossing Batman film of all time. The Dark Knight Rises was the third-highest-grossing film of 2012 behind Skyfall and The Avengers.
3 Aquaman (2018) — $1.148B
Following the critical and commercial failure of the theatrical version of Justice League, Aquaman blew box office expectations out of the water with an impressive $1.148 billion. Aquaman has claimed the title of highest-grossing DC film and is currently the third highest-grossing film from Warner Bros. Time will tell whether the upcoming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom comes anywhere close to Aquaman's box office numbers.
2 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 (2011) — $1.342B
The final installment in the Harry Potter film series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, was Warner Bros.' highest-grossing film for more than a decade. Deathly Hallows - Part 2 was the cinematic event of 2011, serving as an emotional farewell to the characters audiences had followed since 2001.
1 Barbie (2023) — $1.342+B
Barbie has yet to conclude its theatrical run, but has already become the highest-grossing film in Warner Bros. history. The Greta Gerwig-directed film has also made history as the first billion-dollar film to be solely directed by a woman. An IMAX release for Barbie has been scheduled for September, which Gerwig has teased will include "special new footage."
Comments
Post a Comment