Key takeaways
- Avatar (2009) is still #1 among the highest grossing movies of all time, at roughly $2.92 billion worldwide.
- Avengers: Endgame holds #2 (~$2.80B) and Avatar: The Way of Water #3 (~$2.33B) — James Cameron directs three of the top four.
- Ne Zha 2 (2025) is the highest non-Hollywood entry at ~$2.22B, the only non-English-language film in the Top 10.
- Recent animated hits Zootopia 2 (~$1.87B) and Inside Out 2 (~$1.70B) hold the bottom two spots, pushing older blockbusters out.
- Avatar: Fire and Ash (~$1.49B) reshuffled the tier just below the Top 10 but fell short of Titanic and its own predecessors.
The highest grossing movies of all time are still led by Avatar, James Cameron's 2009 sci-fi epic, which sits near $2.92 billion in worldwide box office — a number no film has managed to top. Below it, the list keeps shuffling: two recent animated hits muscled in, China's Ne Zha 2 stormed the top five, and the latest Avatar sequel, Fire and Ash, reordered the standings just outside the Top 10. This ranking uses nominal worldwide gross, in US dollars, as tracked by the industry. All figures are approximate 2026 estimates. Last updated: July 2026.
1. Avatar (2009)
Worldwide gross: ~$2.92 billion. Cameron's original Avatar remains the box-office king more than 15 years after release, helped by multiple re-releases in the US and China. It briefly lost the crown to Avengers: Endgame in 2019, then a 2021 China re-release put it back on top, and it hasn't budged since. Pandora's first outing is the benchmark every blockbuster is measured against.
2. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Worldwide gross: ~$2.80 billion. The culmination of Marvel's "Infinity Saga" is the highest grossing superhero movie ever and the only Marvel title to seriously challenge Avatar. Its opening-weekend records still stand as a reference point. For a moment in 2019 it was #1 all-time, before Cameron reclaimed the throne.
3. Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
Worldwide gross: ~$2.33 billion. The long-delayed first Avatar sequel proved the franchise wasn't a one-off, out-earning almost everything else of the 2020s. It gives Cameron three films in the all-time top four — a feat no other director comes close to matching.
4. Titanic (1997)
Worldwide gross: ~$2.26 billion. Cameron's disaster romance held the #1 spot for 12 years until his own Avatar beat it. Re-releases, including a 25th-anniversary run, have kept its total climbing. It's the oldest film in the Top 10 and a reminder of how long a genuine cultural phenomenon can keep selling tickets.
5. Ne Zha 2 (2025)
Worldwide gross: ~$2.22 billion. The Chinese animated fantasy is the highest grossing film ever made outside Hollywood and the only non-English-language title in the Top 10. The vast majority of its earnings came from China's domestic market, which shows how large a single-country release can now get. Its surge into the top five was the biggest reshuffle the list had seen in years.
6. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
Worldwide gross: ~$2.07 billion. The film that rebooted the Star Wars saga for Disney set a US domestic record that still stands. It remains the highest grossing Star Wars movie and the franchise's only entry in the all-time Top 10.
7. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Worldwide gross: ~$2.05 billion. The first half of the Thanos two-parter narrowly trails The Force Awakens. Together with Endgame, it gives Marvel two films in the Top 10 — the only comic-book studio to place more than one.
8. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Worldwide gross: ~$1.92 billion. The multiverse-spanning Spider-Man crossover was the pandemic era's biggest hit, proving audiences would return to theaters in huge numbers for the right event film. It's the highest grossing Sony release and the top solo-superhero title on the list.
9. Zootopia 2 (2025)
Worldwide gross: ~$1.87 billion. Disney Animation's sequel became one of the biggest animated films ever, powered by enormous numbers in China alongside a strong global run. Its arrival pushed longtime Top 10 fixtures — including Jurassic World and The Lion King (2019) — down to just outside the top tier.
10. Inside Out 2 (2024)
Worldwide gross: ~$1.70 billion. Pixar's emotions sequel was the highest grossing animated film of all time for much of 2024 before Ne Zha 2 overtook it. It sits at the edge of the Top 10, close enough that a single big new release can knock it out — which is exactly the churn happening in this lower half.
The core ranking: highest grossing movies of all time (2026)
| Rank | Movie | Worldwide gross (est.) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avatar (2009) | ~$2.92B | Longtime #1; boosted by re-releases |
| 2 | Avengers: Endgame (2019) | ~$2.80B | Highest grossing superhero film |
| 3 | Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) | ~$2.33B | Cameron's third film in the top four |
| 4 | Titanic (1997) | ~$2.26B | Oldest film in the Top 10 |
| 5 | Ne Zha 2 (2025) | ~$2.22B | Highest non-Hollywood / non-English film |
| 6 | Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) | ~$2.07B | Top Star Wars entry |
| 7 | Avengers: Infinity War (2018) | ~$2.05B | Second Marvel film in the Top 10 |
| 8 | Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) | ~$1.92B | Biggest pandemic-era release |
| 9 | Zootopia 2 (2025) | ~$1.87B | Recent entry; huge China numbers |
| 10 | Inside Out 2 (2024) | ~$1.70B | Pixar's biggest film; edge of Top 10 |
Figures are best-available worldwide grosses in nominal US dollars, rounded, and can move as totals are finalized. See more top 10 lists across categories on Countly.
The film re-ranking the list: Avatar: Fire and Ash
The reason this list looks different from a year ago is Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third Avatar film. Released in December 2025, it crossed $1 billion within a few weeks and finished its run at roughly $1.49 billion worldwide by mid-2026. That's a huge number by any normal standard — but it's the lowest of the three Avatar films, and it landed below the Top 10, around 16th all-time.
What it did do is reshuffle everything just under the top tier. As Fire and Ash climbed past $1.4 billion, it leapfrogged a stack of older blockbusters in the 11-to-20 range, re-ordering the standings right beneath Inside Out 2. It never seriously threatened Titanic (~$2.26B) or its own predecessors, so the actual Top 10 stayed intact — but it was the single biggest mover reshaping the wider all-time list this year. If you're watching the leaderboard, it's the one to keep refreshing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest grossing movie of all time in 2026?
James Cameron's Avatar (2009) is still the highest grossing movie of all time, with an estimated worldwide box office of about $2.92 billion. It has held the top spot for most of the years since 2009, briefly ceding it to Avengers: Endgame before reclaiming it after a re-release.
Where does Avatar: Fire and Ash rank among the highest grossing movies?
As of mid-2026, Avatar: Fire and Ash has grossed roughly $1.49 billion worldwide. That places it around 16th all-time, just outside the Top 10. It reshuffled the standings below the top tier but fell short of its own predecessors and Titanic.
Are these box office figures adjusted for inflation?
No. These rankings use nominal (not inflation-adjusted) worldwide gross, which is the standard the industry and Box Office Mojo use for all-time lists. Adjusted for inflation, older films like Gone with the Wind would rank far higher, so treat this as a nominal-dollar leaderboard.
Which is the highest grossing non-Hollywood movie?
The Chinese animated film Ne Zha 2 (2025) is the highest grossing film produced outside Hollywood, at roughly $2.22 billion, most of it earned in China. It ranks around 5th all-time and is the only non-English-language film in the Top 10.
How often does the Top 10 box office list change?
The lower half of the Top 10 shifts fairly often as big new releases climb during their theatrical runs. The top four or five have been stable for years. Figures are also revised slightly after theatrical runs end, so always check a live source such as Box Office Mojo before citing an exact number.
Did Avatar: Fire and Ash beat Titanic?
No. At about $1.49 billion, Avatar: Fire and Ash finished well short of Titanic's roughly $2.26 billion. It is the lowest-grossing of the three Avatar films to date and did not crack the all-time Top 10.
Methodology and disclaimer: rankings use nominal (not inflation-adjusted) worldwide box-office gross in US dollars, compiled from industry trackers such as Box Office Mojo, The Numbers, and studio reporting. All figures are best-available estimates as of July 2026, rounded to avoid false precision, and they change over time as theatrical runs finish and totals are revised. The lower half of this list in particular reshuffles when major new releases climb during their runs. Verify the exact current figure against a live source before citing it.
