The theaters saw a massive uptick in 2023, with Barbie and Oppenheimer taking over the box office. While 2024 might not have had a similar battle, it did provide fruitful for many studios, including Disney. With over 649 movies hitting theaters, we share the top 10 highest-grossing films of 2024.
In 2022, the box office saw a post-COVID surge, hitting over $7 billion, which grew to almost $9 billion in 2023. In 2024, the box office dipped by 3.9% but hit over $8.5 billion, the second-highest post-COVID number. We didn't have the big battle like we did a year ago with Barbie and Oppenheimer, but we did have a film reach the top 10 Worldwide Box Office All-time. Disney, Warner Bros, and Universal Pictures had multiple films in the top ten, with Sony taking one.
Top 10 Highest Grossing Movies of 2024
10. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice ($451, 100, 435)
Over 36 years after the original's release, Beetlejuice returned. The sequel brought back Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder, while newcomer Jenna Ortega entered the fray as Ryder's daughter. Critics and Audiences loved the film, rating it 76%/79% on Rotten Tomatoes.
9. Venom: The Last Dance
Looking at the Worldwide box office is the only reason anyone outside of Disney, Warner Bros, and Universal Pictures hits the top 10. Sony delivers with the third installment in the Venom franchise Venom: The Last Dance. While critics didn't love it (41%), audiences (80%) enjoyed Tom Hardy's last time suiting up as Venom.
8. Kung Fu Panda 4 ($547,689,492)
7. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire ($571,750,016)
6. Wicked ($654,775,945)
Universal Pictures defied gravity by delivering the popular Broadway play with precision on the big screen. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande teamed up to bring this story to life, and it has been lauded as one of the best movies of 2024. The two stars are expected to be front and center at the Academy Awards, and audiences and critics agreed, rating this 88%/95%.
5. Dune: Part Two ($714,444,358)
The first Dune was released amid COVID-19 and didn't grab as much at the box office as they originally had hoped. However, the sequel was delivered early in 2024, reaching over $700 million while staying among the top 10, although it was released in March. The movie was far superior and landed at the top spot of my top ten movies of 2024.
4. Moana 2 ($913,455,483)
3. Despicable Me 4 ($969,126,452)
2. Deadpool & Wolverine ($1,338,073,645
The first of two movies that hit the billion-dollar mark in 2024 is the highly anticipated third installment of the Deadpool franchise that saw the return of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in Deadpool & Wolverine. Everyone expected this movie to do big numbers, but they shocked the world by delivering over a billion dollars. Audiences LOVED the film as it hit 94% on Rotten Tomatoes with over 25,000 verified reviews.
1. Inside Out 2 ($1,698,772,985)
Nine of the top ten movies were already established properties, with the tenth (Wicked) being an established property. Nine years after the original hit theaters, Inside Out 2 took over the box office this summer. The first installment made over $850 million, but the sequel broke records, leading to $1.6 billion and landing in the top 10 all-time worldwide box office. Disney/Pixar was pleased with this, which landed them three out of the top four spots.