Traditional fantasy movies have struggled to out-perform some of fantasy’s biggest subgenres at the box office, butthe highest-grossing straightforward fantasy movies of all time are still high up on the overall list.Thehighest-grossing movies of all timeusually earn this status through a combination of cultural spectacle and event as well as storytelling that is actually good. However, these days all kinds of movies are struggling at the box office due to the expectation that they will be available to stream soon enough.
All box office information contained in this list is according toboxofficemojo.com.
Disney has so many upcoming live-action remakesbecause these movies have actually been doing very well at the box office, despite mixed critical reviews. In fact, given the studio’s typical genre focus, several ofDisney’s highest-grossing movies everaccount for the majority of the highest-grossing fantasy movies.Today’s pop culture is dominated by franchises with some elements of fantasy,namelyStar Warsand superheroes, making for an interesting debate about what it takes for more typical fantasy movies to succeed.
10Alice In Wonderland (2010)
Domestic Gross: $334.2 Million | Worldwide Total: $1.03 Billion
Alice in Wonderlandcame out at a time when live-action reimaginings of classic Disney movies were still a novelty and deviated more from the original animated movie. It’s a decent fantasy adventure, bringing to life satisfying visual interpretations of this classic literary world.Alice returning to Wonderland as a skeptical adult is a good twist;so is her having to battle the famously mysterious beast known as the Jabberwocky. The references to the original source material in this movie are also clever.
Alice in Wonderland
Cast
Alice in Wonderland is a 2010 fantasy adventure film directed by Tim Burton. It stars Mia Wasikowska as Alice, who returns to the magical world of Wonderland to confront the tyrannical Red Queen, played by Helena Bonham Carter. The film features Johnny Depp as the eccentric Mad Hatter and Anne Hathaway as the benevolent White Queen. This reimagining of Lewis Carroll’s classic tale combines live-action and CGI elements.
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However,Alice in Wonderlandlikely reached the status of one of Disney’s highest earners because of the names attached to it.Director Tim Burton’s usual style meshes fabulously with the trappings of Wonderland,while all of his most famous regular collaborators came along for the ride.Alice in Wonderlandis afantasy movie that is almost perfectand had a lot of marketability, making it a success in its time, even if the story problems caught up with it in the sequel.
9Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
Domestic Gross: $241 Million | Worldwide Total: $1.05 Billion
While the franchise has been in decline for years,Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tidesis still not the worstPirates of the Caribbeanmovie. It was released as a strange crossroads for the franchise which allowed it some success. While the first movie achieved critical acclaim, the next two were the big earners.The story ofPirates of the Caribbean: At World’s Endis very bloated, butOn Stranger Tidesoffered a fresh premise with a new set of characters,sparking hope thatPirates of the Caribbeancould return to its old heights.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is the fourth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. When Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) finds himself on the hunt for the fabled Fountain of Youth, he runs afoul of his old rival Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) and the feared pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane). Accompanied by the mysterious Angelica (Penelope Cruz), Sparrow races his competition to the fountain in the hopes of claiming the Fountain for himself.
Part of that cast was the exciting new characters played by Penélope Cruz and Ian McShane,the legendary pirate Blackbeard and his vicious daughter. This was enough to get people to come to the movies for anotherPirates of the Caribbeanbox office hit. The following movie got even worse reviews and made less money, also coming out at a time when streaming was slowly beginning to overshadow the traditional movie theater experience.
8Aladdin (2019)
Domestic Gross: $355.6 Million | Worldwide Total: $1.05 Billion
Aladdindid surprisingly well at the box office, despite being one of Disney’s live-action remakes that suffers the most from the uncanny valley problem.Will Smith playing Genie was definitely a huge draw for audiences,one that paid off, as his performance is arguably the best part of the movie. Additionally, while the original animated version is considered one of Disney’s best animated movies, its story exhibits some cultural stereotypes, providing a real reason to make a better version of it.
Aladdin
Guy Ritchie directs the 2019 reimagining of the Walt Disney animated classic, Aladdin. This live-action variation stars Will Smith, Mena Massoud, and Naomi Scott. Although it features a slight variation on the original story and musical numbers, it’s still rather true to the source material.
In addition to this, the newAladdinpromised an expanded role for Jasmine and all the amazing songs from the original like “Friend Like Me” and “A Whole New World.” Overall,Aladdincame across as what would be a very fun, visually and musically spectacular blockbuster.Like most of Disney’s live-action remakes, there was enough nostalgia to go around and bring it to the one billion dollar mark. They also waited until a month afterAvengers: Endgamefor the release, still risking some competition, but not being impossibly overshadowed.
Domestic Gross: $423.3 Million | Worldwide Total: $1.07 Billion
Despite the objective financial success of the next two movies,Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chestremains the franchise’s biggest earner, and it is easy to see why.Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearlwas a smash hit,featuring some of the biggest stars of the day; the main cast signed on for two sequels immediately afterward. This organically set up an ongoing franchise about Captain Jack and co.’s swashbuckling adventures, running across various supernatural beings.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest is the second installment in the swashbuckling franchise directed by Gore Verbinski. Johnny Depp returns as Captain Jack Sparrow, who must settle a blood debt with the legendary Davy Jones, portrayed by Bill Nighy. As Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) are drawn into Jack’s perilous quest, they face new dangers on the high seas and encounter the fearsome Kraken.
When the marketing forDead Man’s Chestbegan,everyone got their first good look at the amazing CGI creation of Davy Jones' character.This even more terrifying villain, another great twist on classic seafaring lore, made the sequel even more exciting. With other noteworthy actors like Stellan Skarsgård and the marketing teasing new crazy swordfights and monsters,Dead Man’s Chesthad everything the patientPirates of the Caribbeanfans could hope for.
6The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (2003)
Domestic Gross: $382 Million | Worldwide Total: $1.14 Billion
The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The Kingis another movie where pretty much everyone can understand why it was a massive box office hit.The conclusion to Peter Jackson’sLord of the Ringstrilogy, by its very nature, had a lot of hype surrounding itas the last movie. These movies had proven to be game-changing for the fantasy genre as well as critically acclaimed, fueling a lot of emotions about its ending. WhenReturn of the Kingarrived in theaters, its reception surpassed everyone’s expectations.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The final installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King concludes the epic saga of the Fellowship’s quest to destroy the One Ring and put an end to Sauron’s reign of terror. As Frodo and Sam continue on their way to Mordor and Mount Doom, accompanied by Gollom, the rest of the Fellowship work to defend Minas Tirith from Sauron’s forces. The film’s ensemble cast includes Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Ian McKellen, Vigo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, and Dominic Monaghan.
The last movie brought with it everything that had made the first two good: stunning world-building and action, special effects ahead of their time, great performances, and everything in between.Return of the Kingwent on to be the third Best Picture nominee for the franchiseand the first movie to win the award. The once-in-a-generation fantasy phenomenon came to an end with huge profits for everyone involved and by setting the bar for fantasy movies that hope to also achieve critical acclaim.
5Beauty And The Beast (2017)
Domestic Gross: $504.5 Million | Worldwide Total: $1.27 Billion
Beauty and the Beastis one of Disney’s live-action remakes that had the most hype surrounding itleading up to the movie’s release, likely due to the original animated movie’s status in cinematic history as the first animated movie ever to be nominated for Best Picture. It had a certain novelty about it, as it would be the first live-action remake to be a strict musical adaptation.Beauty and the Beast also has a mysterious gothic aesthetic that served it well with its early marketing, drawing people in from the beginning.
Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast is a 2017 live-action adaptation of Disney’s classic animated film. It tells the story of a cursed prince, transformed into a beast, who must earn the love of a beautiful young woman to break the spell. The film blends romance, fantasy, and music in a timeless narrative.
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The entire cast was filled out with famous names, butEmma Watson was definitely the star that got the movie the most attention.Her first true blockbuster since the end of theHarry Potterfranchise, fans were eager to see her back in the fantasy genre.Beauty and the Beastheralded a new era of Disney live-action remakes specifically concerning the Disney Renaissance movies which saw a huge turnout at the beginning.
4Frozen (2013)
Domestic Gross: $401 Million | Worldwide Total: $1.3 Billion
Frozen’s early marketing strategy has been analyzed and determined to have launched the movie forward.The early teasers focused on slapstick bits with Olaf the Snowman and Sven the Reindeer,emphasizing that the movie held comedic appeal beyond the expected target demographic for Disney Princess movies of young girls (viaForbes). However, word of mouth was a huge help toFrozenwhen it did hit theaters. Everyone was talking about the “new age"Disney princesses, while “Let It Go” played on repeat on many radio stations.
Frozen
Frozen, released in 2013, follows young princess Anna of Arendelle on a perilous quest to halt an eternal winter cast by her sister, Elsa. Joined by Kristoff, his reindeer Sven, and snowman Olaf, Anna navigates themes of friendship, courage, family, and love in her journey.
Frozenis a great movie that went on to win the Golden Globe and Oscar that year,the perfect finish to it being a true pop culture phenomenon. It also made a lot of money because its popularity meant it was in theaters longer, lasting from its late November release until early spring 2014. Most people will realize thatFrozen’s reception is something unique in movie history, making Disney even more money through merchandising tie-ins.
3Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
Domestic Gross: $381.4 Million | Worldwide Total: $1.34 Billion
The simple fact of the finalHarry Pottermovie did all the advertising work for the PR team. Like withLord of the Rings,Harry Potterwas a once-in-a-lifetime event that majorly benefited from the anticipation of the last movie.Harry Potteraccomplished an impressive feat by keeping most of its cast through all eight movies; in the case of the young actors, audiences watched them grow up throughout the franchise. It was a cultural phenomenon thatHBO’sHarry PotterTV show remakewill struggle to live up to.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 concludes the epic saga with Harry, Ron, and Hermione embarking on a perilous mission to defeat Voldemort. As their journey grows increasingly dire, Harry encounters three magical items that provide him powers to confront the dark wizard’s formidable strength.
Those who read the books had specific action sequences to look forward to, like the Gringotts break-in and the Battle of Hogwarts; the story stakes, in general, were higher than ever. Several of the posters for the final movie didn’t even feature its title, thrilling expectant fans with the simple finality of Harry’s image.The belovedHarry Potterfranchise came to an epic conclusion,also staying in theaters much longer than usual.
2The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
Domestic Gross: $575 Million | Worldwide Total: $1.36 Billion
The Super Mario Bros. Movie, somewhat surprisingly, is one of thebest animated movies of 2023. It never stood a chance as far as the award shows are concerned, competing with bothThe Boy and the HeronandSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.Of these three movies,The Super Mario Bros. Moviehas the most family appeal,being more light-hearted than the other two. However, it still timed its release so as not to coincide with the competition.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is an animated adventure film featuring Brooklyn plumbers Mario and Luigi. Released in 2023, the movie follows the brothers as they are transported to a magical world through a mysterious pipe, leading Mario on a quest to rescue Luigi after they become separated.
The impressive cast includes all of today’s biggest stars, with even some unexpected casting choices (people might not have guessed that Anya Taylor-Joy and Keegan-Michael Key would make an excellent Princess Peach and Toad, respectively). It also possibly benefited from comparisons to the notoriously bad live-action 1993Super Mario Bros. Movie. Overall,The Super Mario Bros. Movieis a product of the IP age of movies, but pure fun with great humorthat carried it to success and guaranteedThe Super Mario Bros. Movie 2.
1Frozen II (2019)
Domestic Gross: $477.4 Million | Worldwide Total: $1.45 Billion
Frozen IIreaped the benefits of its predecessor’s cultural status, surpassing it at the box office (possibly just because of inflation). The circumstances forFrozen IIwere different from those for other Disney Princess movie sequels.Disney Princess sequels have traditionally not been well-reviewed or liked as much as the first movie,and the last one to come out beforeFrozen IIwas in the early 2000s.Frozenhad reached the heights where it was possible to make a franchise of it, and Disney jumped at this chance with great results.
Frozen II
The sequel to Disney’s smash hit musical animated film, Frozen II sees the return of Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf as they embark on a new journey to save the kingdom of Arendelle. When Elsa and Anna learn about a betrayal that occurred between their nation and a local tribe in the Enchanted Forest, they discover they must seek the truth about their parents and the origin of Elsa’s powers to stop the rampaging spirits and the takeover of their home.
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Frozen IIdoes not try to outdo its predecessor(something virtually impossible) but explores natural new storylines for the characters. The goodwill for the original movie guaranteed its box office performance and set the stage forMoana 2. It also set Disney up to start planningFrozen 3and4, which many people are skeptical will be joining the highest-grossing fantasy movies of all time.
