10 Biggest box office blockbusters in film history - Part 2

Having explored films ranked 10 through 6 (see the previous article) we now look at the top 5 highest-grossing titles worldwide. Spanning superheroes, science fiction, and animated features, these are the films that have enraptured audiences around the world to the tune of billions. Join us as we count down the 5 top-grossing films of all time!

5. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Kicking off the third Star Wars trilogy with a new generation of heroes, The Force Awakens revitalized the iconic sci-fi saga for modern audiences while also treating fans to cameo appearances from original franchise stars. Beyond paying homage to what came before, the film propelled the careers of its fresh cast—including breakthrough performances from Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, and Oscar Isaac. Their captivating new characters helped usher Star Wars into a new era while capturing the spirit of adventure, action, and mysticism that made the property an enduring global phenomenon. The Force Awakens demonstrated there were still thrilling Star Wars tales left to be told.

4. Titanic 

Titanic became the very first film in history to pass the billion-dollar milestone way back in 1997. Its sweeping romance between Kate Winslet and a fresh-faced Leonardo DiCaprio enraptured audiences worldwide. However, this was merely a preview of director James Cameron's unmatched ability to craft global box office dominance. Titanic kicked off an era of increasingly gigantic blockbusters, demonstrating movies could break every previous financial ceiling. Its nostalgia-inducing story of the ill-fated luxury liner remains as mesmerizing as ever many decades later, proving some topics never grow old when translated through Cameron's epic, emotive lens.

3. Avatar: The Way of Water

James Cameron's long-awaited sequel Avatar: The Way of Water built upon the original blockbuster's legacy with groundbreaking underwater visuals, revolutionary advances in motion capture technology, and a sense of communal moviegoing restored after the pandemic's challenges. Following the family at the heart of the first film into the seas of Pandora, Avatar 2 showed that cinema's power to transport audiences remains unparalleled when fused with Cameron's passion for innovation. With critics lauding its technical achievements and emotional storytelling alike, The Way of Water gave the worldwide public a blockbuster event worthy of the big screen return, cementing Avatar's status as one of the highest-grossing film franchises ever constructed.

2. Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Infinity War crafted one of the most epic cliffhangers in recent memory, putting immense expectations on its sequel to deliver a triumphant conclusion. Marvel more than met the challenge with Avengers: Endgame, launching an even more sprawling time-travel saga that broke box office records by selling even higher than its predecessor. While concluding over a decade of interconnected storytelling, Endgame also achieved the unthinkable by packing in more superheroes than any other ensemble before it. The film served as a colorful, emotional celebration that satisfied long-time fans while continuing Marvel's remarkable run as the most successful franchise in modern cinema.

1. Avatar

James Cameron's Avatar holds the distinguished title of being the highest-grossing film of all time, and it's easy to see why after its groundbreaking 2009 release. Audiences witnessed Pandora and its CGI wonders in complete awe, as Cameron once more raised the bar for what could be achieved cinematically. The digital realm of floating mountains and bioluminescent rainforests stunned me with a level of immersive verisimilitude never seen before. Beyond the technological marvels, Pandora also enthralled as a fully realized alien ecosystem, bringing the sense of discovery and adventure back to large-format filmgoing. After over a decade, Avatar's visual splendors still spark that age-old excitement for each new frontier that movies can reach.