Being a member of the highly exclusive club of movies that have grossed over $1 billion US dollars at the box office — so far, only 55 hyper-successful blockbusters — is one of the most coveted achievements in the film industry. The success of many of these financial juggernauts hardly causes any surprise. After all, who wouldn’t expect an Avengers film or a Star Wars legacy sequel to do marvelously at the box office?
Sometimes, though, movies that one might not expect to do phenomenally well end up joining the billion-dollar club. From more low-key comic book R-rated dramas like Joker to fully original animated movies like Zootopia, these are films that prove just how delightfully unpredictable the film industry can be. When done with enough passion and a strong enough hook, any film can be a financial winner, and these breakout hits prove it. Indeed, these are the most surprising billion-dollar movies ever, whether because of their decidedly darker tones or lack of name recognition.
10 ‘The Lion King’ (2019)
Directed by Jon Favreau
Disney’s 1994 animated masterpiece The Lion King is remembered by many as the single greatest entry in the House of Mouse’s filmography. As such, there was a lot on Jon Favreau‘s plate when he took charge of a photorealistic remake of the film. Like the 1994 original, the remake is about a young lion prince who, after the murder of his father, has to flee to learn the meaning of responsibility and bravery before retaking his kingdom.
There was already a precedent for Disney’s live-action remakes to earn a lot of money at the box office. Still, The Lion King was so surprising because not only did it overcome poor critical and audience reception, but it also made close to $2 billion, making it the 10th highest-grossing film of all time. The Lion King is way ahead of the next highest-grossing live-action Disney remake, 2017’s The Beauty and the Beast, which is only the 24th highest-grossing film of all time. Whether it was nostalgia or the desire to experience such a rewarding story on the big screen, The Lion King roared louder than any other Disney live-action remake.
9 ‘Aquaman’ (2018)
Directed by James Wan
The DCEU’s third standalone film fell into the lap of famous horror director James Wan. Aquaman is a globetrotting adventure where the human-born heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis goes on a quest to prevent an all-out war between land and sea. Simple but fun, with a nice visual style and a great redemption for a superhero that had for too long been the laughingstock of the fandom, Aquamana is a fantastic adaptation of the King of Atlantis.
Batman v Superman, the coming-together of three of the most legendary characters in the history of American media, couldn’t do it. Justice League, the film about the most iconic superhero lineup there is, couldn’t do it. Instead, it was Aquaman that became the first and, as it turns out, the only DCEU movie to gross over a billion dollars at the box office. It’s a commendable achievement but also a puzzling one, considering the titular hero’s lack of popularity. International audiences were largely responsible for its success, with only 30% of the worldwide total coming from the domestic box office.
8 ‘Zootopia’ (2016)
Directed by Byron Howard and Rich Moore
It’s usually sequels, remakes, and other big IP properties that end up beyond the $1 billion line. As such, it’s both a thrill and a shock that Zootopia did as well as it did. After all, it’s a fully original detective story where, in a city of anthropomorphic animals, a rookie bunny cop and a cynical con artist fox must work together to uncover a city-wide conspiracy.
With striking animation, compelling characters, a story brimming with freshness and creativity, and surprisingly timing and provocative themes of class and race, Zootopia is one of the 2010s’ most rewatchable animated films. It was these outstanding qualities that gave it the push it needed to become one of Disney’s highest-grossing films of all time. Moreover, Zootopia came at a time when it seemed Disney could do no wrong; in fact, all four billion-dollar movies of 2016 came from the Mouse House.
7 ‘Alice in Wonderland’ (2010)
Directed by Tim Burton
One of the highest-grossing filmmakers in history, Tim Burton has always been a box office magnet. His most financially successful film is, unfortunately, not among his best, but its achievement should nevertheless not go without celebration. It’s Alice in Wonderland, arguably the movie that kicked off Disney’s live-action remake craze. It’s also technically a sequel, showing 19-year-old Alice returning to Wonderland to reunite with her old friends and end the Red Queen’s reign of terror.
The film lacks heart and a coherent script but makes up for its problems with jaw-dropping visuals, an enveloping tone, and an epic scope that no one would have expected from an Alice in Wonderland film. Neither critics nor audiences fell in love with Burton’s vision of Lewis Carroll‘s story, but they were definitely intrigued by what the Gothic director had to offer. Indeed, all of Alice in Wonderland‘s success can be attributed to the then-innovative 3D animation, which everyone was on a high from following the overwhelming success of James Cameron‘s Avatar, another shocking box office success.
6 ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest’ (2006)
Directed by Gore Verbinski
Only the 3rd-ever movie ever to cross the $1 billion mark — as well as Disney’s first film to do so — Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest is the criminally underrated sequel to Curse of the Black Pearl. It’s an adventure epic where Jack Sparrow races to retrieve the heart of Davy Jones to prevent his soul from being enslaved to his service, but other friends and foes seek the heart for their desperate agendas, too.
With an awesome epic tone, a 2-and-a-half-hour runtime packed with exhilarating action scenes, and some of the most incredible CGI Hollywood has ever seen, Dead Man’s Chest is pure swashbuckling entertainment. Its predecessor did well enough, but it must have been quite shocking for a movie based on a theme park attraction to be the 3rd billion-dollar-grossing film ever. Hopes were high, considering Black Pearl became something of a sensation in the three years between the movies. However, Dead Man’s Chest surpassed every expectation by offering dazzling visuals and a good, old-fashioned adventure that lent itself to multiple rewatches.
5 ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ (2023)
Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic
The world of video games is incredibly vast and diverse. There are plenty of titles that one could bring up when talking about the most iconic video game characters, but there’s something that’s hardly up for debate: Mario is number one. As such, it was hardly a surprise when an animated film based on the property came out in 2023. The Super Mario Bros. Movie sees a plumber traveling through an underground labyrinth to defeat the evil Bowser and rescue his captured brother.
One of the most popular video game movies of all time, The Super Mario Bros. Movie was always guaranteed to do well at the box office. However, with its poor critical reception and the name of Illumination (one of the most controversial animation studios in Hollywood) attached to it, it would have been hard to predict that it would cross the billion-dollar mark. Audiences responded well to the film’s safe and welcoming approach, though, and the film is now officially getting a sequel. Whether it’ll also join the coveted billion-dollar club remains to be seen.
4 ‘Barbie’ (2023)
Directed by Greta Gerwig
Though her directing career was off to a somewhat rocky start with the not-super-successful Nights and Weekends, Greta Gerwig immediately proved with her outstanding sophomore film, Lady Bird, that she had something special. Her latest work is Barbie, where the titular character, along with the Kens and the other Barbies, is having the time of her life in the seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. When she’s forced to travel to the real world, though, she soon discovers the dangers and joys of living among humans.
A movie based on a toy with vocal feminist themes and overtones becoming its year’s highest-grossing movie at nearly USD 1.5 million worldwide? It was nothing if not a surprise. Barbie became a revolutionary pop culture phenomenon, sparking interesting conversations and trends that still haven’t died off — and aren’t likely to do so anytime soon. It may not be a fully original IP, but when filmmakers bring this much originality and freshness to Hollywood, it’s always good to see their work do so well at the box office.
3 ‘Joker’ (2019)
Directed by Todd Phillips
Forget about Caped Crusaders or a hyper-stylized Gotham: Joker proves that fans can be perfectly satisfied by a very non-traditional superhero film. It’s about Arthur Fleck, a party clown and failed stand-up comedian who leads an impoverished life with his ill mother. When society casts him out and brands him as a freak, he decides to embrace a life of crime on the streets of Gotham City.
The fact is that
Joker
became a cultural phenomenon the likes of which the genre hadn’t seen in quite some time.
No one would argue against the statement that Joker is Batman’s scariest villain. Funnily enough, rarely has that been truer than in Joker, which does away with the Batman element entirely. It’s the anti-superhero movie, a grounded drama disguised as a comic book film. Not everyone liked its simplistic script or Todd Phillips‘s on-the-nose directing, but the fact is that Joker became a cultural phenomenon the likes of which the genre hadn’t seen in quite some time. An R-rated movie based on a comic-book supervillain to gross over a billion was practically unheard of, making Joker one of the most impressive successes of the 2010s.
2 ‘Captain Marvel’ (2019)
Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
How did Marvel Studios get audiences warmed up for the colossal phenomenon that was Avengers: Endgame? Well, with Captain Marvel, of course. With an awesome ’90s atmosphere, it stars Oscar-winner Brie Larson as Carol Danvers, a pilot who becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of an intergalactic war between two alien races.
Considering that Captain Marvel is entirely a standalone movie with no other big-name appearances other than a CGI-d young Nick Fury and that it was one of the most poorly-received entries in the franchise by fans, it’s frankly quite shocking that it’s among the MCU’s biggest financial successes. Its success is largely due to being a direct prelude to Endgame, but it’s also a testament to how audiences are clearly more ready for female-led superhero movies than the MCU is apparently willing to admit.
1 ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ (2022)
Directed by Joseph Kosinski
One of the most unexpected legacy sequels ever made also happens to be, not coincidentally, the biggest box office surprise of the 2020s thus far: Top Gun: Maverick, of course. Set thirty years after the events of the first movie, it finds an aging Maverick returning to the Top Gun program to train a group of young pilots — among them, the son of his deceased best friend, Goose.
The 2020s have had several box office flops, and anyone might have expected Maverick to join their ranks. What no one expected, certainly, was for it to make nearly $1.5 billion worldwide. Brilliantly written, with direction full of personality and some of the most exhilarating action scenes the genre has seen in years, it’s proof that legacy sequels can be terrific when done right. Thus, one of the 1980s’ most middle-of-the-road action cult classics spawned one of the 21st century’s greatest action films yet, and audiences around the world clearly showed up for it. Maverick captured the zeitgeist and reminded audiences how much of an event going to the movies can be, reaping the results with glee.
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