10 Highest-Grossing DreamWorks Movies, Ranked

DreamWorks Animation is one of the most successful animation studios in the world. Co-founded in 1994 by Hollywood heavyweights Jeffrey Katzenberg, Stephen Spielberg, and David Geffen, it has produced films that have created well-crafted stories, memorable characters, and brands so well known they rival the likes of Disney. Like any other good studio, their movies have not always succeeded, both with critics or at the box office, but when they’ve hit their mark, they’ve produced films that redefined what people expect from animated movies.

Many of their franchises, such as Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, and How to Train Your Dragon have won numerous awards and broken box office history, as websites such as Box Office Mojo and The Numbers have reported. As a result of the hard work the people behind these movies have put into them, DreamWorks has made some of the most financially successful and influential animated films of all time.

10 ‘Madagascar’ (2005)

Box Office: $556,559,566

While not immediately popular with critics, Madagascar kicked off one of DreamWorks’ biggest franchises. Beginning in the Central Park Zoo in NYC, Marty the Zebra (Chris Rock) dreams of escaping and exploring the wild. One night, he does so, unwittingly dragging his best friends – Alex the lion (Ben Stiller), Gloria the hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith), and Melman the Giraffe (David Schwimmer) – along for the ride. Eventually, they wind up on the shores of Madagascar, home to a tribe of party-loving lemurs.

Madagascar is not a groundbreaking film by any means, but it still has a fun story, a unique design palate, and a great soundtrack. Out of the entire series, it had the smallest budget ($75 million), the weakest reviews (with only 55% on Rotten Tomatoes), and the lowest gross with $556 million. Still, this wild adventure set the stage for everything that was to come, establishing the comedic tone, the fun leads, and, of course, the penguins who were popular enough to get their own film and TV series.

9 ‘The Croods’ (2013)

Box Office: $573,068,425

The Croods is set in a wild, chaotic, prehistoric world, focusing on the titular family of cavemen. Led by patriarch Grug (Nicolas Cage), they spend their days scavenging for food and their nights hiding in a cave, much to the dismay of teenage daughter Eep (Emma Stone). But when the surrounding earth begins to change, the family must journey through a new, colorful world, led by a more modern-thinking man named Guy (Ryan Reynolds).

The Croods, the first film in the period where DreamWorks’ films were distributed by 20th Century Fox, can be seen as their answer to Ice Age, even launching a franchise that included a sequel and a Netflix show. While not grossing as much as other animated films released that year, such as Despicable Me 2 or Frozen, this caveman comedy still grossed $573 million against a budget estimated between $135-175 million. The Croods lacks a completely original story, but more than makes up for it with likable leads, creative visuals, and a good heaping of heart.

8 ‘Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa’ (2008)

Box Office: $599,680, 774

As Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa begins, the zoo crew has reconfigured a crashed plane to fly back to New York – only for it to crash in the middle of an African Savannah. After making their way to a nature reserve, the crew discovers that this part of the landscape is home to Alex’s lost family, a tribe of zebras exactly like Marty’s, a hunk of hippo that catches Gloria’s eye, and a group of giraffes that see Melman’s medical knowledge and make him a doctor. The four quickly take to their new positions – only to find this place isn’t quite as perfect as they initially thought.

Escape 2 Africa was a hit with both critics, with the likes of Roger Ebert deeming it better than the first, and at the worldwide box office, earning around $600 million against a $150 million budget. With the increase in said budget comes more fluid animation, a more engaging story, and an even stronger soundtrack.

7 ‘How to Train Your Dragon 2’ (2014)

Box Office: $614,586,270

Five years after the first film, dragons have become fully integrated into the lives of the village of Berk. Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and Toothless (Randy Thom) have begun exploring the outskirts of their home, seeking out new lands and new dragons. One day, they discover a whole nest full of these fire-breathing creatures, protected by a gigantic alpha dragon called a Bewilderbeast, and by Hiccup’s long-lost mother, Valka (Cate Blanchett). But this nest is in danger of being conquered by a psychotic warlord named Drago Bludvist (Djimon Hounsou), whose wrath will bring disastrous consequences.

While not as financially successful as Disney’s big release of the year, Big Hero 6, How to Train Your Dragon 2 still did well enough that it managed to earn around 5.5 times its budget back. An epic continuation of an already epic story, it did what any great sequel should do and took everything the first film established and built on it in new and exciting ways, with a new family connection to Hiccup and improving on the first film with regard to its villain.

6 ‘Kung Fu Panda’ (2008)

Box Office: $631,910,531

In an animal-populated version of ancient China, the most renowned kung fu masters are the Furious Five, who dedicate their lives to protecting the Valley of Peace and ensuring the art of kung fu lives on. And nobody in the valley is a bigger kung fu nerd than Po (Jack Black), a clumsy panda who spends his days working at his father’s noodle shop. But one fateful day, Po winds up becoming chosen to be the greatest kung fu warrior of all – the dragon warrior.

Following marketing that portrayed the film as somewhat juvenile, Kung Fu Panda took critics and audiences by surprise. Despite its silly title and premise, it delivered a surprisingly mature story about self-worth that took inspiration from real-life martial arts philosophies. It was the highest-grossing animated film of 2008 and became so popular among Chinese audiences that it earned the distinction of being the first animated film in history to gross over 100 million yuan, as The Daily Telegraph reported.

5 ‘Kung Fu Panda 2’ (2011)

Box Office: $664,837,547

Having become the most beloved warrior in the Valley, Po is informed by his master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) that a mysterious, power-hungry peacock named Lord Shen (Gary Oldman) is developing a weapon in Gongmen City that could destroy kung fu forever. Po and the Furious Five promptly head to the city, while Po begins to uncover suppressed memories of his childhood – and realizes that this new villain has more to do with his past than he thought.

Kung Fu Panda was already a hit with audiences and critics, but Kung Fu Panda 2 is regarded as one of the best animated sequels ever made. This acclaimed follow-up also held the record for being the highest-grossing film directed solely by a woman until the release of Wonder Woman in 2017, as Entertainment Weekly reported. Taking the first film’s well-set foundation, it goes even further with its mature themes, with impressive animated action, an engagingly threatening villain, and going deeper with Po having much more darkness inside him than his goofy exterior would suggest.

4 ‘Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted’ (2012)

Box Office: $746,921,271

The third and final film in the Madagascar trilogy, Europe’s Most Wanted takes the zoo crew from Africa to various locations around Europe. Still trying to get back to New York, they run afoul of European animal control, and end up hitchhiking on the train of a run-down circus. Keeping the true reason for their journey hidden from the other circus animals, they decide to help update their act to earn enough to bring it to the States. But they soon start to realize they might have more freedom here than they do back home.

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted is both the most critically popular and financially successful of the Madagascar films, with 78% on Rotten Tomatoes and earning $747 million against a $145 million budget. In a franchise that truly gets better with every installment, Europe’s Most Wanted brings the gang together for one last party that ends with a deeply heartfelt realization of how much they’ve grown since they escaped the zoo in the first film.

3 ‘Shrek Forever After’ (2010)

Box Office: $756,244,673

Shrek (Mike Myers) has become tired of being seen as a cute, loveable hero, and has begun to resent his domesticated family life. Seeking to live just one day when he can be a real ogre again, he strikes a deal with Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn) to give up one day of his life for it – only to find himself in a timeline where he was never born. With only Shrek and Rumpelstiltskin retaining their memories, the former must gain his allies’ trust and see if he can get Fiona (Cameron Diaz), now the leader of a band of ogre rebels, to fall in love with him again in just one day.

While it has its flaws, Shrek Forever After served as a sincere and fitting conclusion to the series, putting the Shrek franchise to rest for over a decade. This heartwarming finale managed to make more than seven times its budget back, and with a fifth Shrek film on the way, it’s unlikely Shrek fever is going to go away anytime soon.

2 ‘Shrek The Third’ (2007)

Box Office: $807,330,936

While often considered the weakest entry in the Shrek franchise by critics and fans, Shrek The Third still grossed more than most of the other films in the series. Shrek and Fiona are filing in for the royal duties of Far Far Away, although Shrek quickly realizes he’s not cut out to be a king. After King Harold (John Cleese) croaks, Shrek, Donkey (Eddie Murphy), and Puss (Antonio Banderas) journey to find the last heir in line for the throne – only to leave the kingdom open to takeover from an army of fairy tale villains led by a vengeful Prince Charming (Rupert Everett).

Shrek The Third’s financial success can be attributed thanks to the leftover goodwill from Shrek 2, as the mid-2000s was when the brand was at its strongest. This divisive sequel has not become as much of a cult favorite as the rest of the series, only earning 42% on Rotten Tomatoes, but it was still a box office smash, earning $807 million against a $160 million budget. It’s certainly not perfect, but it has its place in the Shrek canon.

1 ‘Shrek 2’ (2004)

Box Office: $935,454,538

Immediately following the events of the first film, Shrek and Fiona have come back to the swamp following their honeymoon. As soon as they return, they are immediately summoned to the kingdom of Far Far Away to get the blessing of Fiona’s parents – who are shocked to discover Fiona has permanently changed into an Ogre and married one. While acting out a fairy tale version of Meet the Parents, Shrek winds up uncovering a plot by an evil Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders) to destroy his marriage and take over the kingdom.

While the first Shrek was already a cultural phenomenon, to say Shrek 2 was a hit would be a colossal understatement. This beloved sequel made more money than any movie released in 2004, and it held the title of the highest-grossing animated film of all time – until 2010, when it was dethroned by Toy Story 3. Regardless, it continues to hold the title of DreamWorks’ highest-grossing movie and would redefine what a DreamWorks movie could and should be.

NEXT: DreamWorks Movies That Are Perfect From Start to Finish