Marvel's superhero saga "Avengers: Endgame" has pushed passed James Cameron's "Avatar" to become the highest-earning movie of all time. If accounting for inflation, however, "Gone with the Wind" still holds the crown.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Marvel/Walt Disney Germany
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"Avengers: Endgame" has earned $2.79 billion (€2.49 billion) since its release in April, breaking the record for the most financially successful movie of all time, Disney confirmed on Sunday.
This weekend, "Avengers: Endgame" pushed past the previous record holder, James Cameron's "Avatar", which grossed just around $2.788 billion since it was released in 2009. So far, "Avatar" remains the more profitable movie if the inflation over the last decade is taken into account.
"You have to shout-out to Mr. James Cameron, who held that title for a long time," Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said at San Diego Comic-Con this weekend.
Cameron will "probably get the title again as soon as he puts out another movie," Feige added. "But for right now ... 'Avengers: Endgame' is the biggest film of all time."
The most successful movies of all time
Two of James Cameron's works are record-breaking titles, but overall, the "Avengers" films dominate the list of the world's top 10 box-office hits.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Marvel Studios
'Avengers: Endgame' (2019)
Disney's superhero blockbuster has claimed the crown with $2.79 billion (€2.48 billion), and there is still room for growth after running for just 13 weeks.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Marvel/Walt Disney Germany
'Avatar' (2009)
The second biggest movie in terms of box office earnings is "Avatar" by director James Cameron, with total earnings of $2.79 billion. Starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver, the epic sci-fi film is set in a 22nd-century mining colony on a moon called Pandora, and portrays a conflict with the original inhabitants, the Na'vi.
Image: AP
'Titanic' (1997)
Another box office smash for Cameron, "Titanic" has raked in $2.19 billion after multiple re-releases since it premiered nearly 20 years ago. The film, which dramatized the April 1912 sinking of the British passenger liner on its maiden voyage, saw a young Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet adopt the iconic pose pictured above.
Image: AP/Paramount Pictures
'Star Wars Episode VII: the Force Awakens' (2015)
The seventh film in the Star Wars franchise made $2.07 billion at the box office following its much-hyped 2015 release. Produced and directed by J J Abrams, this was the first Star Wars movie not to involve the franchise's creator, George Lucas — the production company, Lucasfilm, was acquired by Disney in 2012.
Image: Disney/Lucasfilm
'Avengers: Infinity War' (2018)
Gargantuan ambitions, and dizzying results: In 2018, the "Avengers" cast ensemble reunited for success. The Marvel Comics superhero team not only prevented the destruction of the universe, but the film also grossed $2.05 billion at the box office worldwide.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Marvel Studios
'Jurassic World' (2015)
Another hit from 2015, the long-awaited sequel to Steven Spielberg's 1993 hit "Jurassic Park" earned nearly $1.7 billion worldwide. The following sequel, "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom," released in 2018, grossed over $1.3 billion internationally — but didn't make it into the top 10.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo/C. Zlotnick
'Marvel's The Avengers' (2012)
Uniting Marvel comics' biggest names — from Captain America to the Hulk (above) — proved to be a successful recipe, as four "Avengers" films have since found their place in the top 10. The eclectic ensemble went down well with cinema audiences, who shelled out more than $1.5 billion to see the movie.
Image: picture-alliance/Everett Collection/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
'Furious 7' (2015)
The seventh installment in the "Fast and the Furious" franchise made $1.52 billion in cinemas — again following a 2015 release. After actor Paul Walker (left) died in a car crash, his brothers stood in for him on set so that filming could be completed.
Image: picture-alliance/Universal Pictures
'Avengers: Age of Ultron' (2015)
The 2015 "Avengers" sequel revealed more about the dark past of the Black Widow, portrayed by Scarlett Johansson (picture). She reunited with Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk and the rest of the Marvel Comics crew to once again save the world. The eye-popping epic made $1.4 billion at the box office.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/Jay Maidment/Marvel
'Black Panther' (2018)
Another title in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is the highest-grossing film franchise of all time, "Black Panther" earned $1.35 billion at the box office. The film was praised for its cultural significance: The narrative centering on black superheros was compared by some writers to key events in history, such as Barack Obama's election as US president.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Marvel Studios
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Cameron vs. Disney
The Oscar-winning US director currently holds the second and the third place on the all-time earners' list. His historic 1997 romance "Titanic" earned $2,187 billion, according to the list provided by Box Office Mojo.
Fourth place belongs to the 2015 entry to the Star Wars saga, "The Force Awakens" with $2.068 billion, and the fifth to another Marvel contender, "Avengers: Infinity War" with $2.048 billion. Both franchises are owned by Disney.
'Gone with the Wind' is here to stay
Marvel has three more contenders in the top ten list, including the 2012 "The Avengers" on number seven, "Avengers: Age of Ultron" on nine, and "Black Panther" as the tenth top-grossing movie of all time.
Despite the earth-shattering profitability of modern blockbusters, none of these movies come close to the financial success of the 1939 film "Gone with the Wind." The epic romance starring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh made around $402 million worldwide, which puts it 285th place on the highest-grossing list in absolute terms.
When adjusting for inflation, however, the Hollywood classic made the equivalent of $3.44 billion in 2018 money.
