Last year, Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos claimed that Beauty and the Beast “may be the last billion-dollar movie ever.” Yeah, about that. Since his comments, six more films have crossed the billion-dollar milestone: Despicable Me 3, The Fate of the Furious, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Avengers: Infinity War, Black Panther, and as of this Thursday, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
The sequel, costing $170 million to make before marketing, finished the day with a domestic total of $304.8 million and $700.7 million overseas, including a mighty $245.2 million in China, where it is the No. 5 Western title of all time… Universal is the only studio outside of Disney to have at least two titles in three separate franchises clear $1 billion, not adjusted for inflation. The other two franchises are Fast and Furious and Despicable Me. (Via)
People freaking love minions, fast cars, and dinosaurs, in that order. Anyway, there are now 35 movies in the billion dollar club, which, despite it happening three times this year, is still a somewhat rare occurrence. (Crowd-pleasing mega-hits like Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Finding Nemo “only” peaked around $900 million.) But out of curiosity, I looked to see how many of the billion-dollar-grossers have come out since 2010. Unsurprisingly, a lot!
Of the 35, 28 came out in the 2010s, including the third highest-grossing film ever (Star Wars: The Force Awakens). But the number one and two slots still belong to 2009’s Avatar, with $2.7 billion, and 1997’s Titanic, with $2.1 billion. The MCU and Star Wars ain’t got nothing on James Cameron. There’s also 2003’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (#19), 2006’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (#24), 1993’s Jurassic Park (#28), 1999’s Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (#30), and 2008’s The Dark Knight (#34).
(These worldwide totals are not adjusted for inflation, which Box Office Mojo does not provide. But in the United States, Gone With the Wind is king.)
It’s unlikely another film will cross the billion-dollar barrier in 2018, unless Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald somehow tops Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (it won’t), or Mary Poppins Returns exceeds all expectations (maybe!). But 2019 brings Avengers 4, Toy Story 4, The Lion King, Wonder Woman 1984, Bond 25, Frozen 2 (uh oh), and Star Wars Episode IX, so you know what’s cooler than a billion dollars? Two billion dollars. Only the Na’vi, Jack and Rose, Rey, and Thanos have jumped that fence. For now.
(Via The Hollywood Reporter)
