What were the top 20 box office successes of 2022, given that it was another successful year for movies globally? The data is all-revealing.
2022 marked a significant for movie theaters around the world as restrictions pertaining to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic loosened and people started to head back to the movie theaters.
While box office returns have yet to return to a pre-pandemic level, there were still some hits to be had with names like Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever dominating the moviegoing conversation.
So here are the 20 biggest box office juggernauts of the year, as ranked by worldwide gross.
20.) Smile
Paramount Pictures
Worldwide Gross: $216,135,048
- Reported Budget: $17,000,000
- Domestic Gross: $105,935,048 (49.0%)
Easily the most significant horror hit of 2022 was Parker Finn’s Smile.
After a viral marketing campaign that was inescapable, the film opened to mostly positive reviews and a significant payday at the box office (especially considering the film’s slim budget), indicating that Paramount may have another hot horror franchise on its hands.
19.) Too Cool to Kill
Well Go USA Entertainent
Worldwide Gross: $217,254,604
- Reported Budget: $24,000,000
- Domestic Gross: $185,882 (<0.1%)
Sitting in the #19 spot is the Chinese action-comedy Too Cool to Kill.
This foreign film only had a small release stateside, yet still showed up on the list as one of the 20 biggest films of the year because of its theatrical run in China.
18.) Lightyear
Worldwide Gross: $226,425,420
- Reported Budget: $200,000,000
- Domestic Gross: $118,307,188 (52.2%)
Despite not lighting the world on fire as other Pixar films have, the Chris Evans-starring Lightyear still made a pretty penny when everything was said and done.
This sci-fi Toy Story spin-off stands as the 15th biggest Pixar film of all time, and after nearly two years of Pixar movies coming straight to streaming, a new audience expectation for the animated brand may have hindered this film’s earning potential.
17.) Bullet Train
Sony Pictures
Worldwide Gross: $239,268,602
- Reported Budget: $85,900,000
- Domestic Gross: $103,368,602 (43.2%)
Next up is director David Leitch’s (of Deadpool 2 fame) Bullet Train.
The fast-paced action flick – which was the subject of one of the most fun trailers in recent memory – fell a bit flat at the box office (and critically), ultimately proving to be a little more style than substance.
16.) The Bad Guys
Worldwide Gross: $250,162,278
- Reported Budget: $70,000,000
- Domestic Gross: $97,233,630 (38.9%)
Releasing all the way back in April was Dreamworks’ animated romp, The Bad Guys.
The star-studded blockbuster marked a bit of a departure for the studio, sporting an art style that looked more Spider-Verse than Shrek for a fun and creative take on the heist movie genre.
15.) Elvis
Worldwide Gross: $286,040,048
- Reported Budget: $85,000,000
- Domestic Gross: $151,040,048 (52.8%)
In a world where big-budget music biopics are all the rage, it will likely surprise some that 2022’s Elvis sits so far down this list.
The Baz Luhrmann love letter to one of the most iconic American rockers of all time garnered mostly positive reviews upon release, with star Austin Butler’s name already being thrown around in awards conversations.
14.) Black Adam
Warner Bros. Pictures
Worldwide Gross: $391,273,355
- Reported Budget: $195,000,000
- Domestic Gross: $167,873,355 (42.9%)
Despite what the film’s star may say, Black Adam did not change the hierarchy of the DCU.
Dwayne Johnson’s long-gestating DC epic finally hit theater screens this fall, sort of falling flat almost immediately upon release; within weeks of the film’s debut, a changing of hands for the franchise was announced.
13.) Uncharted
Sony Pictures
Worldwide Gross: $401,748,820
- Reported Budget: $120,000,000
- Domestic Gross: $148,648,820 (37.0%)
Rounding out a pair of post-pandemic Tom Holland-starring Sony Pictures blockbusters is Uncharted.
This adaptation of the hit PlayStation franchise clearly marks the beginning of a new film series for Sony, as the first film was one of the biggest box office hits of the early part of the year.
12.) Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Paramount Pictures
Worldwide Gross: $402,656,846
- Reported Budget: $110,000,000
- Domestic Gross: $190,872,904 (47.4%)
The second and final video game adaptation on this list is Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
This Paramount sequel was another hit for the studio, further cementing the Blue Blur as a name worth pursuing in the film world; and with a sequel and spin-off on the way, it is a good sign that the appetite for Sonic has not yet been satiated.
11.) Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
Warner Bros. Pictures
Worldwide Gross: $405,161,334
- Reported Budget: $200,000,000
- Domestic Gross: $95,850,844 (23.7%)
For some movies, $400 billion at the box office would be a resounding success; however, for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, it was not.
After mixed critical reception, this Fantastic Beast threequel was yet another sign that some Wizarding World (and J.K. Rowling) fatigue may be setting in and has even led Warner Bros. to reconsider its Harry Potter franchise plan.
10.) Moon Man
Mahua FunAge
Worldwide Gross: $460,237,662
- Reported Budget: $8,600,000
- Domestic Gross: $0 (0.0%)
Despite never coming stateside, China’s Moon Man still comes in as one of the 10 biggest box office hits of 2022.
This sci-fi epic marked the second biggest opening for a Chinese film this year, making nearly half a billion in its theatrical run.
9.) Water Gate Bridge
Bona Film Group
Worldwide Gross: $626,571,697
- Reported Budget: $200,000,000
- Domestic Gross: $117,294 (<0.1%)
Water Gate Bridge (or The Battle at Lake Changjin II) is yet another Chinese blockbuster occupying a spot in the top 10.
This war epic sequel had a minimal limited release in North America, marking the conclusion of the most expensive film duology in the history of Chinese cinema.
8.) Thor: Love and Thunder
Marvel Studios
Worldwide Gross: $760,928,081
- Reported Budget: $250,000,000
- Domestic Gross: $343,256,830 (45.1%)
Of 2022’s three Marvel Studios films Thor: Love and Thunder was the least lucrative at movie theaters; however, this is still good enough to be the eighth biggest film of the year.
Love and Thunder took the brand of humor introduced to the Thor franchise by Taika Waititi in Ragnarok and turned it up to 11, creating a divisive MCU movie.
7.) The Batman
Warner Bros. Pictures
Worldwide Gross: $770,836,163
- Reported Budget: $200,000,000
- Domestic Gross: $369,345,583 (47.9%)
Matt Reeves’ The Batman had a stellar debut back in March, smashing pandemic-era records and ushering in this latest take on the Dark Knight and Gotham City.
As Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne went up against Paul Dano as The Riddler, audiences were treated to one of the best superhero debuts in recent memory. Warner Bros. laid the groundwork for a new Bat-centric franchise.
6.) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Marvel Studios
Worldwide Gross: $805,249,637*
- Reported Budget: $250,000,000
- Domestic Gross: $428,162,231 (53.3%)
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is one of a couple of films on this list that could still rise up the ranks (as it’s still in theaters), but at the time of writing, Ryan Coogler’s latest Wakandan adventure sits firmly at number eight.
Wakanda Forever was always going to be a big box office draw, as the cast and crew not only crafted the next evolution of the Black Panther story but paid tribute to a fallen cohort in Chadwick Boseman.
5.) Minions: The Rise of Gru
Illumination Entertainment
Worldwide Gross: $939,433,210
- Reported Budget: $80,000,000
- Domestic Gross: $369,500,210 (39.3%)
The biggest animated film (and most cost-effective) on this list is Minions: The Rise of Gru.
The latest entry into the Despicable Me franchise made nearly a billion dollars, officially making it the biggest animated film franchise of all time.
4.) Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Marvel Studios
Worldwide Gross: $955,775,804
- Reported Budget: $200,000,000
- Domestic Gross: $411,331,607 (43.0%)
Getting the box office bronze medal for 2022 is Marvel’s biggest movie of the year, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
This box office success was thanks to Multiversal shenanigans, fans coming off the beloved Spider-Man: No Way Home, and lofty audience expectations, all making it one of the biggest movies of the past twelve months.
3.) Jurassic World: Dominion
Universal Pictures
Worldwide Gross: $1,001,136,080
- Reported Budget: $165,000,000
- Domestic Gross: $376,009,080 (37.6%)
One of only two 2022 films to cross that vaunted $1 billion mark was Jurassic World: Dominion.
Dominion marked the official return for Jurassic Park mainstays Laura Dern, Sam Neill, and Jeff Goldblum, bringing together two eras of the prehistoric franchise for one massive box office haul.
2.) Avatar: The Way of Water
20th Century Studios
Worldwide Gross: $1,030,118,839*
- Reported Budget: $350,000,000
- Domestic Gross: $293,290,336 (30.7%)
The second movie on this list that still has the potential to climb is Avatar: The Way of Water. When all is said and done, Avatar 2 will be 2022’s biggest movie.
James Cameron’s Avatar sequel has made over one billion dollars in about three weeks, making The Way of Water a worthy followup to the biggest box office hit ever.
1.) Top Gun: Maverick
Paramount Pictures
Worldwide Gross: $1,488,732,821
- Reported Budget: $170,000,000
- Domestic Gross: $718,732,821 (48.3%)
And last, but certainly not least, was the movie that some have said “saved movies theaters,” Top Gun: Maverick.
After years of delays and star/producer Tom Cruise remaining adamant that Maverick was built for the movie theater, the Top Gun team finally got its dues, as the legacy sequel became not only the biggest but one of the most beloved movies of the past year.
