Some time ago, we took a momentto highlight the highest-grossing filmssince Jaws turned summertime into the blockbuster season. Things have changed radically in the past 20 years, with franchises taking front and center as Hollywood strayed away from original ideas and started to rely more and more on the safety of established IPs. Most of the time, it’s proven to be a winning formula, especially after the Avengers hit the big screen in 2012.
While it’s difficult to predict the future, 2023 may be an early sign that the tide is turning again as major summer tentpoles are flopping hard left and right. Our ranking reflects the safety net represented by established studios such as Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm (all subsidiaries of Disney). However, the COVID-19 pandemic,the increasing number of streaming services, and the elevated cost of going to the movies are finally catching on with the industry.
The top three films in the list are a reflection of these changes, and the utter flop of films with brand recognition it’s a call to action, as movies have grown too expensive and the search for significant revenues telling a safe story might not be the favored cup of tea for audiences anymore.
20Iron Man 3 (2013)
Hot on the heels ofThe Avengers, Marvel Studios got to work to release the final installment of theIron Mantrilogy. Taking a cue from the comics,Iron Man 3adapted the Extremis storyline combined with a few elements still missing in the lore. The film was written and directed by Shane Black, who was taking over from Jon Favreau. While the movie was made on a budget and managed to score $1.2 billion back, it had some issues.
The incredible casting was out of this world. Robert Downey Jr. returns alongside Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, and Ben Kingsley as The villainous Mandarin, the leader of the Ten Rings. However,the film failed to deliver a great payoffas The Mandarin was revealed to be a made-up character by the creator of Extremis. It’s still entertaining, but it was critically panned for this mishap.
19Frozen (2013)
In 2013 it was Pixar’s turn to shine as an animated feature took the top spot of the year.Frozenwas a wildly successful new IP created by the studio. The original story is written by Jennifer Lee, who co-directed the movie with Chris Buck. The voice acting is in charge of Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, and Jonathan Groff. The enchanting story of two royal sisters, Elsa and Anna, in the kingdom of Arendelle, caught the world’s imagination and took it for a spin.
The film was made on a budget of $150 million, and it broke every record of the year with a $1.2 billion box office return. The caring story about Elsa losing control of her powers and her sister’s journey to save her and help restore harmony to the kingdom was the cultural phenomenon of the year.The soundtrack for this movie topped the chartsas the best-selling album of the year, with 13 million units sold.
18Maleficent (2014)
It’s safe to say thatMaleficentwas the film that made Disney see green when it came to live-action projects based on their animated features. the film is based on the main villain of Sleeping Beauty, turning her into a somewhat sympathetic character. the film is directed by Robert Stromberg from a screenplay by Linda Woolverton. The cast includes Angelina Jolie, Sharlto Copley, Elle Fanning, and Sam Riley.
In the story,Maleficentis revealed o be a powerful fairy living in the Moors, a land bordering with a human kingdom. The story would set a precedentby turning villains into tragic figures, which didn’t sit well with many audiences. Still, the film managed to make bank as it was made on a budget of $180 million and managed to score $760 million in box office gross worldwide.
17Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)
Transformers: Age of Extinctionhas the dubious distinction of being the reboot nobody asked for. The story was finished withDark of the Moon, but Paramount couldn’t pass up the opportunity to keep milking this franchise dry. Michael Bay was more than willing to return and direct another settlement, so why not go for it? The screenplay by Ehren Kruger places our heroes in a rough spot after being disowned as government assets and hunted by humanity.
Since Shia LaBeoufwas done with the franchise, so the human leads were replaced with Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer, and a few young leads. The exorbitant budget increased to $210 million, so the VXF was on point as usual. This time, the robots in disguise are being hunted by the CIA and the KSI, a corporation using Transformer technology to make combat drones. Despite the mixed reception by critics, the film ranked $1.1 billion worldwide, giving Michael Bay the excuse to make one more film.
16Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
When Disney acquired Lucasfilm to the tune of $4 billion, the fandom was more than eager to get more Star Wars stories. The possibilities were endless, especially since George Lucas had allowed for an expanded universe to build off the lore with unique stories and intricate characters set in the past and future of the original story. Kathleen Kennedycrushed all those hopes with a single blowby immediately disregarding previous works to create something new.
With the help of J.J. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan, the studio craftedStar Wars: The Force Awakens, an underwhelming rehash of A New Hope that played things safe while erasing legacy characters and replacing them with the hollow shells of new creations that can’t hold a candle to their counterparts. The overblown production had a budget of $245 million and smashed box office records, grossing over $2 billion worldwide.
Related:The Biggest Summer Blockbusters From Before the Avengers Took Over Our Screens
15Jurassic World (2015)
Nobody hadJurassic Parkmaking a big comeback in their bingo cards for 2015, but return it did in full form with a brand new story, a new park, and a new cast of characters.Jurassic Worldis directed by Colin Trevorrow, with a screenplay by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. The casting featured new Hollywood darling of the era Chris Pratt alongside Bryce Dallas Howard and Vincent D’Onofrio. The story takes place 22 years after the events of the first film.
Universal took a big gamble, but they weren’t short on legacy IPs as they took two of the top three spots in the year with this film andFurious 7. The movie was made on a budget of $150 million, and itmade a massive impact with a box officereturn of $1.6 billion worldwide, overtakingAvengers: Age of Ultronby $100 million, which is no easy feat considering we were at the peak of the Superhero age back then.
14Captain America: Civil War (2016)
After having its most reliable brand underperform in 2015, Marvel went all out withCaptain America: Civil War. The media dubbed the project Avengers 2.5 after the large ensemble cast of Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen, and many others were announced. The film was also set to debut the MCU version of Spider-Man and the Black Panther. Anthony and Joe Russo handled the screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely.
The film follows the similar beat of the comic storyline. After Sokovia and a covert operation went wrong, resulting in the death of multiple civilians,the world is asking for accountability. The heroes must abide by the Sokovia accords. Cap disagrees while Iron Man does. Conflict ensues. The story’s large cast and massive scope demanded a budget of $250 million, and the film grossed $1.15 billion worldwide, making Marvel Studios the year’s top earner.
13Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
The Disney machinery didn’t stop this year, and their plan to release one Star Wars movie a year was going full ahead after the wild success ofThe Force Awakens. We gotRogue One: A Star Wars Storyin December, written by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy and directed by Gareth Edwards. The movie tells the story of the rebels who got the plans for the Empire’s new secret weapon, the Death Star.
Featuring the talents of Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ronny Yu, and Ben Mendelsohn, the film was plagued with issues and multiple reshoots. Still, they all seemed to pay offas audiences met the film with critical acclaim. The troubled production had a budget of $200 million and grossed $1 billion worldwide after its theatrical run. The film is still regarded as one of the darkest and grittiest entries in Star Wars lore, with plenty of fan service and a compelling story.
12Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
No one can take the credit for breaking a fandom like Rian Johnson. It’s impossible to shift blame on someone else because he’sThe Last Jedi’s sole writer and director. This movie rode the wave of success of the safe bet laid byThe Force Awakensand went for the proverbial jugular with a complete deconstruction of Star Wars lore. The story features the talents of Daisy Ridley, Mark Hamill, and Adam Driver, but it makes almost every character an unrecognizable shell of their previous personas.
The film was budgeted at $200 million, but bad word of mouth impacted its earnings, as it ranked $1.3 billion worldwide. It was the year’s top earner but dropped $700 million from the last entry.The Last Jediremains the most divisive entryin this ranking and one that grows weary on the ongoing discourse about Star Wars. Its existence is fueled by controversy to this day, which apparently makes Ryan Johnson proud of what he achieved.
11The Fate of the Furious (2017)
While Disney reigned supreme in 2017 by taking the two top spots withThe Last JediandThe Beauty & The Beast,The Fate of the Furiousmanaged to nab the third spot, which served as a reminder to House of Mickey that they are not the only ones with money making properties. The film is directed by F. Gary Gray, with a screenplay by Chris Morgan, and we get the whole gang back with Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, and Charlize Theron leading the way.
In this action-packed installment, Dominic Toretto turns against his family and teams up with Cipher to attack a convoy of the Diplomatic Security Service led by Luke Hobbs to steal an EMP device he’s been tasked to transport. The film was made on a budget of $250 million, and it certainly shows in each of the high-octane stunts and thrilling car chases. Fans of the franchiseflocked to theaters rewarding Universal’s effortwith a box office gross of $1.2 billion worldwide.
Related:15 Recent Movies Many Critics Disliked, but Fans Loved
