The fantasy movie genre has always been particularly good at bringing out audiences in droves. Whether that is taking moviegoers to a galaxy far, far away, or to another time inhabited by swashbuckling pirates, these films boast some of the most impressive box office numbers any movie has ever seen. But does a high-dollar sign necessarily mean the film has the best quality? I would venture to say that is not the case. These are the ten highest-grossing movies worldwide, ranked by quality.
10 Alice in Wonderland (2010) – $1+ Billion
An Alice in Wonderland adaptation from the mind of Tim Burton was always guaranteed to be a visual and mind-bending spectacle, and that is indeed what this 2010 movie was. Bringing in over $300 million dollars domestically, this movie really padded its numbers internationally as it made over $600 million worldwide. Receiving mixed reviews in terms of quality, the visuals of the film and its cast of colorful characters were almost universally praised, and its box office numbers show that it was indeed a spectacle to behold.
9 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) – $1+ Billion
The first entry outside the original trilogy, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides continues the adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow. Like most movies on this list, the bulk of On Stranger Tides box office came from overseas, bringing in close to a billion dollars just in the international markets. While the movie is entertaining thanks to Johnny Depp and Geoffrey Rush’s performances, it lacks the overall charm of its three predecessors.
8 Aladdin (2019) – $1+ Billion
Reinventing their classic animated movies seems to be at the top of Disney’s priority list, and the company continues churning them out thanks to big box office returns. One such example of this is the 2019 live-action retelling of Aladdin. Lacking the charisma of the classic animated movie, it is yet again the visual spectacle that helped to fuel the big return numbers for this film, bringing in just over a billion dollars worldwide.
7 The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003) – $1.1+ Billion
Raking in all 11 Academy Awards it was nominated for in 2004 including best picture, The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King has the gold to back up its impressive $1.1 billion box office. Peter Jackson’s epic trilogy of films was capped off in truly spectacular fashion, and Return of the King remains one of the highest quality and highest-grossing movies of all time.
6 Beauty and the Beast (2017) – $1.2+ Billion
Beauty and the Beast is one of the higher-quality films in Disney’s current live-action pool of movies. Supported by high-caliber performances from Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, and Luke Evans, the movie does a faithful retelling of the original source material. Bringing in over $1.2 billion worldwide, the numbers back up Disney’s hold on the movie industry.
5 Frozen (2013) – $1.2+ Billion
Taking the world by storm, or blizzard if you will, Frozen quickly became one of the biggest movies of all time and cemented its status in pop culture history forever. Through catchy songs and emotional storytelling, the movie had something for people of all ages, as supported by its returns of $1.2 billion.
4 The Super Mario Brothers Movie (2023) – $1.3+ Billion
The most recent entry on the list has quickly skyrocketed to the third highest-grossing fantasy movie of all time since its release in April 2023, reaching the $1 billion mark in less than a month. The highly anticipated The Super Mario Brothers Movie took longtime fans of the classic Nintendo property on a visually stunning and entertaining journey through warp pipes, Donkey Kong jungles, and Mario Kart tracks. While critics did not love the film, the box office numbers show that fans of the Italian brothers and their friends ate it up like a power-up mushroom.
3 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006) – $1.3+ Billion
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest is the follow-up film to the hugely popular and successful adaptation of the Disney World ride, the original film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. By introducing new plot elements, scenic locations, and highly entertaining characters, Dead Man’s Chest brought in over $1 billion worth of pirate booty.
2 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 (2011) – $1.3+ Billion
The climactic conclusion to the Harry Potter saga of films was always guaranteed to bring in the big bucks. Tying up all the loose ends and leaving fans with a satisfying ending, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 was truly an event film worthy of the over $1.3 billion dollars that the movie brought in for Warner Brothers, something the studio hopes to recreate with an upcoming reboot series.
1 Frozen II (2019) – $1.4+ Billion
Disney hit a home run with its 2013 release of Frozen, as it quickly became one of the company’s biggest properties. Jump forward six years, and it was time for the property to receive the sequel treatment. While Frozen II does not have the same quality both in story and songs as the original, it does rank up with some of the best projects Disney has produced over the last few years. It also holds the honor of being the current leader when it comes to the highest-grossing fantasy movies of all time, at close to $1.5 billion.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
