Summary
Disneyhas managed to make a historical box office achievement, and it is unlikely that this incredible record will ever be beaten. Disney has been the king of the box office for years now, with many of the highest-grossing films of all time belonging to Disney-owned projects from Walt Disney Animation Studios, the MCU,Star Wars,Avatar, and more. However, the recentbox office success ofDeadpool & Wolverinehas managed to push Disney’s box office successes even further, setting a financial record that will be nearly impossible to beat anytime in the foreseeable future.
Despite being most well-known for its slate of animated films, Disney has really broadened their target demographics in recent decades with several major acquisitions.The MCU andStar Warshave helped Disney further its successes in blockbuster films, whileDisney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, now known as 20th Century Studios, added iconic franchises likeAvatar,X-Men,Alien, and more to Disney’s filmography. This move has helped solidify Disney’s dominion over the box office, something that has been proven by this shocking financial record.
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Disney Has The Highest-Grossing Movies At The Box Office In All Major Ratings
G, PG, PG-13, & R
The rating system is a huge factor in a film’s box office success, with the four major ratings (G, PG, PG-13, and R) having a huge impact on the reach of a film. PG and PG-13 movies tend to be the most successful due to their broad appeal, while the rarity of G-rated movies and the limited audience of R-rated movies can often hinder their performance. However, Disney has found a way to master the box office of all four of these divisions, as the company now owns the highest G, PG, PG-13, and R-rated movies at the worldwide box office.
$1.073 billion
$1.656 billion
$2.923 billion
$1.142 billion
R
The highest-grossing G-rated movie is also the 40th highest-grossing movie of all time, withToy Story 4having made $1.073 billion. The highest-grossing PG-rated movie is also the ninth highest-grossing movie of all time, with2019’sThe Lion Kingremake having made $1.656 billion(althoughInside Out 2isn’t far behind, having made $1.625 billion as of the writing of this article).
The highest-grossing PG-13-rated movie is alsothe highest-grossing movie of all time, with that beingAvatar,withDisney having acquired the $2.923 billion successupon their acquisition of 20th Century Fox. Finally, the highest-grossing R-rated movie is also the 31st highest-grossing movie of all time, with 2024’sDeadpool & Wolverinehaving recently broken this box office record by grossing $1.142 billionas of the writing of this article.
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Other Studios Are Unlikely To Ever Fully Beat Disney
It’ll Be Difficult To Beat Four Of Disney’s Movies
Disney’s hold on the box office is incredible, and it is unlikely that another studio will ever beat Disney. It is entirely possible that another studio could take one of these records. For example, all a studio would have to do to achieve this is tomake a G-rated movie that makes it into the top 40 highest-grossing movies of all time. It would be a bit harder to do this with PG or especially PG-13, but it is always possible that a random film from Universal, Paramount, or any other studio could end up being a runaway hit.
However, it would be incredibly difficult for a studio to release four movies across four different ratings that each ends up beating Disney’s movies. One studio releasing movies more successful thanToy Story 4,The Lion King,Avatar, andDeadpool & Wolverineis a monumental task that could take decades. Unfortunately for any studio that attempts to pull this off,Disney will most likely continue releasing major blockbustersin the coming years. Disney has gotten close to breaking their own records several times, so it could finally happen.
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Disney’s Box Office Achievement Can Still Get More Impressive
If They Replace Avatar
Despite Disney’s box office achievement, there is one element that can be improved on outside of the raw numbers. WhileToy Story 4,The Lion King, andDeadpool & Wolverinewere produced under Disney’s ownership,Disney only acquiredAvatar, with it having already become the highest-grossing movie of all time well before Disney owned the film. Thus, ifDisney can release a new film that passesAvatar, this would mean that all four of these box office hits have been produced and owned by Disney.
Unfortunately, sinceAvatarhas grossed nearly $3 billion, this will be incredibly hard to pull off. Disney has gotten close a few times, with the box offices ofAvatar: The Way of WaterandAvengers: EndgamegettingAvatar-level numbers. However, films that reach this level of success are very rare, and it is hard to imagine a movie thatDisneyhas announced that could pull off this feat.
Avatar
Cast
Avatar is a 2009 science fiction film directed by James Cameron. Set in the 22nd century, it follows a paraplegic Marine sent to the moon Pandora on a mission. He becomes conflicted between his orders and defending the indigenous Na’vi civilization.
