There is a big emphasis in the movie industry on which films are deemed the most successful, and by this they mean the most financially successful, with the highest box-office takings.
The list of highest-grossing films is an interesting one, but it has to be taken into account that inflationary adjustments have not been made. It wouldn’t be unfair to describe the list as meaningless without taking inflation as well as changing ticket prices into account.
Films that were considered major commercial successes in the 1970s and 80s for instance, barely appear on the top 50 list, and yet this list is the most commonly used. The vast majority of films in the top 50 are from the past 15 years, with the notable exceptions of E.T The Extra-Terrestrial in 1982 and the first of the original Star Wars films in 1977. According to the Guinness Book of Records, for the North American market of the United States and Canada combined, Gone with the Wind is technically the highest-grossing film of all time on an inflation-adjusted basis.
Further complications arise when films are released in multiple formats. This is particularly relevant in recent years when increasing numbers of movies are released in both 3D and 2D formats.
So here is the list of the top 10 highest-grossing films of all time, according to Filmsite.org, both adjusted and unadjusted for inflation –
Unadjusted – Adjusted -
1. Avatar (2009) 1. Gone with the Wind (1939)
2. Titanic (1997) 2. Star Wars IV – A New Hope (1977)
3. Lord of the Rings – The Return of the King (2003) 3. The Sound of Music (1965)
4. Pirates of the Caribbean – Dead Man’s Chest (2006) 4. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
5. Toy Story 3 (2010) 5. The Ten Commandments (1956)
6. Alice in Wonderland (2010) 6. Titanic (1997)
7. The Dark Knight (2008) 7. Jaws (1975)
8. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001) 8. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
9. Pirates of the Caribbean – At World’s End (2007) 9. The Exorcist (1973)
10. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) 10. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
