List of film sequels by box-office performance
This is a list of film sequels and their performance at the box office. All grosses are given in unadjusted US dollars.
For the tables presented below, determining what constitutes a film series and where a film fits in with the series is subjective. Box Office Mojo and The Numbers list 12 Star Wars films released, including anthology films such as Rogue One (2016) and Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) (which Box Office Mojo also groups separately), and Star Wars: The Clone Wars, but excluding films such as Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure (1984) and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1986).[1][2][3] For the purpose of the tables presented here, the films of the "Skywalker saga" are considered as a separate series and are ordered based on the date of release rather than by their number (for example, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace was the fourth film released). Similarly, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is listed on the above websites as consisting of 23 films released however, these are also listed separately as 4 Avengers films, 3 Iron Man films, 3 Captain America films, 3 Thor films and so on; for these tables, the films have similarly been treated as separate series.[3] A similar approach has been taken to the Wizarding World series (where the films are split between the Harry Potter film series and the Fantastic Beasts film series); the X-Men film series (where there are separate film series for Wolverine and Deadpool); Star Trek (where there are separate film series for Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation and a later reboot); and the multiple Spider-Man, Batman and Planet of the Apes film series.[3]
- Background shading indicates films still playing at their latest box office update
Box-office improvement
While sequels usually gross less than the original,[4][5] some have significantly outperformed their predecessors at the box office.
Relative improvement
These film sequels outgrossed their predecessors by at least a factor of three. The list is not adjusted for inflation.
Title | Year | Gross | Title (predecessor) | Year (predecessor) | Predecessor's gross | Improvement (%) | Improvement ($) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day | 2009 | $10,629,321[6] | The Boondock Saints | 1999 | $30,471[7] | 34783% | $10,598,850 |
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle | 2017 | $964,496,193[8] | Zathura: A Space AdventureJumanji | 2005 | $65,079,104[9] | 1382% | $899,417,089 |
Desperado | 1995 | $25,405,445[10] | El Mariachi | 1992 | $2,040,920[11] | 1145% | $23,364,525 |
Clerks II | 2006 | $26,984,975[12] | Clerks | 1994 | $3,151,130[13] | 756% | $23,833,845 |
Tron: Legacy | 2010 | $400,062,763[14] | Tron | 1982 | $50,000,000[15] | 700% | $350,062,763 |
The Color of Money | 1986 | $52,293,982[16] | The Hustler | 1961 | $7,600,000[17] | 588% | $44,693,982 |
Terminator 2: Judgment Day | 1991 | $516,950,043[18] | The Terminator | 1984 | $78,371,200[19] | 560% | $438,578,843 |
Cube 2: Hypercube | 2002 | $3,563,603[20] | Cube | 1997 | $565,727[21] | 530% | $2,997,876 |
Blade Runner 2049 | 2017 | $259,239,658[22] | Blade Runner | 1982 | $41,473,619[23] | 525% | $217,766,039 |
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me | 1999 | $312,016,928[24] | Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery | 1997 | $67,683,989[25] | 361% | $244,332,939 |
Jurassic World | 2015 | $1,670,400,637[26] | Jurassic Park III | 2001 | $368,780,809[27] | 353% | $1,301,619,828 |
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle | 2017 | $962,102,237[28] | JumanjiJumanji | 1995 | $262,821,940[29] | 266% | $699,280,297 |
Absolute improvement
These film sequels outgrossed their predecessors by at least $500 million. The list is not adjusted for inflation.
Title | Year | Gross | Title (predecessor) | Year (predecessor) | Predecessor's gross | Improvement (%) | Improvement ($) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jurassic World | 2015 | $1,670,400,637[26] | Jurassic Park III | 2001 | $368,780,809[27] | 353% | $1,301,619,828 |
Star Wars: The Force Awakens | 2015 | $2,068,223,624[30] | Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith | 2005 | $868,390,560[31] | 138% | $1,199,833,064 |
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle | 2017 | $964,496,193[8] | Zathura: A Space AdventureJumanji | 2005 | $65,079,104[9] | 1382% | $899,417,089 |
Avengers: Endgame | 2019 | $2,797,800,564[32] | Avengers: Infinity War | 2018 | $2,048,359,754[33] | 37% | $749,440,810 |
Furious 7 | 2015 | $1,515,047,671[34] | Fast & Furious 6 | 2013 | $788,679,850[35] | 92% | $726,367,821 |
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle | 2017 | $962,102,237[28] | JumanjiJumanji | 1995 | $262,821,940[29] | 266% | $699,280,297 |
Avengers: Infinity War | 2018 | $2,048,359,754[33] | Avengers: Age Of Ultron | 2015 | $1,402,805,868[36] | 46% | $645,553,886 |
The Dark Knight | 2008 | $1,004,934,033[37] | Batman Begins | 2005 | $373,413,297[38] | 169% | $631,520,736 |
Incredibles 2 | 2018 | $1,242,805,359[39] | The Incredibles | 2004 | $631,606,713[40] | 97% | $611,198,646 |
Iron Man 3 | 2013 | $1,214,811,252[41] | Iron Man 2 | 2010 | $623,933,331[42] | 95% | $590,877,921 |
Toy Story 3 | 2010 | $1,066,969,703[43] | Toy Story 2 | 1999 | $497,374,776[44] | 115% | $569,594,927 |
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace | 1999 | $1,027,082,707[45] | Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi | 1983 | $475,347,111[46] | 116% | $551,735,596 |
Skyfall | 2012 | $1,108,561,013[47] | Quantum of Solace | 2008 | $589,580,482[48] | 88% | $518,980,531 |
Highest-grossing sequels
Notes
Jumanji^ ^ ^ ^ The Numbers includes Zathura: A Space Adventure in the Jumanji franchise,[8] whereas Box Office Mojo does not.[9]
^The Hobbit The Numbers counts The Hobbit films as sequels to The Lord of the Rings films.[52]
References
- "Box Office History for Star Wars Movies". The Numbers. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
- "Franchise: Star Wars". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
- "Franchises (US & Canada)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
- Medavoy, Mike (2013-06-25). You're Only as Good as Your Next One: 100 Great Films, 100 Good Films, and 100 for Which I Should Be Shot. Simon and Schuster. p. 162. ISBN 978-1-4391-1813-9.
[S]equels tend to gross less at the box office. Traditionally, they do about two-thirds of the original.
- Mendelson, Scott. "Box Office: A Sequel Need Not Out-Gross The Original To Be A Hit". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
For most of recent box office history, that’s how it worked. You spent more money on the sequel, you often got a bigger opening weekend for the sequel, but you usually made less than the first film. [...] It wasn’t until the late 1990s and early 2000s when we had a run of big sequels consistently out-grossing their predecessors. In the 1980s and most of the 1990s, you spent more, but made less with that sequel.
- "The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- "The Boondock Saints". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- "Jumanji Franchise Box Office History". The Numbers. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
- "Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005)". Box Office Mojo. December 31, 2005.
- "Desperado". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- "El Mariachi". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- "Clerks II". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- "Clerks". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- "Tron Legacy". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- "Disney Sets 'Tron' B.O. Record Straight". Daily Variety. February 24, 1984. p. 31.
- "The Color of Money". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- "The Hustler". The Numbers. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- "Terminator 2: Judgment Day". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- "The Terminator". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- "Cube²: Hypercube". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
- "Cube". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
- "Blade Runner 2049". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
- "Blade Runner". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
- "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- "Jurassic World". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- "Jurassic Park III". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
- "Jumanji". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
- "Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
- "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
- "Avengers: Endgame". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
- "Avengers: Infinity War". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
- "Furious 7". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
- "Fast & Furious 6". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
- "Avengers: Age of Ultron". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
- "The Dark Knight". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- "Batman Begins". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- "Incredibles 2". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- "The Incredibles". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- "Iron Man 3". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
- "Iron Man 2". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
- "Toy Story 3". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
- "Toy Story 2". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
- "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
- "Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
- "Skyfall". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
- "Quantum of Solace". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
- "All Time Worldwide Sequel Box Office". The Numbers. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
- "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
- "Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings Franchise Box Office History". The Numbers. Retrieved 2020-07-28.