List of film sequels by box-office performance
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{{Incomplete list|date=May 2016}}
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).{{cite web|website=The Numbers|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Star-Wars#tab=summary|access-date=June 13, 2020|title=Box Office History for Star Wars Movies}}{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchise/fr3125251845/?ref_=bo_frs_table_2|title=Franchise: Star Wars|access-date=June 13, 2020|website=Box Office Mojo}}{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchise/?ref_=bo_nb_fr_secondarytab|title=Franchises (US & Canada)|access-date=June 13, 2020|website=Box Office Mojo}} 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. 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.
{{box office table legend|#b6fcb6|icon={{†|alt=film still playing}}|indicates=films still playing at their latest box office update''}}
Box-office improvement
While sequels usually gross less than the original,{{Cite book|last=Medavoy|first=Mike|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GQe4nFeemPMC&pg=PA162|title=You're Only as Good as Your Next One: 100 Great Films, 100 Good Films, and 100 for Which I Should Be Shot|date=2013-06-25|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=978-1-4391-1813-9|pages=162|language=en|quote=[S]equels tend to gross less at the box office. Traditionally, they do about two-thirds of the original.}}{{Cite web|last=Mendelson|first=Scott|title=Box Office: A Sequel Need Not Out-Gross The Original To Be A Hit|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2016/05/27/a-sequel-need-not-out-gross-the-original-to-be-a-hit/|access-date=2020-06-14|website=Forbes|language=en|quote=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.}} some have significantly outperformed their predecessors at the box office.
= Relative improvement =
{{Globalize|section|date=June 2022|discuss=Talk:List of film sequels by box-office performance#Missing non-American films}}
These film sequels outgrossed their predecessors by at least a factor of three. The list is not adjusted for inflation.
= Absolute improvement =
These film sequels outgrossed their predecessors by at least $500{{nbsp}}million. The list is not adjusted for inflation.
| class="sortable wikitable"
! align="left" width="280" |Title ! align="left" width="60" |Year ! align="left" width="120" |Gross ! align="left" width="280" |Title (predecessor) ! align="left" width="120" |Year (predecessor) ! align="left" width="120" |Predecessor's gross ! align="left" width="30" |Improvement (%) !Improvement ($) |
| align="left" |Jurassic World
| align="left" |2015 | align="left" |$1,670,400,637 | align="left" |Jurassic Park III | align="left" |2001 | align="left" |{{percentage|1,670,400,637-368,780,809|368,780,809}} | align="left" |${{formatnum:{{#expr:{{formatnum:1,670,400,637|R}}-{{formatnum:368,780,809|R}}}}}} |
| align="left" |Star Wars: The Force Awakens
| align="left" |2015 | align="left" |$2,068,223,624{{Cite web|title=Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt2488496/|access-date=2020-06-14|website=Box Office Mojo}} | align="left" |Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith | align="left" |2005 | align="left" |$868,390,560{{Cite web|title=Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0121766/|access-date=2020-06-14|website=Box Office Mojo}} | align="left" |{{percentage|2,068,223,624-868,390,560|868,390,560}} | align="left" |${{formatnum:{{#expr:{{formatnum:2,068,223,624|R}}-{{formatnum:868,390,560|R}}}}}} |
| Top Gun: Maverick
| align="left" |2022 | align="left" |$1,495,696,292 | align="left" |Top Gun | align="left" |1986 | align="left" |{{percentage|1,495,696,292-357,288,178|357,288,178}} | align="left" |${{formatnum:{{#expr:{{formatnum:1,495,696,292|R}}-{{formatnum:357,288,178|R}}}}}} |
| align="left" |Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
| align="left" |2017 | align="left" |Zathura: A Space Adventure{{efn|name=Jumanji}} | align="left" |2005 | align="left" |{{percentage|964,496,193-65,079,104|65,079,104}} | align="left" |${{formatnum:{{#expr:{{formatnum:964,496,193|R}}-{{formatnum:65,079,104|R}}}}}} |
| Spider-Man: No Way Home
|2021 |$1,914,098,795{{Cite web |title=Spider-Man: No Way Home |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt10872600/ |access-date=2022-09-15 |website=Box Office Mojo}} |2019 |{{percentage|1,921,847,111-1,131,927,996|1,131,927,996}} |${{formatnum:{{#expr:{{formatnum:1,921,847,111|R}}-{{formatnum:1,131,927,996|R}}}}}} |
| align="left" |Wolf Warrior 2
| align="left" |2017 | align="left" |Wolf Warrior | align="left" |2015 | align="left" |{{percentage|870,325,439-81,411,331|81,411,331}} | align="left" |${{formatnum:{{#expr:{{formatnum:870,325,439|R}}-{{formatnum:81,411,331|R}}}}}} |
| align="left" |Avengers: Endgame
| align="left" |2019 | align="left" |$2,797,800,564{{Cite web|title=Avengers: Endgame|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt4154796/|access-date=2020-06-11|website=Box Office Mojo}} | align="left" |Avengers: Infinity War | align="left" |2018 | align="left" |$2,048,359,754{{Cite web|title=Avengers: Infinity War|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt4154756/|access-date=2020-06-11|website=Box Office Mojo}} | align="left" |{{percentage|2,797,800,564-2,048,359,754|2,048,359,754}} | align="left" |${{formatnum:{{#expr:{{formatnum:2,797,800,564|R}}-{{formatnum:2,048,359,754|R}}}}}} |
| align="left" |Furious 7
| align="left" |2015 | align="left" |$1,515,047,671{{Cite web|title=Furious 7|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt2820852/|access-date=2020-06-11|website=Box Office Mojo}} | align="left" |Fast & Furious 6 | align="left" |2013 | align="left" |$788,679,850{{Cite web|title=Fast & Furious 6|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt1905041/|access-date=2020-06-11|website=Box Office Mojo}} | align="left" |{{percentage|1,515,047,671-788,679,850|788,679,850}} | align="left" |${{formatnum:{{#expr:{{formatnum:1,515,047,671|R}}-{{formatnum:788,679,850|R}}}}}} |
| align="left" |Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
| align="left" |2017 | align="left" |Jumanji{{efn|name=Jumanji}} | align="left" |1995 | align="left" |{{percentage|962,102,237-262,821,940|262,821,940}} | align="left" |${{formatnum:{{#expr:{{formatnum:962,102,237|R}}-{{formatnum:262,821,940|R}}}}}} |
| align="left" |Avengers: Infinity War
| align="left" |2018 | align="left" |$2,048,359,754 | align="left" |Avengers: Age Of Ultron | align="left" |2015 | align="left" |$1,402,805,868{{Cite web|title=Avengers: Age of Ultron|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt2395427/|access-date=2020-06-11|website=Box Office Mojo}} | align="left" |{{percentage|2,048,359,754-1,402,805,868|1,402,805,868}} | align="left" |${{formatnum:{{#expr:{{formatnum:2,048,359,754|R}}-{{formatnum:1,402,805,868|R}}}}}} |
| align="left" |The Dark Knight
| align="left" |2008 | align="left" |$1,004,934,033{{Cite web|title=The Dark Knight|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0468569/|access-date=2020-06-10|website=Box Office Mojo}} | align="left" |Batman Begins | align="left" |2005 | align="left" |$373,413,297{{Cite web|title=Batman Begins|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0372784/|access-date=2020-06-10|website=Box Office Mojo}} | align="left" |{{percentage|1,004,934,033-373,413,297|373,413,297}} | align="left" |${{formatnum:{{#expr:{{formatnum:1,004,934,033|R}}-{{formatnum:373,413,297|R}}}}}} |
| align="left" |Incredibles 2
| align="left" |2018 | align="left" |$1,242,805,359{{Cite web|title=Incredibles 2|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt3606756/|access-date=2020-06-10|website=Box Office Mojo}} | align="left" |The Incredibles | align="left" |2004 | align="left" |$631,606,713{{Cite web|title=The Incredibles|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0317705/|access-date=2020-06-10|website=Box Office Mojo}} | align="left" |{{percentage|1,242,805,359-631,606,713|631,606,713}} | align="left" |${{formatnum:{{#expr:{{formatnum:1,242,805,359|R}}-{{formatnum:631,606,713|R}}}}}} |
| align="left" |Iron Man 3
| align="left" |2013 | align="left" |$1,214,811,252{{Cite web|title=Iron Man 3|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt1300854/|access-date=2020-06-11|website=Box Office Mojo}} | align="left" |Iron Man 2 | align="left" |2010 | align="left" |$623,933,331{{Cite web|title=Iron Man 2|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt1228705/|access-date=2020-06-11|website=Box Office Mojo}} | align="left" |{{percentage|1,214,811,252-623,933,331|623,933,331}} | align="left" |${{formatnum:{{#expr:{{formatnum:1,214,811,252|R}}-{{formatnum:623,933,331|R}}}}}} |
| align="left" |Toy Story 3
| align="left" |2010 | align="left" |$1,066,969,703{{Cite web|title=Toy Story 3|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0435761/|access-date=2020-06-11|website=Box Office Mojo}} | align="left" |Toy Story 2 | align="left" |1999 | align="left" |$497,374,776{{Cite web|title=Toy Story 2|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0120363/|access-date=2020-06-11|website=Box Office Mojo}} | align="left" |{{percentage|1,066,969,703-497,374,776|497,374,776}} | align="left" |${{formatnum:{{#expr:{{formatnum:1,066,969,703|R}}-{{formatnum:497,374,776|R}}}}}} |
| align="left" |Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
| align="left" |1999 | align="left" |$1,027,082,707{{Cite web|title=Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0120915/|access-date=2020-06-14|website=Box Office Mojo}} | align="left" |Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi | align="left" |1983 | align="left" |$475,347,111{{Cite web|title=Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0086190/|access-date=2020-06-14|website=Box Office Mojo}} | align="left" |{{percentage|1,027,082,707-475,347,111|475,347,111}} | align="left" |${{formatnum:{{#expr:{{formatnum:1,027,082,707|R}}-{{formatnum:475,347,111|R}}}}}} |
| align="left" |Skyfall
| align="left" |2012 | align="left" |$1,108,561,013{{Cite web|title=Skyfall|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt1074638/|access-date=2020-06-11|website=Box Office Mojo}} | align="left" |Quantum of Solace | align="left" |2008 | align="left" |$589,580,482{{Cite web|title=Quantum of Solace|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0830515/|access-date=2020-06-11|website=Box Office Mojo}} | align="left" |{{percentage|1,108,561,013-589,580,482|589,580,482}} | align="left" |${{formatnum:{{#expr:{{formatnum:1,108,561,013|R}}-{{formatnum:589,580,482|R}}}}}} |
Highest-grossing sequels
| class="sortable wikitable"
!align="left" width="30"|Rank !align="left" width="280"|Title !align="left" width="60"|Year ! align="left" width="120" |Worldwide gross{{Cite web |title=All Time Worldwide Sequel Box Office |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/box-office-records/worldwide/all-movies/cumulative/sequel |access-date=2022-09-11 |website=The Numbers}} |
| align="left"|1
|align="left"|Avengers: Endgame |align="left"|2019 | align="left" |$2,797,800,564 |
| align="left" |2
| align=“left” |Avatar: The Way of Water | align="left" |2022 | align="left" |$2,267,071,788 |
| align="left"|3
|align="left"|Star Wars: The Force Awakens |align="left"|2015 |align="left"|$2,064,615,817 |
| align="left" |4
| align="left" |Avengers: Infinity War | align="left" |2018 | align="left" |$2,048,359,754 |
| align="left" |5
| align="left" |Spider-Man: No Way Home | align="left" |2021 | align="left" |$1,921,847,111 |
| align="left" |6
| align="left" |Inside Out 2 | align="left" |2024 | align="left" |$1,698,641,117 |
| align="left" |7
| align="left" |Jurassic World | align="left" |2015 | align="left" |$1,671,537,444 |
| align="left" |8
| align="left" |Furious 7 | align="left" |2015 | align="left" |$1,514,553,486 |
| align="left" |9
| align="left" |Top Gun: Maverick | align="left" |2022 | align="left" |$1,488,732,821 |
| align="left" |10
| align="left" |Frozen II | align="left" |2019 | align="left" |$1,445,182,280 |
See also
Notes
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{{efn|name=Jumanji|The Numbers includes Zathura: A Space Adventure in the Jumanji franchise, whereas Box Office Mojo does not.}}
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