List of Highest-Grossing Films: The All-Time Box Office Top 10
The list of highest-grossing films is one of cinema's most closely watched league tables, and it has just been reshuffled again. In October 2026, Avengers: Endgame edged back in front of Avatar, thanks to a re-release. This guide sets out the current top 10 and explains how the figures are counted. It also covers why the order never stays settled for long.
The current top 10
The figures below are worldwide totals, rounded and not adjusted for inflation. Different trackers differ slightly, and the newest releases are still earning, so treat the numbers as close estimates.
| Rank | Film | Year | Approx. worldwide gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avengers: Endgame | 2019 | $2.93bn |
| 2 | Avatar | 2009 | $2.92bn |
| 3 | Spider-Man: Brand New Day | 2026 | $2.52bn |
| 4 | Avatar: The Way of Water | 2022 | $2.33bn |
| 5 | Titanic | 1997 | $2.26bn |
| 6 | Ne Zha 2 | 2025 | $2.2bn+ |
| 7 | Star Wars: The Force Awakens | 2015 | $2.07bn |
| 8 | Avengers: Infinity War | 2018 | $2.05bn |
| 9 | Spider-Man: No Way Home | 2021 | $1.92bn |
| 10 | Zootopia 2 | 2025 | $1.87bn |
A record that keeps changing hands
Endgame and Avatar
The top two films have traded the title several times. Avatar held the record for about a decade after its 2009 release. Endgame overtook it during its original run in 2019.
Avatar then reclaimed first place after a re-release in China in 2021, and added to its total with later returns. In early October 2026, a re-release called Avengers: Endgame Encore lifted the Marvel film back into first place. The margin was only a few million dollars at the time.
Why re-releases matter
Studios understand that a record can be rented back. A re-release costs far less than a new film, and it gives fans a reason to return to the cinema. Endgame Encore was timed to build interest in Avengers: Doomsday, which is due in December.
New names in the upper ranks
Three entries in the top 10 are recent. Spider-Man: Brand New Day, released in July 2026, has become the highest-grossing Spider-Man film. It also had one of the biggest global openings ever, second only to Endgame.
Ne Zha 2 is the other landmark. The Chinese animation made the vast majority of its money at home, yet it still ranks among the six biggest films ever. It is the highest-grossing animated film and the biggest non-English-language release.
Zootopia 2 shows that family animation remains a reliable route to a billion dollars and beyond. Inside Out 2 and Jurassic World sit just outside the top 10, both above $1.6bn.
Records within the list
The all-time table also holds several category records, and 2026 has moved some of them:
- Highest-grossing R-rated film: Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey passed Deadpool & Wolverine during its run.
- Highest-grossing biopic: Michael overtook Oppenheimer and went on to pass $1bn.
- Highest-grossing animated film: Ne Zha 2, ahead of Zootopia 2 and Inside Out 2.
- Highest-grossing Spider-Man film: Brand New Day, ahead of No Way Home.
This was a strong year at the box office. Toy Story 5 and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie also crossed the billion-dollar line.
How the ranking works
The standard list counts worldwide ticket sales in US dollars, usually taken from industry trackers such as Box Office Mojo. Those totals combine domestic and international earnings, including any re-releases.
This approach has limits. Ticket prices have risen over the decades, so a modern film needs fewer admissions to reach the same total. Exchange rates also move, and some markets report their figures later than others.
Adjusted for inflation, the picture looks quite different. Older epics, with Gone with the Wind usually cited first, rise to the top of that version of the list. Titanic also looks stronger once ticket price inflation is taken into account.
What could change next
The next shake-up is not far away. Avengers: Doomsday arrives in December, and Marvel will hope it can push past the $2bn line and challenge the leaders. Avatar: Fire and Ash finished its run at about $1.49bn, well below the earlier Avatar films, so James Cameron's series is unlikely to take back the top spot soon.
For now, Endgame leads by a narrow margin, and Avatar is close behind. Keep an eye on the numbers over the next few months, because this table rarely stays still for long.