Estimated Profits of 50 Films from the Past Decade
Written by Carly Hallman
What are the highest-grossing films of the past decade, and how do they compare to Oscar winners and critical darlings? We’ve found the top three highest box office successes of the past ten years and broken them down by production budget, domestic gross, worldwide gross, and the estimated profit of each. See the astonishing difference in profit between beloved summer blockbusters, Oscar winners, and what critics on Metacritic claim are the best movies of the decade! The movies that made the most profit in the past decade include Avatar in 2009, with an astonishing $2.5 billion in estimated profit, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which made $1.7 billion in 2015. Blockbuster movies are some of the highest-profit movies, with Oscar winners for best picture and the most critically acclaimed films of each year often making a fraction of their earnings. See the worldwide box office numbers of the most profitable movies of each year from 2006 to 2016 and see for yourself: From Harry Potter to Marvel to tiny productions like A Separation, a retrospective of the past ten years of film is interesting once you view it through a monetary lens.
Profits of 50 Films From the Past Decade infographicEstimated Profits of 50 Films from the Past Decade
Comparing the Dollars Earned by Award-Winning Movies and Blockbusters
| Year | Type | Film | Worldwide Gross | Domestic Gross | Production Budget | Estimated Profit |
| 2006 | Highest Grossing | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest | $1,066,178,725 | $423,315,812 (39.7%) | $225,000,000 | $841,178,725 |
| 2nd Highest Grossing | The Da Vinci Code | $758,239,851 | $217,536,138 (28.7%) | $125,000,000 | $633,239,851 | |
| 3rd Highest Grossing | Ice Age: The Meltdown | $660,940,780 | $195,330,621 (29.6%) | $80,000,000 | $580,940,780 | |
| Oscar Best Picture Winner | Crash | $98,410,061 | $54,580,300 (55.5%) | $6,500,000 | $91,910,061 | |
| Highest Metacritic Score | Pan’s Labyrinth [Metacritic Score: 98] | $83,258,226 | $37,634,615 (45.2%) | $19,000,000 | $64,258,226 | |
| 2007 | Highest Grossing | Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End | $963,420,425 | $309,420,425 (32.1%) | $300,000,000 | $663,420,425 |
| 2nd Highest Grossing | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | $939,885,929 | $292,004,738 (31.1%) | $200,000,000 | $739,885,929 | |
| 3rd Highest Grossing | Spider-Man 3 | $890,871,626 | $336,530,303 (37.8%) | $270,000,000 | $620,871,626 | |
| Oscar Best Picture Winner | The Departed | $289,847,354 | $132,384,315 (45.7%) | $90,000,000 | $199,847,354 | |
| Highest Metacritic Score | Ratatouille [Metacritic Score: 96] | $620,702,951 | $206,445,654 (33.3%) | $150,000,000 | $470,702,951 | |
| 2008 | Highest Grossing | The Dark Knight | $1,004,558,444 | $534,858,444 | $185,000,000 | $819,558,444 |
| 2nd Highest Grossing | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull | $786,636,033 | $317,101,119 (40.3%) | $185,000,000 | $601,636,033 | |
| 3rd Highest Grossing | Kung Fu Panda | $631,744,560 | $215,434,591 (34.1%) | $130,000,000 | $501,744,560 | |
| Oscar Best Picture Winner | No Country for Old Men | $171,627,166 | $74,283,625 (43.3%) | $25,000,000 | $146,627,166 | |
| Highest Metacritic Score | 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days [Metacritic Score: 97] | $9,800,000 | $1,198,208 (12.2%) | $700,000 | $9,100,000 | |
| 2009 | Highest Grossing | Avatar | $2,787,965,087 | $760,507,625 (27.3%) | $237,000,000 | $2,550,965,087 |
| 2nd Highest Grossing | Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | $934,416,487 | $301,959,197 (32.3%) | $250,000,000 | $684,416,487 | |
| 3rd Highest Grossing | Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs | $886,686,817 | $196,573,705 (22.2%) | $90,000,000 | $796,686,817 | |
| Oscar Best Picture Winner | Slumdog Millionaire | $377,910,544 | $141,319,928 (37.4%) | $15,000,000 | $362,910,544 | |
| Highest Metacritic Score | The Hurt Locker [Metacritic Score: 94] | $49,230,772 | $17,017,811 (34.6%) | $15,000,000 | $34,230,772 | |
| 2010 | Highest Grossing | Toy Story 3 | $1,066,969,703 | $415,004,880 (38.9%) | $200,000,000 | $866,969,703 |
| 2nd Highest Grossing | Alice in Wonderland | $1,025,467,110 | $334,191,110 (32.6%) | $200,000,000 | $825,467,110 | |
| 3rd Highest Grossing | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 | $960,983,305 | $295,983,305 (30.8%) | $125,000,000* *250,000,000 budget shared with Part 2 | $835,983,305 | |
| Oscar Best Picture Winner | The Hurt Locker | $49,230,772 | $17,017,811 (34.6%) | $15,000,000 | $34,230,772 | |
| Highest Metacritic Score | The Social Network [Metacritic Score: 95] | $224,920,315 | $96,962,694 (43.1%) | $40,000,000 | $184,920,315 | |
| 2011 | Highest Grossing | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 | $1,341,511,219 | $381,011,219 (28.4%) | $125,000,000* *250,000,000 budget shared with Part 2 | $1,216,511,219 |
| 2nd Highest Grossing | Transformers: Dark of the Moon | $1,123,794,079 | $352,390,543 (31.4%) | $195,000,000 | $928,794,079 | |
| 3rd Highest Grossing | Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides | $1,045,713,802 | $241,071,802 (23.1%) | $410,600,000 | $635,113,802 | |
| Oscar Best Picture Winner | The King’s Speech | $414,211,549 | $138,797,449 (33.5%) | $15,000,000 | $399,211,549 | |
| Highest Metacritic Score | A Separation [Metacritic Score: 95] | $19,899,055 | $7,099,055 (35.7%) | $500,000 | $19,399,055 | |
| 2012 | Highest Grossing | Marvel’s the Avengers | $1,518,812,988 | $623,357,910 (41.0%) | $220,000,000 | $1,298,812,988 |
| 2nd Highest Grossing | Skyfall | $1,108,561,013 | $304,360,277 (27.5%) | $200,000,000 | $908,561,013 | |
| 3rd Highest Grossing | The Dark Knight Rises | $1,084,939,099 | $448,139,099 (41.3%) | $300,000,000 | $784,939,099 | |
| Oscar Best Picture Winner | The Artist | $133,432,856 | $44,671,682 (33.5%) | $15,000,000 | $118,432,856 | |
| Highest Metacritic Score | Zero Dark Thirty [Metacritic Score: 95] | $132,820,716 | $95,720,716 (72.1%) | $40,000,000 | $92,820,716 | |
| 2013 | Highest Grossing | Frozen | $1,276,480,335 | $400,738,009 (31.4%) | $150,000,000 | $1,126,480,335 |
| 2nd Highest Grossing | Iron Man 3 | $1,214,811,252 | $409,013,994 (33.7%) | $200,000,000 | $1,014,811,252 | |
| 3rd Highest Grossing | Despicable Me 2 | $970,761,885 | $368,061,265 (37.9%) | $76,000,000 | $894,761,885 | |
| Oscar Best Picture Winner | Argo | $232,325,503 | $136,025,503 (58.5%) | $44,500,000 | $187,825,503 | |
| Highest Metacritic Score | 12 Years a Slave [Metacritic Score: 96] | $187,733,202 | $56,671,993 (30.2%) | $20,000,000 | $167,733,202 | |
| 2014 | Highest Grossing | Transformers: Age of Extinction | $1,104,054,072 | $245,439,076 (22.2%) | $210,000,000 | $894,054,072 |
| 2nd Highest Grossing | The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies | $956,019,788 | $255,119,788 (26.7) | $250,000,000* *$745,000,000 budget shared for trilogy | $706,019,788 | |
| 3rd Highest Grossing | Guardians of the Galaxy | $773,328,629 | $333,176,600 (43.1%) | $232,000,000 | $541,328,629 | |
| Oscar Best Picture Winner | 12 Years a Slave | $187,733,202 | $56,671,993 (30.2%) | $20,000,000 | $167,733,202 | |
| Highest Metacritic Score | Boyhood [Metacritic Score: 100] | $44,495,281 | $25,352,281 (57.0%) | $4,000,000 | $40,495,281 | |
| 2015 | Highest Grossing | Star Wars: The Force Awakens | $2,068,223,624 | $936,662,225 (45.3%) | $306,000,000 | $1,762,223,624 |
| 2nd Highest Grossing | Jurassic World | $1,671,713,208 | $652,270,625 (39.0%) | $152,000,000 | $1,519,713,208 | |
| 3rd Highest Grossing | Furious 7 | $1,516,045,911 | $353,007,020 (23.3%) | $190,000,000 | $1,326,045,911 | |
| Oscar Best Picture Winner | Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) | $103,215,094 | $42,340,598 (41.0%) | $18,000,000 | $85,215,094 | |
| Highest Metacritic Score | Carol [Metacritic Score: 95] | $40,272,135 | $12,711,491 (31.6%) | $11,800,000 | $28,472,135 | |
| 2016 | Highest Grossing | Captain America: Civil War | $1,153,304,495 | $408,084,349 (35.4%) | $250,000,000 | $903,304,495 |
| 2nd Highest Grossing | Rogue One: A Star Wars Story | $1,056,057,273 | $532,177,324 (50.4%) | $200,000,000 | $856,057,273 | |
| 3rd Highest Grossing | Finding Dory | $1,028,570,889 | $486,295,561 | $200,000,000 | $828,570,889 | |
| Oscar Best Picture Winner | Spotlight | $88,346,473 | $45,055,776 (51.0%) | $20,000,000 | $68,346,473 | |
| Highest Metacritic Score | Moonlight [Metacritic Score: 99] *Also Oscar Best Picture for 2017 | $65,046,687 | $27,854,932 (42.8%) | $1,500,000 | $63,546,687 |
Sources:
- http://www.boxofficemojo.com
- http://www.metacritic.com
- http://oscars.org/
- https://www.the-numbers.com
- https://en.wikipedia.org
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_expensive_films
- https://web.archive.org/web/20070626042023/http://www.filmjournal.com/filmjournal/features/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003600960&imw=Y
- https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9914883
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0407887/trivia
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/csylt/2014/07/22/fourth-pirates-of-the-caribbean-is-most-expensive-movie-ever-with-costs-of-410-million/#790b22cd364f
- http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/24/movies/24orig.html
- http://www.ew.com/article/2013/11/27/box-office-preview-frozen-catching-fire/
- https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ben-afflecks-argo-painstaking-work-419441
- https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hobbit-trilogy-reportedly-cost-745m
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/csylt/2015/01/27/disney-reveals-guardians-of-the-galaxy-was-over-budget-at-232-million/#5d90dd1337c2
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/emilycanal/2016/09/21/jurassic-park-film-franchise-budgets-prove-bigger-isnt-always-better/#405d29be6cd1
- http://www.indiewire.com/2014/10/how-birdman-got-made-fox-searchlight-and-new-regency-partners-tell-all-keaton-norton-stone-videos-190522/
- http://deadline.com/2016/06/finding-dory-box-office-central-intelligence-captain-america-totals-1201774498/
- http://www.vulture.com/2015/11/tom-mccarthy-on-spotlight-oscars.html
- http://www.indiewire.com/2017/03/moonlight-wins-top-10-lowest-budget-best-picture-winners-oscar-history-1201788405/
