-3.jpg?q=50&fit=contain&w=1140&h=&dpr=1.5)
There are many ways how people can measure a movie's success but one of the most important ones, at least for the studios who make the movies, is the box office gross. It shows how many people the movie drew in and whether it's financially viable to make a sequel, if possible.
The magical border that many consider a huge success is the box office gross of one billion dollars. Of course, not every movie that crosses this line also has perfect ratings. But the best of the best not only made over a billion dollars but also got positive ratings online.
10 The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (2003): 93%
The Lord of the Rings is one of the most successful and popular series of all time, both the books and the movies. As a result, the fans will get the chance to return to their favorite fantasy world this year when the new The Lord of the Rings series premieres.
But before that happens, they can re-watch the entire trilogy, including the final movie that was the most successful of them, profit-wise. It earned 1,146 billion dollars at the box office and continues to captivate fans of epic fantasy to this day.
9 Star Wars: Episode 7 - The Force Awakens (2015): 93%
The first part of the new Star Wars trilogy got a lot of criticism for copying Episode 4's plot to a certain degree. Despite that, the movie was a hit and made 2,069 billion at the box office. Star Wars fans were hungry for new content from the cinematic universe since the last Star Wars movie came out in 2005.
The ten-year break had been too long for the fans, so they visited the cinemas in large numbers. The Force Awakens then managed not only to introduce new characters but also to bridge the gap between the new and older movie trilogy, making it a solid start of a new story with the future generation of heroes.
8 Finding Dory (2016): 94%
Sometimes the side characters turn out to be just as fun and memorable as the main heroes. That's what happened with the fish Dory in the 2003 hit Finding Nemo. Just like with multiple animated series, the fact that the audience had to wait for so long for the sequel might have attributed to its financial success.
The fans of Finding Nemo were simply happy to return to the same world again, as the box office of 1,028 billion dollars proves. Plus, the return of old characters from the previous movie also was a huge bonus for the fans.
7 Avengers: Endgame (2019): 94%
Considering the development of the MCU, it is logical that Avengers: Endgame is the movie with the highest box office gross of the entire superhero universe. After all, Endgame presented the finale of multiple movies, and also some iconic characters.
It scored 2,797 billion dollars at the box office and also got excellent ratings from both the critics (94 percent) and the audience (90 percent). The movie managed to combine humor, drama, and action, and brought back many beloved characters, making it a must-watch for all MCU fans.
6 The Dark Knight (2008): 94%
Even though its box office gross is dangerously edging the one billion dollar line with the overall profit being 1,005 billion, The Dark Knight isn't only the most profitable part of the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy but also the best one. At least judging both by the critics' ratings (94 percent) and the audience's (also 94 percent).
A large part of it can be attributed to the character of the Joker portrayed by Heath Ledger whom many fans consider one of the best villains that have ever appeared on the movie screen.
5 Black Panther (2018): 96%
By introducing Black Panther to the world in Captain America: Civil War and then by giving him his solo movie, the MCU managed to fulfill another void that has existed in it until 2018. It proved that not all successful superheroes have to look like Captain America and present a vital part of the MCU, the technologically rich and vibrant land of Wakanda.
The strong story, acting performances, and the joy of discovering something new worked and Black Panther earned 1,347 billion dollars at the box office.
4 Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011): 96%
Just like Avengers: Endgame, the second part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows presented an end of one era. To this day, the Harry Potter series remains one of the biggest franchises of all time. It recently celebrated 20 years since the release of the first movie by releasing the HBO special Return to Hogwarts, and it's still going strong.
This movie earned 1,342 billion dollars, and it gave the fans what they had been waiting for so long - the chance to witness Voldemort's fall and Harry's victory.
3 Toy Story 4 (2019): 97%
Coming nine years after its predecessor, it was unclear whether Toy Story 4 would prove as successful as the previous movies. Yet the road trip of the beloved characters managed to once again create a feel-good, fun adventure story that people visited in large numbers.
It earned 1,073 billion dollars at the box office and showed that a well-thought-up sequel can be just as amazing as the movies that came before it.
2 Toy Story 3 (2010): 98%
Toy Story 3 is the rare proof that a sequel (let alone a second one) can work just as well as the original movie. It's once again a blend of humor, adventure, and strong characters, all put together in a story that the viewers will enjoy regardless of their age.
The movie scored the highest Rotten Tomatoes rating of the entire series and earned 1,066 billion dollars at the box office. What's more, the audience also enjoyed it and gave it a highly positive rating of 90 percent.
1 Zootopia (2016): 98%
Animated movies have a lot of charm for both children and adult audiences. Especially if they manage to present a catching story and come up with an original world. Zootopia does all of these things, and more, it also has an unforgettable buddy cop duo that couldn't be more different yet learns to work together and becomes friends.
The movie offers a lot of tiny fun details and Easter eggs that are impossible to uncover during the initial watching, so it's ideal for re-watches. It earned 1,024 billion dollars at the box office, making it one of the most successful animated movies of all time.