The 2000s was the decade in which the $2 billion mark at the box office was surpassed for the first time.
That honour went to Avatar, which grossed an astonishing $2,713,395,000. James Cameron's fantasy epic remains the highest-grossing movie of all time, even with the recent dominance of the box office from superhero movies.
The noughties were the era in which franchise features started dominating, as every single movie in the top 10 highest-earners came from a series of movies.
We can perhaps give exceptions to Avatar and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, as these were movies that kicked off the franchises, though Potter did use an existing intellectual property.
The top 10 HIGHEST GROSSING movies of the 1990s
In addition to The Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter is represented in the top 10 by The Order of the Phoenix and The Half-Blood Prince.
The second highest-grossing movie of the noughties is an Oscar winner - Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King which won numerous Academy Awards including Best Picture. That earned $1,119,110,941 and is joined in the top 10 by The Two Towers, which earned $925,282,504.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dean Man's Chest and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End earned $1,066,179,725 and $960,996,492 respectively.
The only wholly animated movie in the top 10 is Shrek 2.
Biggest movies of the 2000s
| Movie | Year of Release | Worldwide Gross |
|---|---|---|
| Avatar | 2009 | $2,713,395,000 |
| The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | 2003 | $1,119,110,941 |
| Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest | 2006 | $1,066,179,725 |
| The Dark Knight | 2008 | $1,001,921,825 |
| Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | 2001 | $974,733,550 |
| Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End | 2007 | $960,996,492 |
| Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | 2007 | $938,212,738 |
| Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | 2009 | $929,359,401 |
| The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | 2002 | $925,282,504 |
| Shrek 2 | 2004 | $919,838,758 |
Related Movies
Avatar
Fantasy / Adventure
2009 • 162 minutes
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The
Adventure / Fantasy
2002 • 179 minutes
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The
Adventure / Fantasy
2003 • 201 minutes
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Fantasy / Adventure
2007 • 169 minutes
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Fantasy / Adventure
2006 • 150 minutes
Dark Knight, The
Action / Crime
2008 • 152 minutes
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Adventure / Fantasy
2007 • 138 minutes
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Adventure / Fantasy
2009 • 153 minutes
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Adventure / Fantasy
2001 • 152 minutes
Shrek 2
Animation / Comedy
2004 • 93 minutes
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