The movie industry has been a wild ride over the last five years, with billion-dollar blockbusters battling it out to rule the global box office. From superhero epics to long-awaited sequels, the question is: which film claims the crown for the highest-grossing movie since 2019? At Top Rated Global, we’ve sifted through the numbers, analyzed theatrical runs, and broken down the stats to find the ultimate champ. Spoiler alert: Avatar: The Way of Water is making some serious waves.
Global Box Office Rankings – Inflation-Adjusted Where Available
Image: 20th Century Studios
The Undisputed Champion: “Avatar: The Way of Water” (2022)
Key Stats
- Global Box Office: $2.32B
- Production Budget: $460M
- Release Period: December 2022 (peak holiday season)
- Legs: 17-week theatrical run
Top 10 Highest-Grossing Movies (2019–2023)
| Rank | Movie | Year | Global Earnings | Budget | Weeks in Top 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avatar: The Way of Water | 2022 | $2.32B | $460M | 17 |
| 2 | Avengers: Endgame | 2019 | $2.79B* | $356M | 15 |
| 3 | Spider-Man: No Way Home | 2021 | $1.92B | $200M | 13 |
| 4 | Top Gun: Maverick | 2022 | $1.49B | $170M | 21 |
| 5 | Jurassic World Dominion | 2022 | $1.00B | $185M | 9 |
| 6 | The Lion King (2019) | 2019 | $1.66B | $260M | 12 |
| 7 | Barbie | 2023 | $1.44B | $145M | 16 |
| 8 | Frozen II | 2019 | $1.45B | $150M | 11 |
| 9 | Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | 2019 | $1.07B | $275M | 8 |
| 10 | Joker | 2019 | $1.07B | $55M | 14 |
Note: Avengers: Endgame’s 2.79Bisoftenadjustedto 2.79Bisoftenadjustedto 2.5B for inflation comparisons.
Key Takeaways
- Superhero Fatigue? Not Yet:
- 4 of the top 10 are Marvel/DC films.
- Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) thrived despite pandemic restrictions.
- Pandemic Resilience:
- Top Gun: Maverick (1.49B)and∗Avatar2∗(1.49B)and∗Avatar2∗(2.32B) proved audiences would return for “event cinema.”
- Budget vs. Profit:
- Joker had the best ROI (19x returns on $55M budget).
- Avatar 2 needed $1.5B+ to break even (due to marketing costs).
Category Winners
| Metric | Winner | Runner-Up |
|---|---|---|
| Highest Grossing | Avatar 2 | Avengers: Endgame |
| Best ROI | Joker | Barbie |
| Longest Legs | Top Gun: Maverick (21 weeks) | Avatar 2 (17 weeks) |
| Biggest Opening | Avengers: Endgame ($1.2B) | Spider-Man: NWH ($600M) |
Why These Movies Dominated
- Nostalgia + Innovation
- Top Gun: Maverick combined practical effects with IMAX spectacle.
- Spider-Man: No Way Home leveraged multiverse fan service.
- Theatrical Exclusivity
- Avatar 2 had no early streaming—forced big-screen viewing.
- Cultural Moments
- Barbie ($1.44B) rode the “Barbenheimer” social media wave.
James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) storms in as the top earner, raking in a massive $2.32 billion worldwide. With a hefty $460 million production budget, this sci-fi spectacle—packed with groundbreaking underwater visuals and a 3D experience that screams “see it in theaters”—dominated the 2022 holiday season, holding strong for a 17-week theatrical run. Its global appeal, especially in markets like China ($245 million) and France ($129.8 million), plus premium IMAX and 3D ticket sales, pushed it to the third-highest-grossing film ever, behind only Avatar (2009) and Avengers: Endgame (2019).
But the competition was no slouch. Avengers: Endgame (2019) pulled in $2.79 billion, fueled by Marvel’s decade-long buildup and a fan frenzy to see the Infinity Saga’s climax. Its $356 million budget was steep, but a 15-week run and re-releases helped it briefly snatch the all-time crown from Avatar before a 2021 re-release pushed Cameron’s original back to the top. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) surprised with $1.92 billion on a leaner $200 million budget, riding nostalgia and multiverse hype to a 13-week sprint. Top Gun: Maverick (2022) soared to $1.49 billion, proving Tom Cruise’s star power and a lean $170 million budget could stretch a 21-week run into box office gold. Rounding out the pack, Jurassic World Dominion (2022) hit $1 billion, but its 9-week run and $185 million budget felt less dominant.
Avatar: The Way of Water stands out not just for its earnings but for its staying power in a post-pandemic world. While Endgame had Marvel’s unstoppable momentum and No Way Home leaned on Spider-Man’s universal appeal, Cameron’s sequel bet big on spectacle—think jaw-dropping VFX and a story built for the big screen. Its 17-week run dwarfed Dominion’s 9 weeks and even outlasted Endgame’s 15. Against Top Gun: Maverick’s leaner budget and longer 21-week run, Avatar’s sheer scale and premium ticket prices (hello, IMAX) sealed its victory. Disney’s muscle, post-Fox acquisition, didn’t hurt either, ensuring a global push that saw it become the highest-grossing film ever in markets like France and Germany.
So, is Avatar: The Way of Water the undisputed king of the last five years? With $2.32 billion and a cultural splash that’s still rippling, it’s hard to argue otherwise. But the box office is a battlefield, and we’re diving deeper into what made these blockbusters tick—and who’s gunning for the throne next.
