- Two films released this year have taken more than $1 billion globally
- 2024 has been the year of the sequel
- This year has also been strong for animated features
The numbers are in and we now know the biggest grossing movies of 2024
The past 12 months have seen more people return to the theatre than in previous years, with sequels and animated films dominating the top 10 biggest grossing movies list.
While 2023 saw more people venturing back to cinemas after COVID, 2024 has built on this, with a range of movies pulling in big crowds.
Read more: Everything we know about Wicked Part 2
There have been two major trends among the biggest grossing movies of the year: sequels and animation. Of the top 10 movies of the year, nine are sequels or part of an established franchise. Only one movie – Wicked – was not a sequel, although it is based on a well-established Broadway musical, so it isn’t a new idea.
Animated films have also fared well, with three among the top five, showing that children and young people are enjoying the cinema experience again.
Here is the top 10, with all figures taken from Box Office Mojo.
What were the biggest grossing movies of 2024?
Inside Out 2
Inside Out 2, which took us back into Riley’s mind, grossed $1.7 billion at the global box office. The action picks up a couple of years after the original film and sees the now teenage Riley’s emotions – Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger and Disgust – deal with new challenges in her life, as well as a range of new emotions that join them in headquarters.
Deadpool & Wolverine
The long-anticipated third instalment in the Deadpool franchise saw the Merc with the Mouth make the jump into the MCU. And he brought one of the X-Men – the reliably grouchy Wolverine – with him. The first R-rated MCU film was the only entry into the MCU this year, which helped ramp up footfall at the theater – it took more than $1.38 billion at the box office.
Despicable Me 4
The first Despicable Me film for seven years – there was a second Minions film in 2022 – took us back to the world of Gru, and finds that he and Lucy had had a son, Gru Jr. but family life is shattered when a notorious villain escapes prison and vows revenge on Gru, forcing him, along with his family and the Minions, to go on the run. It took $970 million.
Moana 2
After the success of Moana, a sequel was inevitable and so 2024 saw the release of Moana 2. Taking place three years on from the original film, Moana now has a younger sibling. Reuniting with demigod Maui, she must set off to find a lost island and break its curse. It proved popular with theatregoers and grossed $722 million.
Dune: Part Two
The second part of the sci-fi trilogy was an early box office leader this year, taking $714 million. It followed Paul Atreides and the Fremen people of Arrakis waging war against House Harkonnen. Here is all we know about Dune: Part Three, which is in the works.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
It was back to the Monsterverse this year as the two legendary figures teamed up to fight a new foe. Taking more than $570 million at the box office, it means it is likely that more films will be on the way in this franchise.
Kung Fu Panda 4
Another beloved franchise to return in 2024 was Kung Fu Panda. While the usual rule of thumb for movies is that by the fourth instalment, audiences drift away as the writers run out of ideas. That showed no sign of happening here as it took more than $547 million at the box office.
Wicked
The only non-sequel in the top 10 – although based on the hugely successful Broadway musical – Wicked successfully made the leap to the big screen, taking $531 million at the time of writing. The story of the film hasn’t finished its theatrical run yet so it could go higher in this list.
Venom: The Last Dance
It has been a tough year for the Sony Spider-Man Universe, with Madame Web and Kraven The Hunter both bombing at the box office. The one high point was the third and seemingly final instalment of the Venom franchise, which took $476 million, despite mixed reviews from the critics.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
The final entry in the top 10 is the most long-awaited sequel, coming 35 years after the original film. However, audiences flocked to Tim Burton’s latest offering, which brought back most of the original cast, added in Jenna Ortega (as she has to be in all spooky films/shows these days) and charmed with its reliance on old-school visual effects rather than CGI. It took $451 million at the box office.
