40 movie sequels have hit $1 billion or more at the box office — here they all are
27 August, 2026Nermeen Nabil0 Comments1 category
The cast of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.”
Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” recently crossed the $2 billion threshold.
It’s the fourth installment in the Tom Holland-led “Spider-Man” series.
It joins 39 other sequels that have made seven figures at the box office.
At one time, sequels were expected to have diminishing returns — but not anymore. Now, if a sequel doesn’t outgross its predecessor, it can be considered something of a failure.
Perhaps that’s why, among the 64 films released by US studios that have made $1 billion at the box office, a whopping 40 of them are direct sequels to other movies — 44 if you count “Rogue One,” “Minions,” “The Phantom Menace,” or “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” which are technically prequels.
This year alone, three sequels — “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” “Toy Story 5,” and “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” — have made at least $1 billion, with “Brand New Day” entering even more rarefied air by grossing over $2 billion, just the seventh film released by a US studio to do so.
Here are all 40 sequels to have hit $1 billion at the box office, according to Box Office Mojo data, from “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” to “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.”
40. “Jurassic World Dominion” (2022)
Universal Studios
Worldwide gross: $1,001,978,080
39. “The Dark Knight” (2008)
“The Dark Knight.”
Warner Bros. Pictures
Worldwide gross: $1,008,480,529
38. “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” (2026)
“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.”
Universal Pictures
Worldwide gross: $1,013,045,939
37. “Finding Dory” (2016)
“Finding Dory.”
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Worldwide gross: $1,029,266,989
36. “Despicable Me 3” (2017)
“Despicable Me 3.”
Universal Pictures
Worldwide gross: $1,034,800,131
35. “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” (2011)
“Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.”
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Worldwide gross: $1,046,721,266
34. “Moana 2” (2024)
“Moana 2.”
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Worldwide gross: $1,059,242,164
33. “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” (2006)
“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.”
Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
Worldwide gross: $1,066,179,747
32. “Toy Story 3” (2010)
“Toy Story 3.”
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Worldwide gross: $1,067,316,101
31. “Toy Story 4” (2019)
“Toy Story 4.”
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Worldwide gross: $1,073,841,394
30. “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” (2019)
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.”
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Worldwide gross: $1,077,022,372
29. “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012)
“The Dark Knight Rises.”
Warner Bros. Pictures
Worldwide gross: $1,085,429,692
28. “Transformers: Age of Extinction” (2014)
Here’s a bunch of Transformers standing around in “Transformers: Age of Extinction.” They are all hideous. And that’s fine.
Paramount Pictures
Worldwide gross: $1,105,261,713
27. “Skyfall” (2012)
“Skyfall.”
Sony Pictures Releasing
Worldwide gross: $1,108,594,137
26. “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” (2011)
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon.”
Paramount Pictures
Worldwide gross: $1,123,794,079
25. “Toy Story 5” (2026)
“Toy Story 5.”
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Worldwide gross: $1,128,693,939
24. “Spider-Man: Far From Home” (2019)
“Spider-Man: Far From Home.”
Sony Pictures Releasing
Worldwide gross: $1,132,723,226
23. “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003)
“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”
New Line Cinema
Worldwide gross: $1,149,453,674
22. “Captain America: Civil War” (2016)
“Captain America: Civil War.”
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Worldwide gross: $1,155,046,416
21. “Iron Man 3” (2013)
“Iron Man 3.”
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Worldwide gross: $1,215,577,205
20. “The Fate of the Furious” (2017)
“The Fate of the Furious.”
Universal Pictures
Worldwide gross: $1,236,009,236
19. “Incredibles 2” (2018)
“Incredibles 2.”
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Worldwide gross: $1,243,225,667
18. “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” (2018)
“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.”
Universal Pictures
Worldwide gross: $1,308,566,455
17. “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” (2017)
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi.”
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Worldwide gross: $1,334,407,706
16. “Deadpool & Wolverine” (2024)
“Deadpool & Wolverine.”
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Worldwide gross: $1,338,073,645
15. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” (2011)
