The film industry is in a constant flow of changing numbers and releases that we, as movie lovers, have to keep an eye on. Although the audience might not be as interested in earnings and ticket sales as the studio executives, it’s always mind-blowing to see just how many people around the globe pay to see the same films that you do. More than that, box office numbers indicate to studios which movies do well and which don’t, influencing top-down decisions about future projects they might invest in.

Updated: December 2022: To keep this article fresh and relevant by adding more information and entries, this article has been updated by Dylan Reber.

With the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home, which overtook Avatar at the domestic box office, and this year’s premiere of The Batman starring Robert Pattinson, the statistics for highest-grossing franchises will inevitably keep changing. Here’s a look at the 14 highest-grossing movie franchises of all time as of November 2022. (Numbers listed are in the billions.)

14 Despicable Me — $4.64B

     Illumination

Here’s one that might surprise you. With the 2022 release of Minions: The Rise of Gru, Illumination’s Despicable Me franchise claimed the spot of the 14th highest grossing film franchise of all time. The only animated series to make this list, it’s grown increasingly popular thanks to the minions, lovable yellow creatures who speak in the invented language of “Minionese.” The franchise appeals primarily to children, which has helped it bring in a whopping $4.64 billion since 2010. It shows no signs of slowing down, and Despicable Me 4 is slated for 2024.

13 Transformers — $4.85B

     Paramount Pictures

Though it’s been a while since we’ve seen a Transformers film hit theaters, the series had an enormously successful run across seven movies. Known for their bombastic action set pieces and impressive CGI, this series was originally brought to life by famed director Michael Bay. With $4.85 billion earned so far, it won’t be long until we see another Transformers picture on the big screen. In addition to the upcoming Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, Cinema Blend reports that an unnamed Transformers prequel film is also in the works.

12 The Lord of the Rings — $5.95B

     New Line Cinema

11 Jurassic Park — $6B

     Universal Pictures

It’s too bad the Jurassic World installments aren’t nearly up to par with the original, but there still remains potential for current and future filmmakers to breathe new life into this dinosaur-centered franchise. Based on the eponymous novel by Michael Crichton, the original Jurassic Park imagines what might happen if genetic scientists made it possible for dinosaurs to return to Earth and inhabit a theme park. Notable A-listers from the spread of films include Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard. Recent entries in the series have continued to rake in the dough, and the franchise has grossed over $6 billion to date.

10 X-Men — $6.08B

     Marvel Studios

Stan Lee and Jack Kirby have rightfully taken credit for creating the X-Men mutants and allowing it to become the eighth highest-grossing movie franchise of all time with $6.08 billion. Since Marvel Studios obtained the rights to the X-Men franchise, it was only a matter of time until the worlds would merge together on screen. With the release of Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness, we can confirm that the X-Men will appear in the MCU franchise soon. Although there have already been some fandom disputes, we’re excited to see how this plays out.

9 DC Universe — $6.19B

     Warner Bros. Pictures

The Justice League has been one of the most recognizable superhero teams in the world. When it comes to franchises, the films featuring DC’s beloved characters are often battling Marvel’s hit films (see more about the MCU below). DC Comics’ heroes often unite to stop a grand massive threat. While they’ve had various members over the years, the team is more recognizable for including the trinity of DC Comics: Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. According to CNBC, the DCU’s feature films — though sometimes receiving mixed reviews — have amassed an impressive box office total, collectively coming to $6.19 billion and counting.

8 Fast and Furious — $6.62B

Looking back at the Fast and Furious franchise, it can get a little ridiculous and unrealistic — and yet, you can’t help but love everything about it. The franchise has grossed over $6.6 billion so far. We still have two more movies to look forward to, which will conclude the series. The franchise perfectly mixes themes of family with flashy cars and high stakes action. We can also thank it for thrusting Vin Diesel and the late Paul Walker to stardom.

7 Batman — $6.84B

With the release of The Batman starring Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz earlier this year, the Batman franchise has moved up a few spots on the list. The DC Comics hero has been adapted more than 13 times over the span of 82 years, and the craze probably won’t die down anytime soon. Indeed, $6.8 billion is more than enough to confirm that fans want to see more of Gotham City’s Caped Crusader.

6 The Avengers — $7.76B

We all know just how massive the MCU is, but you still have to admit that four films alone grossing over $7.76B is more than impressive. Has anyone ever watched the Avengers quadrilogy independently of the other movies? Does it still make sense? Sometimes, it feels nostalgic to think about what it was like back in 2012, when everyone had their floor in the Avenger’s Tower. But we have to accept that this chapter is closed — for now. With new MCU heroes joining the fray, new Avengers team-ups and formations are bound to happen.

5 James Bond — $7.83B

     Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Sean Connery, David Niven, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig have all portrayed agent 007 by the name of James Bond from 1962 to 2021. This amounts to 27 movies that have grossed over $7.83 billion worldwide. Despite some criticism of the franchise’s narrative elements, it’s no secret that Bond is the most renowned spy character in the history of cinema. The amount of speculation that has gone into the search for the next James Bond is a testament to the franchise’s longevity.

4 Wizarding World — $9.66B

The massive success of the Harry Potter book series was a big indicator of how the films would do when Warner Bros. decided to adapt them. 11 Wizarding World movies have managed to gross over $9.6 billion at the worldwide box office. All four directors that worked on the movies (Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuarón, Mike Newell, and David Yates) put their unique spin on the style and the storytelling. The Fantastic Beasts series is a great spin-off and prequel, but we would also definitely love to see a series dedicated to the Marauders’ era at Hogwarts.

3 Spider-Man — $9.8B

     Columbia Pictures

It’s only recently that the Spider-Man franchise took Harry Potter’s third place as the highest-grossing movie franchise. It’s all thanks to the release of the latest entry, Spider-Man: No Way Home, which has grossed over $1.53 billion worldwide. Although Kevin Feige confirmed that they are developing a fourth MCU Spider-Man movie, it’s hard to say how it’s going to work out given the ongoing conflict between Disney and Sony. No matter the drama and disputes, Spider-Man still ranks third with over $9.8 billion grossed.

2 Star Wars — $10.31B

     Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Nine movies grossing over $10.31 billion and all nominated for the Academy Awards at some point — this is as clear an indication of both critical and commercial success as there can be. We wonder if it was George Lucas’ intention to make a pop-cultural phenomenon out of a sci-fi movie from the 70s. With three separate film trilogies and another planned trilogy on the way, it’s safe to say that Star Wars will more than likely keep its spot on this list.

1 Marvel Cinematic Universe — $27.98B

     Marvel Studios / Disney

At last, we have a franchise that is so far ahead of the box office numbers, that it’s virtually impossible to take its place. It certainly helps that there are over two dozen movies in the franchise so far, but it doesn’t mean each of those movies aren’t commercial successes on their own. From Iron Man in 2008 to, most recently, Thor: Love and Thunder in 2022, the Marvel Cinematic Universe keeps proving there are more stories to tell. Even though some are afraid that the universe is getting too complicated for its own good, the $27.98 billion mark is a sign that they won’t stop anytime soon.