Sitting in the theater, a bag of popcorn in one hand and soda in the other, we all love watching movies, but let’s see which ones were the top grossing movies of 2015.
Hollywood is constantly making movies. Action flicks, romance, horrors, mysteries, science fiction – it doesn’t really matter the genre since there’s always someone that can’t wait to see a certain title running in the nearest theater.
This year’s top grossing movies are some that you’re quite likely to expect in the list because you’ve seen them all. They’re those films that everyone got excited to see, those films that have received tons of trailers and promotional hype. Some of them are also part of well-known franchises, which also helps with how much money they make at the box office and how many people have run to the theaters before the plot was ruined for them over on the Internet.
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You can also check to see whether any of these movies are among the top 10 most googled movies in 2015.
Since some of these movies have been launched a while ago and are already out of the theaters, we’re going to add a line about how many weeks they’ve spent in theaters and whether they can still be viewed on the big screens. For instance, while our number one managed to bring in a lot of cash, it spent quite a few weeks in cinemas, our number three managed to bring in about two-thirds of what number one did, but only in three weeks. For the sake of objectivity, however, and since we can’t predict the future, we’re going to go with the numbers available at the time of the writing.
So, let’s take a look at the top grossing movies of 2015 according to worldwide data from Box Office Mojo and check whether we’ve seen them all or not.
10. The Martian
Worldwide box office: $596.3 million
Weeks in theaters – 14
Still in theaters? – Yes
The Sci-fi movie The Martian was launched in early October, and it can still be caught in cinemas, which means it still has time to attract money from box office sales. So far, however, The Martian has managed to score $596.3 million worldwide, out of which $225.9 million in the United States alone.
The movie tells the story of a manned mission to Mars, when one astronaut is believed to be dead and left behind on the planet, trying to find a way to signal back to Earth that he is alive and that they should retrieve him. The cast features some big names, including Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels and Sean Bean, to name a few.
9. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2
Worldwide box office: $635.9 million
Weeks in theaters – 14
Still in theaters? – Yes
The final movie in the Hunger Games franchise has been quite awaited by fans of the books and movie series alike. After all, it’s been years in the making and everyone wanted to see just how the director will manage to translate onto film what the book was trying to convey. While critics have found plenty to complain about, viewers have been largely happy with seeing the series come to an end.
The film was launched in November and it’s still in theaters, which means that it can still rack up some money. So far, however, it has pulled in $635.9 million worldwide, out of which $274.2 million in the United States alone.
The cast includes the names we’ve come to associate with the franchise, including Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Julianne Moore, Elizabeth Banks and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.
8. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
Worldwide box office: $682.3 million
Weeks in theaters – 13
Still in theaters? – No
In this next movie, Tom Cruise takes back the role of Ethan Hunt, going on yet another adventure. This time around, he’s trying to eradicate the Syndicate, an international rogue organization that tries to destroy the IMF.
The movie landed on the big screens back in July and it’s already run its course, managing to bring in $682.3 million across the world, out of which $195 million in the United States alone. Since the budget was of an estimated $150 million it’s done quite well.
The cast includes not only Tom Cruise, whom we’ve become accustomed to in this role, but also Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, and Alec Baldwin, to name a few.
7. Inside Out
Worldwide box office: 856.1 million
Weeks in theaters – 26
Still in theaters? – No
Straight from the Pixar studio comes an animation film that brings an impressive look on human psychology, proving once more that just because it looks like a cartoon it doesn’t mean that its main target is kids.
The film was launched in June and has already run its course in cinemas, racking up the dollars all over the world. More specifically, it has pulled in $856.1 million worldwide, out of which $356.5 million, came from the USA.
The characters are voiced by actors such as Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Richard Kind, Bill Hader, Lewis Black and Mindy Kaling. The film tells the story of young Riley who has to move with her parents to San Francisco, away from everything she knows – school, friends, house. She goes through multiple changes as she tries to navigate all her new feelings as she adapts and grows.
6. Spectre
Worldwide box office: $864.8 million
Weeks in theaters – 8
Still in theaters? – Yes
Bond. James Bond is back this year. The latest movie was launched in November and it’s obviously still in theaters as it’s slowly drawing in more and more cash. In fact, in the few weeks it’s been available to see it has managed to attract $864.8 million in cinemas in the entire world, out of which $197.8 million in the United States alone.
This Bond movie sees the secret agent trailing a sinister organization, trying to take it down to the ground, just as M, Bond’s main supporter fights with political forces to keep the secret organization alive and well.
Aside from Daniel Craig, whom we now associate with the Bond name, the cast includes Christoph Waltz, Ralph Fiennes, Monica Bellucci and Dave Bautista.
5. Minions
Worldwide box office: $1,157.3 million
Weeks in theaters – 24
Still in theaters? – Yes
The second animation movie to land in the chart, Minions is a fan favorite, among both young and young at heart audiences. Reaching fame thanks to the “Despicable Me” series, the Minions was bound to be a hit since before it was released. The film has been running in theaters across the world since this summer and it has yet to be done. In this time it has managed to bring in $1,157.3 million, out of which only $336 million were in the United States.
Minions tells the story of the yellow creatures that always seek an evil master. The characters are voiced by Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm, Michael Keaton, Allison Janney and Steve Coogan to name a few. The comic scenes have made both kids and their parents crack up, which is the recipe for a successful animation film.
4. Avengers: Age of Ultron
Worldwide box office: $1,405 million
Weeks in theaters – 23
Still in theaters? – No
The fact that the second Avengers movie managed to land so high up the box office is no surprise. After all, the Marvel universe is quite profitable and fan-loved and following the success of the first film, this one was bound to be just as big if not bigger.
Avengers: Age of Ultron was launched back in May and it has already finished its cinema tour, attracting some $1,405 million in ticket sales, out of which only $459 million came from the USA. On top of the fun, action-packed plot, the star-studded cast also played a big role in attracting viewers.
Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner returned to the big screen as superheroes, alongside actors such as Samuel L Jackson, Don Cheadle, Paul Bettany and Elizabeth Olsen.
3. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Worldwide box office: $1,512.7 million
Weeks in theaters – 3
Still in theaters? – Yes
This year’s sensation is Star Wars. Everyone has been waiting for the first film in the third trilogy to be launched. The fan base for this series is probably one of the widest in the world and this is obvious. In the two weeks since the movie hit theaters, it has managed to pull in over $1.5 billion. Only about half of this came from the United States, but that’s of no consequence. By the time the movie is out of theaters in the next few months, it will become one of the top-grossing movies of all times, even if the money flux will slow down some.
Harrison Ford returns as Han Solo, Mark Hamill is back as Luke Skywalker and Carrie Fisher returns as Princess Leia. Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley and John Boyega are also part of the cast. The action takes place three decades after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, when, as you’d expect, a new threat arises. This brings together our heroes as they try to fight yet another evil lord.
2. Furious 7
Worldwide box office: $1,515 million
Weeks in theaters – 16
Still in theaters? – No
The seventh film from the Fast and Furious franchise has been quite a hit this year. Unfortunately, part of this success is placed on the tragic death of one of the film’s main actors – Paul Walker. The action-packed movie features scenes that defy the laws of physics, but that’s nothing new when it comes to this franchise and it’s certainly something that attracts more viewers.
The film has pulled in $1,515 million in worldwide theaters, only about $353 million coming from the United States. The cast includes Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
1. Jurassic World
Worldwide box office: $1,669 million
Weeks in theaters – 23
Still in theaters? – No
The return of the dinosaurs was sure to be a success. This one goes back to the original site of the Jurassic Park where a new attraction has been built featuring the dinosaurs of old and a few ones that were genetically engineered in the park’s labs. Obviously, accidents happen and madness ensues.
The film has pulled in $1,669 million worldwide, out of which $652.3 million in the United States, which makes for a pretty impressive feat. While the film may be dethroned by the time Star Wars is out of the theaters, right now it’s the king of the movie world.
Jurassic World features actors such as Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Irrfan Khan and Vincent D’Onofrio and it takes up the first place in the top 10 grossing movies of 2015.
