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Top 10 Highest Grossing Summer Blockbusters

On June 17, 2010, in Satellite Dish, by admin

The birth of the summer blockbuster occurred in 1975 when little-known director Stephen Spielberg brought us his masterpiece Jaws. In later years came high budget movies like Star Wars, ET, Blade Runner, Top Gun, Batman, The Fugitive, Independence Day, Godzilla, Armageddon, and The Matrix. In 2010, we’ve eagerly awaited the latest installments/versions of Iron Man, Footloose, Toy Story, Wall Street, Twilight, The A-Team, Shrek and Sex and the City. Despite the influx of remakes and repeats, the numbers indicate that the summer blockbuster phenomenon is as big as it has ever been. In fact, five of the top ten highest grossing domestic movies were summer releases during the past a decade. Altogether, eight of the top ten highest grossing domestic movies were summer releases. Below is a list of the ten summer blockbusters that were the biggest US hits money-wise (unadjusted for inflation).

The Dark Knight (2008)

The latest Batman flick featuring the late Heath Ledger – who garnered acclaim for his performance as the Joker – grossed $533,316,061 domestically and received praise from critics, Batman fanatics and casual movie-goers. The film was nominated for eight Oscars, winning two. Ledger was posthumously given one for “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role.”
Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)
This kicked off an epic that has captivated the imaginations of children and adults for more than 30 years. At the time of its release, Star Wars was lauded for its groundbreaking visual effects and ahead-of-its-time marketing; the result was $460,935,665 in box office sales. The film won seven Oscars, including the “Special Achievement Award,” which was given to Ben Burtt for sound effects (there were no sound-related awards at the time).
Shrek 2 (2004)
The immense popularity of the original Shrek ensured the second installment would be much anticipated, and it lived up to the hype. Shrek 2 received positive reviews from critics and movie-goers, and its success was evident through its box office gross of $436,471,036. The wide appeal of the fairytale spoof series has made it a summer blockbuster regular; there are currently four Shreks and counting.
ET: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Another one of the early summer blockbusters, ET went toe-to-toe with Star Wars in box office sales. Spielberg’s greatest hit was nominated for nine Oscars, winning four, and it grossed $434,949,459. Perhaps the biggest benefiter of the film – aside from Spielberg – was Reese’s, whose product placement of Reese’s Pieces within the film resulted in a dramatic increase in sales.
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)
Sixteen years after the release of Return of the Jedi, the anticipation for the latest installment was palpable. It received mixed reviews and was most harshly criticized for creating the character Jar Jar Binks, who was supposed to provide comic relief. Regardless, it broke several box office records at time and brought in $431,065,444.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006)
The sequel to Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl didn’t receive the same critical acclaim as the first one, but it far surpassed it at the box office, earning $423,032,628. The film’s visual effects were lauded, and it won the Oscar for “Best Achievement in Visual Effects” in 2007.
Spider-Man (2002)
The first Spiderman film finally hit the theatres in 2002 after years of development and it didn’t disappoint, bringing in $403,706,375. It was nominated for Oscars for “Best Sounds” and “Best Visual Effects,” and Tobey Maguire was praised for his performance as Peter Parker/Spiderman despite previously not being regarded as a prototypical superhero actor.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
The Transformers series appeal is based on its stunning visual effects – right up the alley of director Michael Bay. The second film of the series was his most successful action-packed flick to date. It grossed $402,076,689 at the box office despite critical reviews for being too over-the-top and too long.
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)
The third Star Wars film to make the list is regarded as one of the best in the series. It brought in $380,262,555 and received positive reviews from many Star Wars fanatics. Perhaps the only group to lambast the film was neoconservatives, who felt that it not-so-subtly criticized the Iraq War.
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Just two years after the original set box office records, Spider-Man 2 hit the theaters in June of 2004 and continued the franchise’s success. Peter Parker’s duel with Dr. Otto Octavius grossed $373,377,893, finishing behind Shrek 2 domestically that year. The film won an Oscar for “Best Achievement in Visual Effects.”