2024 was a straight-up wild year at the box office. I have no doubt that a great many people reading this are more casual observers of such things, looking to find out what the biggest movies of the year were. That said, it truly cannot be overstated what a rollercoaster of a year this was.
Due in large part to last year’s SAG and WGA strikes, the first half of the year was a mess. Were it not for a handful of big, breakout hit movies that helped save the box office, theaters may well have been in serious trouble. But theaters did rebound in a big way, with a wide array of releases resonating with audiences in the back half of the year. From the return of major franchises like “Alien: Romulus” to unexpected breakout hits like “It Ends With Us,” there was much to celebrate. But what were the biggest of the big movies in 2024? Which ones rose above the competition to sell the most tickets and make the biggest impact with viewers? We’re here to run down the top ten, while explaining why these movies worked, as well as what they can teach us.
It should be noted that some of these movies are still in theaters, so the final numbers may change. We’re only counting in-year grosses, meaning movies like “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” since they were released at the end of the year, couldn’t make the list. We’re also limiting this to Hollywood releases; it should be noted that the Chinese blockbuster “YOLO” ($479.5 million) would have made the cut otherwise. This list is more about highlighting movies that the majority of audiences around the world enjoyed, rather than something that was a big hit in one country. With that all out the way, let’s get to it.