2022s Box Office Top 10

At the time of writing these are the top 10 highest-grossing films at the worldwide box office in 2022 according to Box Office Mojo. 

10. Moon Man (Over $460,237,600)

9. Water Gate Bridge (Over $626,571,600)

8. Thor: Love and Thunder (Over $760,928,000)

7. The Batman (Over $770,945,500)

6. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Over $831,942,300)

5. Minions: The Rise of Gru (Over $939,628,200)

4. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (Over $955,775,800)

3. Jurassic World: Dominion (Over $1,001,978,000)

2. Top Gun: Maverick (Over $1,488,732,800)

1. Avatar: The Way of Water (Over $1,749,253,900)

In total the top 10 highest-grossing films earned over $9,587,993,700. There were 2 non-English language films in the top 10 (Moon Man and Water Gate Bridge). 4 of the big earners were produced by companies owned by Disney (Thor: Love and Thunder, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness came from Marvel Studios while Avatar: The Way of Water was from 20th Century Studios), 2 had some involvement from Universal (Minions: The Rise of Gru and Jurassic World: Dominion), 1 was distributed by Paramount (Top Gun: Maverick) and 1 came from Warner Bros (The Batman).

The 2020s At The Box Office

How does this list and its revenue look when viewed next to the rest of the 2020s? Well, comparatively, 2022 was a very solid year. With pandemic restrictions firmly relaxed across many countries cinema-goers have returned to the theatres in good numbers. The top 10 movies this year earned almost 3 times what 2020’s top 10 earned. It even managed to outperform 2021’s top 10 by around $1.9 billion. This year also saw 3 movies cross the $1 billion mark and all 3 came from different studios. Interestingly, this also marked the first year since 2015 (excluding 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic) when the year’s two highest-grossing films were not affiliated with Disney.

But what does this box office top 10 tell us about the industry and what the future potentially holds? 

Lessons From 2022

2022 showed us primarily that franchises continue to be the big audience draw. So franchises are still likely to produce the biggest hits going forward. However, Top Gun: Maverick and even Avatar: The Way of Water have proven that smaller franchises still have the possibility to attract huge box office numbers. Additionally, the top 3 have shown that non-Disney-made films may have a chance to earn greater attention than in the pre-covid landscape.

Secondly, while international language pictures may be struggling in the box office rankings post-covid, with only 2 non-English films in this year’s top 10 (2021 had 3 and 2020 had 5), 2022 showed they still have potential to pull in good earnings in the future with Chinese language films proving to be a particularly big draw recently with growing interest in international releases. We could possibly see more big international hits if they are given better worldwide distribution.

Finally, while these figures prove the industry has certainly not reached pre-pandemic box office levels it is still in a healthy spot. This year’s top 10 managed to outperform 2016s (over $9,320,848,700) and while it is a way off from 2018s and 2019s numbers those movies were dominated by highly anticipated franchise entries, like the conclusion to Marvel’s Infinity Saga, which will be hard to immediately replicate. Thus 2022 showcases that the industry is on the road to recovery. Hopefully, 2023 will yield even more interesting and healthy box office results.

Also Read: Time To Rethink The Box Office Film Charts?

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With all that in mind, it seems like a sequel would be a slam dunk for success. But 13 years on, the landscape is very different. Cinemas are still struggling to recover from the effects of Covid, and there was much less competition back then. Cameron has gone on record saying it needs to gross around $2 Billion to break even, but can it? And can he go one further and beat his own record?

A Whole New World

The first Avatar film was released in 2009. At the time, the MCU was still in its infancy, with The Avengers still a few years away. Shared universes weren’t even a thing at the time, with every studio looking to cash in on Harry Potter‘s success and find their own YA novel series to adapt. Transformers and the Fast and Furious franchises were two of the biggest films that year, while Star Trek rebooted itself for the next generation.

Thirteen years on, the MCU is one of the most successful film franchises ever, and recently announced a slate going into 2026. Every studio is trying to make a shared universe, the Wizarding World, as it is now known, has stalled three films into a planned five series, with the author now a very controversial figure. Not to mention several other franchises that have spawned in the years since.

Audiences also may be suffering from franchise fatigue, with many newer ones dominating the box office, along with original films. The rise of streaming services, something that has exploded in popularity in recent years, has also contributed. Even Star Wars has mainly moved to streaming after the mixed reception to the sequel trilogy and Solo being considered a disappointment. The pandemic has made streaming more powerful than ever, with many films getting a smaller theatrical window or none – whilst appearing on on-demand services much quicker.

Return To Pandora

At the time of writing, Avatar: The Way of Water is around the $1.7 Billion mark. After being in theatres for less than a month. Coming out towards the end of December, it not only had the Christmas season to take advantage of but also January, which traditionally is a quiet month for cinemas, as there are few new releases (in the UK, there are often awards contenders that we have yet to receive). Barring any unexpected hits, Avatar is still poised to be the big film for the first few months. Perhaps the best, recent film to compare it to is Top Gun: Maverick. A sequel coming years after the original, making use of its now much older star and advanced technology. It became the second highest-grossing of the year and the highest-grossing of Tom Cruise’s career.

Like Maverick, word of mouth and curiosity will work in Avatar‘s favour. Some audiences will turn up because there is nothing else on and also to see what Cameron has been up to all these years. Good reviews will also convince people that may have been on the fence about the film before now. Box Office numbers are often a marathon, rather than a sprint. While Avengers: Endgame Hulk-Smashed its way to the top spot fairly quickly, it was the culmination of ten years worth of films, and followed up on a huge cliffhanger, with many fans seeing it early to avoid spoilers. By contrast, The Way of Water is much more accessible, as it is set many years after the original, and focuses on new characters.

Can Cameron Do It?

Absolutely. Despite its perceived lack of “cultural impact” Avatar has remained the biggest film for close to a decade. Its brief time being dethroned was the result of ten years and over twenty films leading into it. With only five films grossing over $2 billion ever, The Way of Water is well on track to join the ranks. Depending on how long it is until there is some serious competition, it could even beat the original film. The only film that looks to be a threat is a re-release of Cameron’s own Titanic.

Also Read: Why James Cameron’s Avatar Sequel Has Come At The Right Time

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