Overview of the events of the 2020s in film
The decade of the 2020s in film directly dealt with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cinema . This witnessed a profound transformation in how movies are produced, distributed, and consumed globally. The pandemic led to widespread theater closures, delays in releases, and a rapid acceleration in the shift towards streaming services as a primary means of distribution.
Highest-grossing films [ edit ]
† Indicates films playing in theatres in the week commencing 11 July 2025.
List of worldwide highest-grossing films
Rank
Title
Distributor(s)
Worldwide gross
Year
References
1
Avatar: The Way of Water
20th Century
$2,320,250,281
2022
[ 1]
2
Ne Zha 2 †
Beijing Enlight Pictures
$2,202,851,220
2025
[ 2] [ 3]
3
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Sony
$1,922,598,800
2021
[ 4]
4
Inside Out 2
Disney
$1,698,863,816
2024
[ 5]
5
Top Gun: Maverick
Paramount
$1,495,696,292
2022
[ 6]
6
Barbie
Warner Bros.
$1,445,638,421
2023
[ 7]
7
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Universal
$1,362,027,222
2023
[ 8]
8
Deadpool & Wolverine
Disney
$1,338,073,645
2024
[ 9]
9
Moana 2
$1,059,242,164
2024
[ 10]
10
Jurassic World: Dominion
Universal
$1,003,700,604
2022
[ 11]
11
Despicable Me 4
$971,028,338
2024
[ 12]
12
Oppenheimer
$970,506,816
2023
[ 13]
13
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Disney
$955,775,805
2022
[ 14]
14
A Minecraft Movie †
Warner Bros.
$951,514,812
2025
[ 15] [ 16]
15
Minions: The Rise of Gru
Universal
$939,628,210
2022
[ 17]
16
The Battle at Lake Changjin
Huaxia Film Distribution
$902,540,935
2021
[ 18]
17
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Disney
$859,208,836
2022
[ 19]
18
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
$845,555,777
2023
[ 20]
19
Hi, Mom
Lian Ray Pictures
$841,674,419
2021
[ 21]
20
Lilo & Stitch †
Disney
$815,171,809
2025
[ 22]
21
No Time to Die
MGM / Universal
$774,153,007
2021
[ 23]
22
The Batman
Warner Bros.
$770,962,583
2022
[ 24]
23
Thor: Love and Thunder
Disney
$760,928,081
2022
[ 25]
24
Wicked †
Universal
$756,143,602
2024
[ 26]
25
F9
$726,229,501
2021
[ 27]
26
Mufasa: The Lion King
Disney
$722,631,756
2024
[ 28]
27
Dune: Part Two
Warner Bros.
$714,711,520
2024
[ 29]
28
Fast X
Universal
$714,566,116
2023
[ 30]
29
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Sony
$690,615,475
2023
[ 31]
30
Detective Chinatown 3
Wanda Pictures
$686,257,563
2021
[ 32]
31
Full River Red
Beijing Joyful Premiere Culture
$634,631,282
2023
[ 33]
32
Wonka
Warner Bros.
$632,302,312
2023
[ 34]
33
The Battle at Lake Changjin II
Huaxia Film Distribution
$626,571,697
2022
[ 35]
34
The Wandering Earth 2
China Film Group Corporation
$604,460,538
2023
[ 36]
35
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Warner Bros. / Toho
$572,305,338
2024
[ 37]
36
The Little Mermaid
Disney
$569,626,289
2023
[ 38]
37
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Paramount
$567,535,383
2023
[ 39]
38
Kung Fu Panda 4 †
Universal
$547,908,520
2024
[ 40]
39
No More Bets
Mega Films Distribution
$528,487,347
2023
[ 41]
40
Venom: Let There Be Carnage
Sony
$506,863,592
2021
[ 42]
41
Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train
Toho / Aniplex
$504,311,383
2020
[ 43]
42
Detective Chinatown 1900 †
Wanda Pictures
$503,460,000
2025
[ 44]
43
Elemental
Disney
$495,851,987
2023
[ 45]
44
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Paramount
$492,162,604
2024
[ 46]
45
Lost in the Stars
One Pictures (Beijing)
$486,153,324
2023
[ 47]
46
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Universal
$484,675,943
2022
[ 48]
47
The Eight Hundred
CMC Pictures Holdings
$484,210,000
2020
[ 49]
48
YOLO
China Film Group Corporation
$479,597,304
2024
[ 50]
49
Venom: The Last Dance
Sony
$478,937,618
2024
[ 51]
50
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Disney
$476,071,180
2023
[ 52]
Highest-grossing film per year [ edit ]
The beginning of the decade marked the first time ever in history that a non-Hollywood production topped the annual global box office.
Year
Title
Studio(s)
Worldwide Gross
2020
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train
Toho / Aniplex
$507,127,293
2021
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Sony
$1,912,233,593
2022
Avatar: The Way of Water
20th Century
$2,320,250,281
2023
Barbie
Warner Bros.
$1,445,638,421
2024
Inside Out 2
Disney
$1,698,863,816
2025
Ne Zha 2 †
Beijing Enlight Pictures
$2,202,851,220
The following films received the most acclaim at the Academy Awards during the 2020s.
2020s articles
History Events Govt Years Categories
Overviews of the 2020s
History Culture Societal Science Related