Global Cinema Blockbuster Hits(Photo Credit –Prime Video)

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Box office records are like shifting sands, always moving, always reshaping cinema history. Every few decades, a film arrives that doesn’t just entertain but redefines what’s possible commercially. Whether through technological innovation, sweeping love stories, intergalactic battles, or groundbreaking effects, these films create cultural events that bring people to theatres in droves. Some dominate for years, others are surpassed swiftly, but all of them, at some point, claimed the same title: the highest-grossing movie of all time.

This title isn’t just about bragging rights, it’s a reflection of a film’s reach and the evolution of cinema itself. From hand-painted reels of the early 20th century to CGI spectacles of today, the list of box office kings tells a parallel story of filmmaking innovation and audience taste. And while the numbers keep climbing, only a rare few have worn the crown. Here’s a look at 11 films that, across more than a century of cinema, ruled the global box office at one point in time.

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1. The Birth of a Nation (1915)

Though marred by controversy, D.W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation was cinema’s first true blockbuster. Grossing over $5 million during its original run, the film’s unprecedented success set a template for how large-scale filmmaking could dominate the market. Despite its problematic content, it cannot be ignored for its technical and commercial impact at the time.