Here’s A Look At Steven Spielberg’s Top 5 Highest-Grossing Films At The Box Office ( Photo Credit – Wikimedia )
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Steven Spielberg is one of the most (if not the most) influential and successful filmmakers in cinema history. The three-time Academy Award winner is widely known for his impeccable craft of telling engaging stories across various genres, from science fiction to historical drama.
In this list, we look at the top five highest-grossing films directed by Spielberg, ranked by their worldwide box office earnings. These movies not only reflect his directorial brilliance but also highlight the impact he has had on global audiences over several decades.
1. Jurassic Park (1993) – $1.1B
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At the top of the list, as many expected, lies Jurassic Park, when Spielberg brings dinosaurs back to life in an iconic fashion and in a groundbreaking adventure that changed the course of blockbuster filmmaking forever.
The story follows a group of scientists and visitors invited to a remote island theme park, where genetically resurrected dinosaurs are set to be the main attraction until nature proves impossible to control. Jurassic Park is not only remembered for the special effects but also helped solidify Spielberg’s legacy as a guru of spectacle and masterful storytelling.
The film earned $407 million domestically and grossed $697 million internationally with a worldwide collection of $1.1 billion (via Box Office Mojo).
2. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) – $797M
In the movie, Spielberg crafts a heartfelt story about friendship and childhood. It follows a young boy named Elliott (Henry Thomas) who discovers and befriends a gentle alien who has been stranded on Earth. While Elliott and his siblings try to help return E.T. home, they form an emotional bond that transcends worlds.
Spielberg masterfully captured the innocence and imagination of childhood that only a few filmmakers can through the movie. It didn’t take long before E.T. became a cultural phenomenon and remains one of his most beloved enduring masterpieces.
The sci-fi classic earned $439 million at the domestic box office and $357 million in international markets with a worldwide gross of $797 million (via Box Office Mojo).
3. Indiana Jones & The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (2008) – $786M
Steven Spielberg brought back one of cinema’s most iconic heroes after nearly a two-decade hiatus in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The film, set in the Cold War era, follows an older, wiser Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) as he races against Soviet agents to uncover the secrets of a mysterious crystal skull hidden deep in the Amazon jungle.
The movie grossed $317 million in the US and $469 million internationally, totaling $786 million worldwide and thus cementing itself as the highest-grossing in the Indiana Jones franchise (via Box Office Mojo).
4. The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)- $618M
In The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), Steven Spielberg returned to the world of dinosaurs with a darker, more action-driven sequel to his 1993 blockbuster. Unlike last time, the story focuses on Isla Sorna, a second island where dinosaurs roam around freely without human interference. When a team is sent to document the creatures, they soon find themselves battling not only nature but also the ruthless corporate group that intended to exploit the dinosaurs.
The 1997 classic, which had a budget of only $73 million, earned a mammoth $229 million domestically and $389 million internationally. It became the second-highest-grossing film of that year with a worldwide collection of $618 million (via Box Office Mojo).
5. War of the Worlds (2005)- $603M
In War of the Worlds, Spielberg delivers a horrifying vision of alien invasion grounded in human emotions and raw survival. The film, adapted from H.G. Wells’ classic novel, reimagines the story through the lens of an everyman, played by Tom Cruise, who gets caught in the chaos of a world under siege. The film centers around a divorced father trying to protect his children as towering alien machines, known as tripods, emerge from beneath the earth and lay waste to civilization.
The film had a budget of $132 million but earned a hefty profit, collecting $234 million in the United States alone. It also collected a total of $603 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo).
Note: Box office numbers are based on estimates and various sources. Numbers have not been independently verified by Koimoi.
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