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The winners of the 2026 Academy Awards are now out, and Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another was the biggest winner of the night. However, despite its Oscar wins, the film hasn’t exactly dominated the box office, earning $209.7 million globally.
Looking at recent trends, box office performance hasn’t always aligned with Oscar success. Among the last ten Best Picture winners (2017–2026), Oppenheimer stands out as the highest-grossing title, earning an impressive $975.8 million worldwide. In contrast, the 2025 winner, Anora, had a much more modest run, collecting $57.4 million globally.
This brings us to an interesting question: what are the highest-grossing Best Picture Oscar winners of all time at the worldwide box office? Let’s take a look at the list of the top ten highest-grossing movies at the worldwide box office, along with their worldwide totals as per Box Office Mojo data and their current streaming platforms in the U.S.
1. Titanic (1997)
- Director: James Cameron
- Worldwide Earnings: $2.265 billion
- Streaming On: Netflix & Paramount+
Plot: The film follows a poor artist, Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio), who meets Rose (Kate Winslet), who is trapped in a loveless engagement with an affluent man (Billy Zane). The two people meet during the Titanic’s first and final voyage and fall in love despite coming from entirely different backgrounds. But their love faces a tragic test when the Titanic strikes an iceberg.
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2. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
- Director: Peter Jackson
- Worldwide Earnings: $1.149 billion
- Streaming On: HBO Max, Prime Video
Plot: The epic fantasy film follows Aragorn, who leads the fight against the dark lord Sauron. At the same time, Frodo and Sam travel to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring, but they must face various dangers along the way.
3. Oppenheimer (2023)
- Director: Christopher Nolan
- Worldwide Earnings: $975.8 million
- Streaming On: Prime Video & Apple TV+ (Rent)
Plot: The film follows J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), a brilliant theoretical physicist who played an important role in developing the atomic bomb during World War II. It also features Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, and others in supporting roles.
4. Forrest Gump (1994)
- Director: Robert Zemeckis
- Worldwide Earnings: $678.2 million
- Streaming On: Prime Video, Paramount+
Plot: The film follows Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks), a kind-hearted man with a low IQ who becomes unintentionally involved in many important events in American history. He loves his childhood love, Jenny, and holds a simple belief: do what feels right to him and go wherever life takes him.
5. Gladiator (2000)
- Director: Ridley Scott
- Worldwide Earnings: $465.5 million
- Streaming On: Prime Video, Paramount+
Plot: The action-adventure drama follows Maximus (Russell Crowe), a Roman general who is betrayed and sold into slavery after the emperor’s murder. He becomes a gladiator, fights for survival in the ring, and wants revenge against the corrupt ruler who destroyed his life.
6. Dances with Wolves (1990)
- Director: Kevin Costner
- Worldwide Earnings: $424.2 million
- Streaming On: Prime Video, MGM+
Plot: The film follows Lieutenant John Dunbar (Kevin Costner), a soldier who is posted to a remote outpost during the American Civil War. He befriends a neighboring Sioux tribe and begins to adopt their way of life.
7. The King’s Speech (2010)
- Director: Tom Hooper
- Worldwide Earnings: $414.2 million
- Streaming On: Prime Video (Rent)
Plot: The film follows King George VI (Colin Firth) as he struggles with a severe stammer while preparing to lead Britain during World War II. With the help of an unorthodox speech therapist, Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), he tries to overcome his speech difficulties and give an important radio address.
8. Gone with the Wind (1939)
- Director: Victor Fleming
- Worldwide Earnings: $402.4 million
- Streaming On: HBO Max, Prime Video
Plot: The iconic romantic drama revolves around Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh), a young woman whose life changes during the American Civil War, and focuses on her complicated relationship with Rhett Butler (Clark Gable).
9. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
- Director: Danny Boyle
- Worldwide Earnings: $378.4 million
- Streaming On: Apple TV+ (Rent)
Plot: The film follows Jamal (Dev Patel), a poor boy from Mumbai, who takes part in a quiz show and shocks everyone by getting the answers right. Interestingly, each question is linked to his life story. It also features Freida Pinto, Anil Kapoor, and Irrfan Khan in key supporting roles.
10. American Beauty (1999)
- Director: Sam Mendes
- Worldwide Earnings: $356.3 million
- Streaming On: Paramount+, Prime Video
Plot: The dark comedy psychological drama follows Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey), an advertising executive who is unhappy with his everyday life. The story takes a complicated turn when he gets infatuated with his daughter’s best friend.
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Must Read: 98th Academy Awards: Top 5 Highest-Grossing Oscar-Winning Films Of 2026 At The Worldwide Box Office
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