Disney reached its 100th anniversary in October 2023, marking a magical century of captivating the hearts of children and adults alike.
To honour the milestone, Disney released the short film Once Upon a Studio, uniting several of its most beloved characters on screen for the first time, including Mickey Mouse, Moana, and Sleeping Beauty. But have you ever wondered which Disney films made the most at the box office?
In celebration of the studio's centennial, we've compiled a list of its most successful movies of all time. The total gross of each film has been adjusted for inflation to give you an idea of what each flick made in today's money. From recent releases to retro cartoons, read on to discover which Disney movies have made the most money. Some entries are bound to surprise you... All dollar figures in US dollars.
Disney Pixar's Monsters, Inc. received a prequel in 2013 with the release of Monsters University.
Eager to see the beloved characters Mike and Sulley return to the big screen, fans flocked to cinemas. The film grossed over $743.5 million worldwide, or $1 billion (£789m) in 2024 dollars.
Despite its stellar box office performance, it was only the seventh highest-grossing movie of the year, facing tough competition from other family-friendly flicks like Frozen and Despicable Me 2.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, the latest entry in Disney's juggernaut Pirates franchise, hit the silver screen in 2017.
This swashbuckling saga features Johnny Depp reprising his iconic Captain Jack Sparrow role for the fifth time. The movie grossed $795 million in box office earnings, which is a cool $1 billion (£789m) in today's money.
Even more impressively, Pirates of the Caribbean is the 14th highest-grossing film franchise in history when adjusted for inflation. So – spoiler alert – expect to see more Jack Sparrow on this list.
Disney Pixar's Coco also made a big impact at the box office in 2017, grossing a substantial $807 million. That's $1 billion (£789m) in 2023 money.
The enchanting saga follows an aspiring musician named Miguel as he journeys into the mystical Land of the Dead in search of his infamous singer ancestor.
Beyond its commercial success, Coco was also a critical darling, clinching the coveted Best Animated Feature Oscar at the 2018 Academy Awards.
Disney's Sleeping Beauty received a reimagining in 2014 with the release of Maleficent, starring Angelina Jolie in the villainous titular role.
The film grossed $758.4 million worldwide, or $1 billion (£789m) when adjusted for inflation.
In 2019, a sequel titled Maleficent: Mistress of Evil was released, but failed to capture the success of the original, grossing an inflation-adjusted sum of $613.7 million (£478m) globally.
Adapted from the whimsical children's book by J.M. Barrie, Disney's Peter Pan is a timeless classic.
During its initial release in 1953, the movie grossed $87.4 million. While this sum seems modest at first glance, it translates to an impressive $1 billion (£789m) in 2024 money.
Capitalising on the enduring appeal of Peter Pan, Disney has expanded the beloved franchise over the years. This includes a 2002 direct-to-DVD sequel, Peter Pan: Return to Neverland, the Tinker Bell spin-off series, and, most recently, the live-action reimagining Peter Pan & Wendy, which premiered on Disney+.
Released in 1992, Disney's Aladdin amassed nearly $504 million worldwide, equivalent to a staggering $1.1 billion (£868m) today.
With the charismatic Robin Williams lending his voice to the beloved Genie, Aladdin became the highest-grossing animated movie of all time upon its release. It held onto the coveted title for two years until another Disney sensation, The Lion King, took its crown.
The film was such a hit that Disney commissioned a live-action reboot in 2019. But more on that later...
Hitting the silver screen in 2015, Disney Pixar's Inside Out raked in $858 million at the box office. Factoring in inflation, that's a juicy $1.1 billion (£868m).
The film's plot follows the inner workings of the mind of a young girl named Riley. Yet another major success for the studio, Inside Out took home the Best Animated Film Oscar in 2016.
As we've already mentioned, Inside Out 2 has rapidly become a member of the Disney billion dollar movie club, and it looks certain to surpass the total box office take of its predecessor.
An enduring classic, Lady and the Tramp brought in $93.9 million at the box office on its 1955 release. That's an impressive $1.1 billion (£868m) today.
This heartwarming film swiftly cemented its status as a family favourite, prompting a live-action remake that debuted directly on Disney+ in 2019. But while the reimagining garnered praise for its up-to-date CGI, many viewers felt it failed to capture the magic of the original movie.
Beloved classic The Jungle Book received the live-action reboot treatment in 2016.
This reimagining of the film brought in nearly $966 million at the box office, translating to a whopping $1.2 billion (£947m) in today's money.
While impressive, this falls short of the staggering sum earned by the original movie. But we'll delve into that a bit later...
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the first installment of the Narnia franchise based on the book series by C.S. Lewis, was released in 2005. The project was a collaboration between Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media, which produced the movie, and Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, which distributed it.
The fantasy film grossed over $745 million worldwide, or $1.2 billion (£947m) when adjusted for inflation.
The movie spawned two sequels released in 2008 and 2010, though the first installment was the most successful at the box office.
Yet another Disney favourite to get a live-action make-over in recent times is Aladdin, which hit screens in 2019.
The reimagining featured Will Smith as the Genie, with critically acclaimed director Guy Ritchie at the helm of the project.
Despite subpar reviews from critics, audiences embraced the reboot. It earned $1.1 billion at the box office, the equivalent of $1.3 billion (£1bn) today.
Disney's animated adventure Zootopia hit the silver screen in 2016. It boasted a star-studded cast of voice actors, including Shakira, Jason Bateman, and J.K. Simmons.
The movie garnered numerous awards, including Best Animated Feature at the 2017 Oscars, and also grossed an impressive $1 billion at the box office, equivalent to around $1.3 billion (£1bn) in today's money.
A sequel to the blockbuster is currently in the pipeline.
The long-awaited Finding Nemo spin-off, Finding Dory, debuted in 2016.
This film made quite a splash at the box office, raking in an impressive $1 billion. When adjusted for inflation, that equates to $1.3 billion (£1bn) today.
Impressively, it claimed the title of the highest-grossing animated movie of the year and secured the third spot in the overall box office rankings, surpassed only by the blockbusters Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Captain America: Civil War.
Disney's enchanting fairy-tale Cinderella graced the silver screen in 1950.
The film earned $96.4 million globally, or an impressive $1.3 billion (£1bn) in 2024 money.
Acting as Disney's very own fairy godmother, the movie actually saved the studio from financial ruin. During World War II, many Disney movies flopped at the box office, resulting in Walt Disney Pictures accumulating debts of around $4 million at the time. Fortunately, the success of Cinderella prevented the studio from going bust, and it's still regarded as one of the best animations of all time today.
Buzz, Woody, and the gang returned for a fourth adventure in 2019's Toy Story 4.
The heartwarming flick grossed close to $1.1 billion at the box office, the equivalent of $1.4 billion (£1.1bn) today.
The beloved Toy Story franchise has undeniably been a money-spinner for Disney. In fact, the four movies and recent Lightyear spin-off have grossed an inflation-adjusted total of $4.8 billion (£3.8bn), making it the 19th highest-earning film franchise of all time.
The Disney classic Alice in Wonderland received a live-action reimagining in 2010.
This star-studded reboot featured Mia Wasikowska in the titular role and Johnny Depp as the eccentric Mad Hatter, with legendary director Tim Burton at the helm of the project.
Alice in Wonderland became the second-highest-grossing film of 2010, bagging $1 billion at the box office. That's the equivalent of $1.4 billion (£1.1bn) today. Keep reading to find out which Disney favourite took the top spot at the box office that year...
The third chapter in the Pirates franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, sailed onto the silver screen in 2007. Familiar faces, including Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightley all returned for the high-seas adventure saga.
The film earned nearly $961 million, an impressive $1.5 billion (£1.2bn) in today's money. This made it the highest-earning film of 2007 at the worldwide box office.
But despite pulling in impressive numbers, it isn't the highest-grossing entry in the franchise...
Disney Pixar's Inside Out 2 is now the highest-grossing animated film ever (without accounting for inflation).
The hotly anticipated sequel premiered in June and, at the time of this writing, has grossed over $1.5 billion (£1.2bn) globally.
It surpassed another beloved Disney sequel, Frozen II, to claim the title of highest-grossing animated film.
The third chapter in the heart-warming Toy Story franchise hit the silver screen in 2010.
The beloved flick banked close to $1.1 billion at the box office, or $1.6 billion (£1.3bn) today.
Not only was the movie the highest-earning of 2010, but its phenomenal gross also makes it the best performing in the entire Toy Story series.
Finding Nemo swam onto the screen in 2003, grossing $941 million. In today's money, that's an incredible $1.6 billion (£1.3bn).
A financial success and a critical hit, the heartwarming adventure landed Best Animated Feature at the 2004 Academy Awards.
It was also the second highest-earning movie of the year, beaten only by Peter Jackson's fantasy epic The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
Released in 1994, The Lion King earned $763 million at the box office, a majestic $1.6 billion (£1.3bn) in today's money.
A standout aspect of the movie was its catchy soundtrack, leading to three Oscar nominations for Best Original Song. Elton John's power ballad Can You Feel the Love Tonight cinched the win, while the movie's score, composed by Hans Zimmer, also landed the Best Original Score Academy Award.
A roaring success, The Lion King reigned as the highest-grossing film of 1994 and became the then-highest-grossing animated film of all time, dethroning Aladdin.
A Tale As Old As Time, it comes as little surprise that Disney released a live-action reboot of its 1991 film Beauty and the Beast in 2017.
Starring Emma Watson as bookworm Belle, the film grossed almost $1.3 billion, or a truly magical $1.7 billion (£1.3bn) in today's money.
With these impressive numbers, it's no shock the fairytale became the second highest-grossing film of the year, defeated only by Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, the second chapter in the Pirates saga, voyaged onto screens in 2006.
It plundered close to $1.1 billion at the box office, an epic $1.7 billion (£1.3bn) today.
The movie became the highest-grossing of the year, fighting off fierce competition from rival blockbusters such as The Da Vinci Code, Ice Age: The Meltdown, and Casino Royale.
Disney's Frozen grossed $1.3 billion when it hit the silver screen in 2013. In today's money, that's a genuinely spellbinding $1.8 billion (£1.4bn).
A commercial hit and a critical darling, the flick landed two Oscars: Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for the chart-topping ballad Let It Go.
The film was also the highest-earning of 2013, beating Iron Man 3, Despicable Me 2, and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.
Frozen II performed equally well at the box office, earning close to $1.5 billion in 2019, or $1.8 billion (£1.4bn) today.
Surprisingly, the sequel was left out in the cold at the Oscars after it failed to secure a coveted Best Animated Feature nomination.
On the bright side, Frozen II became the third highest-grossing movie of 2019. Avengers: Endgame claimed the top spot that year, closely followed by another Disney blockbuster. More on that to come...
Based on the beloved Rudyard Kipling novel, Disney's The Jungle Book debuted in 1967.
It grossed $205 million at the box office, the equivalent of a terrific $1.9 billion (£1.5bn) today.
The film's wild success was attributed to its endearing hand-drawn animation style and catchy soundtrack, which featured bangers such as The Bare Necessities and I Wan'na Be Like You (The Monkey Song).
Disney's beloved animation The Lion King received a reboot in 2019, with the reimagining featuring a star-studded cast of voice actors including Donald Glover, Seth Rogan, and Beyoncé.
The movie, which featured cutting-edge CGI, surpassed the original at the box office to earn an incredible $1.7 billion. That's a roarsome $2 billion (£1.6bn) today.
It comes as no surprise that the film was the second-highest grossing of 2019, defeated only by Marvel blockbuster Avengers: Endgame.
Released in 1961, One Hundred and One Dalmatians became an instant hit for Disney. It grossed $215 million, or around $2.3 billion (£1.8bn) in today's money.
With these staggering numbers, the movie claims the top 'spot' in our round-up. It was also the highest-earning picture of 1961.
Disney has rebooted the beloved film several times over the years, releasing a live-action remake featuring Glenn Close as Cruella de Vil in 1996. More recently, Emma Stone stepped into the shoes of de Vil in Cruella, an origin story exploring the background of Disney's most dastardly villain.
And finally, receiving honorary mentions are four beloved Disney movies: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Pinocchio (1940), Fantasia (1940), and Bambi (1942).
Today, these films are regarded as Disney classics, but surprisingly, they initially flopped. Their iconic status and numerous cinematic re-releases over the years have helped them achieve box office success. When accounting for lifetime gross, they are now among the highest-grossing Disney movies ever.
Their lifetime gross figures, adjusted for inflation, are as follows: Fantasia: $1.6 billion (£1.3bn), Pinocchio: $2.7 billion (£2.1bn), Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: $4 billion (£3.1bn), and Bambi: $5 billion (£3.9bn).
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