The animated film Inside Out 2 was the most recent entrant in the elite club of the fastest movies to reach USD 1 billion in worldwide gross. But there is a possibility that it will not be the only entry for 2024. Certainly, the beautiful story of a young girl and her many emotions has clearly resonated with audiences around the world. It has thus resulted in high earnings before ending its theatrical run. But who is the other one already eyeing to join Inside Out 2 as one of the fastest grossing movies? The answer: Deadpool & Wolverine.
Released on 26 July 2024, the Deadpool & Wolverine shattered worldwide box office records by taking the crown of the highest R-rated opening of all time, both worldwide and domestic, at a total of USD 444.1 million. At its phenomenal box office earnings pace, it can possibly make USD 1 billion worldwide within 15-17 days of its release.
Nevertheless, which other films are on the list of the fastest billion-dollar grossing movies at the box office? We will come to that, but we need to first understand why USD 1 billion is considered a coveted benchmark in Hollywood, and, by extension, in world cinema.
As a mark, it instantly defines the film’s popularity with theatrical audiences and its reach. On a deeper level, it also underlines the scale of the film, the marketing, production quality, cast and, finally, an estimate of the profit it may have churned out. Since even some of the most expensive films cost an average of around USD 200-300 million, a USD 1 billion gross indicates that the film has turned a profit.
But even in the billion-dollar club, it is an undeclared race to reach that mark first. The outcome of this race depends on several factors. Among them is the franchise connection of a film. Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), one of the most successful franchises in cinema today, has a history of churning out record-shattering movies. These include Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, both of which are among the highest-grossing movies of all time.
Any film that is part of the MCU, therefore, instantly becomes a highly anticipated one before its release. Add to this fan-favourite characters, and there is a much greater chance that the film will do good business at a rapid pace. Deadpool & Wolverine is the best example of both factors. It is an MCU film and stars two immensely fan-favourite characters, played by two beloved actors — Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, respectively.
Additionally, the decades-long storyline of Star Wars also helped The Force Awakens rapidly march into the USD 1-billion club. Fanbase and franchise history are, therefore, two critical factors.
Of course, offerings from established franchises dominate the list of movies that were the fastest to reach the USD 1-billion mark at the box office. But as is evident from the success of movies such as Barbie, it is not the franchise alone that helps propel a film to box office success. For instance, Barbie ended up as one of the most successful films at the box office despite an extremely tough challenge from Oppenheimer on the back of its brilliant marketing and a progressive story that pleased modern moviegoers across cultures.
Movies that reached USD 1 billion mark at the box office the fastest
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Inside Out 2
Directed by: Kelsey Mann
Voice cast: Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Diane Lane, Kyle MacLachlan, Maya Hawke, Kensington Tallman, Tony Hale, Liza Lapira, Ayo Edebiri, Grace Lu
Runtime: 1 hour 36 minutes
Release date: 14 June 2024
Days to USD 1 billion: 19
Total worldwide gross: USD 1.51 billion
Synopsis: The emotions inside teenage Riley’s head are having a smooth time when a new emotion, Anxiety, arrives. Chaos ensues as the new emotions try to gain control of Riley’s life while the old ones want to help her find a balance.
More about the film: Inside Out 2 set a record as the fastest animated film to hit the USD 1-billion mark. A sequel to Inside Out (2015), the instalment succeeds in portraying teenage issues as they hit puberty through the various emotions and the character of Riley. It is also the highest-grossing animated film of all time, one of the 15 highest-grossing films of all time as well as the highest-grossing film of 2024. Inside Out 2 is expected to earn more before ending its theatrical run, which means the USD 1.51 billion figure will rise by a few more digits.
Barbie
Directed by: Greta Gerwig
Cast: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Will Ferrell
Runtime: 1 hour 54 minutes
Release date: 21 July 2023
Days to USD 1 billion: 19
Total worldwide gross: 1.44 billion
Synopsis: Barbie (Robbie) and Ken (Gosling) live a seemingly perfect life in Barbie Land, which also has other Barbies and several Kens. When Barbie is hit by an existential crisis, she decides to travel to the real world to solve her problem. Ken tags along and their experience with the highs and lows of the human world makes them rediscover themselves.
More about the film: Based on the world-famous fashion dolls of the same name by Mattel, Barbie was a splendid cinematic fare of 2023. It certainly had a story that hit the right notes with society, informing them about the prevalent patriarchy and the importance of feminism. The performances were sublime, leaving everyone in the theatres mesmerised. Gerwig certainly hit the ball out of the park by delivering a movie that out-competed Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer at the box office despite releasing on the same day. Apart from its worldwide gross, Barbie also won an Oscar for Best Original Song. And who can forget the ballad “I’m Just Ken” by Gosling?
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Directed by: Rian Johnson
Cast: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Kelly Marie Tran, Lupita Nyong’o
Runtime: 2 hours 32 minutes
Release date: 15 December 2017
Days to USD 1 billion: 19
Total worldwide gross: USD 1.33 billion
Synopsis: Luke Skywalker (Hamill) has isolated himself from others in the galaxy, living on a planet that few know about. When Rey (Ridley) finally finds him, Luke senses in her a will like no other and, almost reluctantly, starts training her in the ways of the Jedi. On the other hand, the Resistance forces prepare for a major battle against the First Order. Rey must return to help the Resistance, but the training has also triggered a connection with Kylo Ren who she is fighting against.
More about the film: If one asks Star Wars puritans about The Last Jedi, there is a greater possibility that they will react with a “meh.” Not their fault. A sequel to The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi was expected to be grander than its predecessor. Critics were impressed, but in the eyes of the self-proclaimed canon fans, there were some gaps in tone, story, performances and even character build-up. Nevertheless, its box office gross is a testimony of how audiences flocking to theatres are the final jury. The Last Jedi, perhaps due to the immense anticipation of it, ended up as the highest-grossing film of 2017.
The Fate of the Furious
Directed by: F. Gary Gray
Cast: Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel, Elsa Pataky, Kurt Russell, Charlize Theron
Runtime: 2 hours 16 minutes
Release date: 14 April 2017
Days to USD 1 billion: 18
Total worldwide gross: USD 1.23 billion
Synopsis: Dominic Toretto (Diesel) is leading a life of peace with his wife Letty Ortiz (Rodriguez) until he is manipulated into the world of terrorism by cyberterrorist Cipher (Theron). Now, Dom’s team must join forces to bring him back home and prevent Cipher from executing her nefarious plan. The task is difficult, but they find help from unlikely quarters — their former enemies, the brothers Deckard (Statham) and Owen Shaw (Evans).
More about the film: The Fate of the Furious has the distinction of setting the record for the highest-grossing opening for any film in history, with almost half of its total earnings coming in the first weekend. That record was eventually broken by Avengers: Infinity War a year later.
Furious 7
Directed by: James Wan
Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Djimon Hounsou, Kurt Russell, Jason Statham
Runtime: 2 hours 17 minutes
Release date: 3 April 2015
Days to USD 1 billion: 17
Total worldwide gross: USD 1.51 billion
Synopsis: The peace of Dominic Toretto (Diesel) and Brian O’Conner (Walker) is interrupted when Deckard Shaw (Statham), a former special forces soldier, knocks on their door seeking revenge for what they did to his comatose brother Owen in Fast & Furious 6 (2013). Dominic and Brian are offered help by a government agent named Mr. Nobody (Russell) provided they rescue a mysterious computer hacker who has a surveillance programme that can bring down the world.
More about the film: Earnings apart, the film holds a special place in the hearts of the franchise’s fans because of the emotional tribute to Paul Walker, who passed away in 2013. Walker played the main role of Brian O’Conner alongside Diesel’s character in five films of the franchise before Furious 7, which marked his final film role. Caleb and Cody Walker, brothers of Paul, completed the remaining scenes as stand-ins.
Avatar: The Way of Water
Directed by: James Cameron
Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Kate Winslet, Stephen Lang, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Sigourney Weaver
Runtime: 3 hours 12 minutes
Release date: 16 December 2022
Days to USD 1 billion: 14
Total worldwide gross: USD 2.32 billion
Synopsis: Jake Sully (Worthington), Neytiri (Saldaña), their children and their Na’vi tribe are forced to seek refuge with the aquatic Metkayina clan of their exomoon Pandora. Together, they must protect their world from a renewed human colonisation threat while understanding more about each other.
More about the film: The third film in the list of highest-grossing movies of all time and one of the only two sequels to earn more than USD 2 billion at the worldwide box office, Avatar: The Way of Water received universal critical acclaim upon release. The outstanding spectacle it created on the screen, with an expanded depiction of the planet Pandora earned the film an Oscar for Best Visual Effects.
Jurassic World
Directed by: Colin Trevorrow
Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D’Onofrio, BD Wong, Irrfan Khan
Runtime: 2 hours 4 minutes
Release date: 12 June 2015
Days to USD 1 billion: 13
Total worldwide gross: USD 1.67 billion
Synopsis: A genetically modified hybrid dinosaur named Indominus Rex escapes its enclosure at the Jurassic World luxury resort owned by Simon Masrani (Khan) and goes on an indiscriminate killing spree of anything it encounters. With both visitors and other dinosaurs under threat, an ex-military man and velociraptor trainer Owen Grady (Pratt) has to do all he can to stop the vicious living killing machine.
More about the film: Jurassic World is the fourth instalment in the Jurassic Park film series, and it proved to be a great box office draw. The critical reception was not as enthusiastic as Steven Spielberg’s 1993 original. But that is understandable given that the first film was a landmark in several aspects as it educated an entire generation about the majestic and terrifying beasts that roamed our planet millions of years ago. With its depiction of the dangers of genetic manipulation through a unique kind of dinosaur and a set of new characters worth rooting for, Jurassic World amped the thrill and gave birth to its eponymous trilogy.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Directed by: Jon Watts
Cast: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jacob Batalon, Willem Dafoe, Jamie Foxx, Alfred Molina, Marisa Tomei, Andrew Garfield. Tobey Maguire
Runtime: 2 hours 28 minutes
Release date: 17 December 2021
Days to USD 1 billion: 12
Total worldwide gross: USD 1.92 billion
Synopsis: Peter (Holland) seeks the help of Doctor Strange (Cumberbatch) after his identity is exposed to the world. The spell goes wrong and opens a multiversal tear through which some of the most powerful supervillains who fought Spider-Man in other worlds arrive in Peter’s world.
More about the film: How can any fan of Spider-Man not love this film? With Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield returning as Spider-Men alongside Tom Holland, it was like bringing together fans of three different decades of the friendly neighbourhood wall-crawler together. It is extremely difficult to pull off a film of this magnitude, but Watts managed to do just that in spectacular style. No wonder then that No Way Home is widely hailed as one of the best films in the long-running MCU. It is also noteworthy that the film earned close to USD 2 billion during the pandemic era.
Directed by: J. J. Abrams
Cast: Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, Max von Sydow
Runtime: 2 hours 18 minutes
Release date: 18 December 2015
Days to USD 1 billion: 12
Total worldwide gross: USD 2.07 billion
Synopsis: It has been 30 years since the Galactic Empire fell. As a new threat rises on the horizon, a desert scavenger named Rey (Ridley) and an ex-stormtrooper named Finn along with Han Solo and Chewbacca must find Luke Skywalker (Hamill) to help the Resistance.
More about the film: The Force Awakens is the first film in the Star Wars sequel trilogy and takes place years after the events of Return of the Jedi (1983). Anticipation was understandably high, especially since its cast also included Ford, Hamill, Fisher, and Mayhew returning in their iconic roles of Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Chewbacca, respectively. Critics were also impressed with the performances of the new cast members. The Force Awakens is to date the most expensive film ever made, with a budget of USD 447 million. But its overall gross of more than USD 2 billion meant that it was a major box office success.
Avengers: Infinity War
Directed by: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldaña, Chris Pratt, Josh Brolin
Runtime: 2 hours 29 minutes
Release date: 27 April 2018
Days to USD 1 billion: 11
Total worldwide gross: USD 2.05 billion
Synopsis: Thanos (Brolin) is on a mission to collect the six powerful Infinity Stones which can help him wipe out half of all life in the universe. To stop him, the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy join forces with other powerful heroes. Yet it may not be enough.
More about the film: MCU got everything right with this first of the two-part Infinity Wars saga which defined the end of an era at the massively successful franchise. A large ensemble cast of fan-favourite actors, a gripping story, outstanding visual effects, and a climax that left audiences shocked ensured that Infinity War ended as the fourth-highest-grossing film at the time with over USD 2 billion in earnings.
Avengers: Endgame
Directed by: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Karen Gillan, Danai Gurira, Benedict Wong, Jon Favreau, Bradley Cooper, Gwyneth Paltrow, Josh Brolin
Runtime: 3 hours 1 minute
Release date: 26 April 2019
Days to USD 1 billion: 5
Total worldwide gross: USD 2.79 billion
Synopsis: Five years after Thanos wiped out half of all life in the universe, including many superheroes, with a snap of the Infinity Gauntlet, a chance return of Ant-Man (Rudd) from the Quantum Realm brings hope to the remaining Avengers. They create a plan using the Quantum Realm to reverse what Thanos did. But the threat from Thanos is not far from over.
More about the film: Endgame brought curtains down on what can still be called the best phase of the MCU so far. A direct sequel to Infinity War, it proved to be an even bigger financial and critical success than its predecessor. With USD 2.79 billion in worldwide box office gross, it sits only behind Avatar (2009) as the highest-grossing film in history. At the same time, it gave a fitting closure to some of the best superhero characters seen on the big screen while successfully creating a pedestal for new ones.
(Hero image: © 2018 – Marvel Studios/IMDb; Featured image: © 2014 – Universal Pictures/IMDb)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
'Avengers: Endgame' (2019) is the film that earned the most on Day 1 of its release. It made USD 157,461,641 at the domestic box office in the US market. Details of its worldwide gross on Day 1 are not clear.
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Manas Sen Gupta writes at the intersection of tech, entertainment and history. His works have appeared in publications such as The Statesman, Myanmar Matters, Hindustan Times and News18/ETV. In his spare time, Manas loves studying interactive charts and topographic maps. When not doing either, he prefers reading detective fiction. Spring is his favourite season and he can happily eat a bowl of noodles any time of the day.
