The highest-grossing movies worldwide in the first six months of 2024 also include animation works alongside epic, live-action franchise offerings. This is in line with an increasing trend that is most clearly visible in Hollywood, especially since the days of the pandemic.
And what a year it is turning out for animation!
Pixar Animation Studios’ Inside Out 2 has not only become the highest-grossing movie of 2024, but is also the first film of the year to cross the USD 1-billion mark.
Year 2024: Highest-grossing movies that all should watch
Among the animation films at the top of the 2024 highest-grossing movies list is Kung Fu Panda 4. And why shouldn’t it, right? Every film in the franchise has been a major theatrical draw, with fans rooting for the lovable panda Po and his adventures in a world of martial arts masters.
Not only Kung Fu Panda 4, but both IF, which is part animated, and The Garfield Movie are among the 12 highest earners at the worldwide box office.
Of course, the major live-action movies dominate the list and continue to churn the most money among all types of films.
Dune: Part Two, the second-highest-grossing film of 2024, was always expected to perform very well at the box office. With its stellar star cast and the success of its previous instalment, it was always expected to do very well in theatres.
The same is the case with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. The latest instalment in the Monsterverse franchise expectedly shattered the worldwide box office with fans wanting to see more action of the two titular titans colliding on the screen.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes takes forward the legacy of its franchise not only in terms of box office revenue but also as a story.
But so far none of the movies except Inside Out 2 has touched USD 1-billion at the worldwide box office. Analysts believe that Deadpool & Wolverine and Gladiator II, two movies releasing later in 2024, could be the ones which will join the animated film in the one-billion-dollar club.
The highest-grossing movies worldwide in 2024
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Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
Directed by: Gil Kenan
Cast: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Celeste O’Connor, Logan Kim, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, William Atherton
Runtime: 1 hour 55 minutes
IMDb rating: 6.1
Worldwide gross: USD 201,844,268
Synopsis: A powerful malevolent entity is released from imprisonment from an ancient artefact. To prevent the entity from destroying the world with a new ice age, the Ghostbusters, old and new, must join forces.
Trivia: The film is a sequel to Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021). It is the fourth instalment in the Ghostbusters franchise canon and the fifth overall.
A Quiet Place: Day One
Directed by: Michael Sarnoski
Cast: Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff, Djimon Hounsou
Runtime: 1 hour 39 minutes
IMDb rating: 6.7
Worldwide gross: USD 243,598,213
Synopsis: Sam (Nyong’o) is a terminally ill cancer patient who finds herself in the middle of an extraterrestrial invasion in Manhattan. The alien creatures cannot see but have ultra-sensitive hearing, which makes them kill any living thing that makes even the slightest sound. While Sam tries to find a way out, she is joined by another survivor, Eric (Quinn), who rekindles hope in her.
Trivia: A Quiet Place: Day One is a spin-off prequel to John Krasinski’s A Quiet Place (2018). It is the third film in the overall series. The film received positive reviews from critics, but fans of the franchise gave a mixed verdict.
The Garfield Movie
Directed by: Mark Dindal
Voice cast: Chris Pratt, Samuel L. Jackson, Hannah Waddingham, Ving Rhames, Nicholas Hoult, Bowen Yang, Snoop Dogg, Harvey Guillén
Runtime: 1 hour 41 minutes
IMDb rating: 5.8
Worldwide gross: USD 248,683,099
Synopsis: Garfield (Pratt) is reunited with his long-lost father Vic (Jackson), who is a street cat. He is then forced to join Vic and Odie (Guillén) in a robbery.
Also read: Princess Mononoke to Spirited Away: Highest-grossing anime movies made in history
Bad Boys: Ride or Die
Directed by: Adil & Bilall
Cast: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Paola Núñez, Joe Pantoliano
Runtime: 1 hour 55 minutes
IMDb rating: 7.0
Worldwide gross: USD 388,699,172
Synopsis: Will Smith as Detectives Mike (Smith) and Marcus (Lawrence) find themselves at the centre of a conspiracy around the death of their former captain, Conrad Howard (Pantoliano). But with both law enforcement and criminals gunning for their heads, the two friends go on the run to prove their innocence as well as that of Howard.
Trivia: Ride or Die is the fourth instalment of the Bad Boys film series, which started with the first film in 1995.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Directed by: Wes Ball
Cast: Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, William H. Macy
Runtime: 2 hours 25 minutes
IMDb rating: 7.2
Worldwide gross: USD 396,684,225
Synopsis: Noa (Teague), a young ape, goes on a journey that aims to build a shared future for the dominant apes and humans, who are forced to live in the shadows. But in his way stands the tyrannical ape leader, Proximus Caesar (Durand).
Trivia: The story of the film is set 300 years after the events of War for the Planet of the Apes (2017). As such, it is a standalone sequel.
Kung Fu Panda 4
Directed by: Mike Mitchell, Stephanie Stine
Cast: Jack Black, Ian McShane, Dustin Hoffman, James Hong, Bryan Cranston
Runtime: 1 hour 34 minutes
IMDb rating: 6.3
Worldwide gross: USD 545,626,023
Synopsis: Po (Black) is tasked to train a new Dragon Warrior as he has become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace. While his search is on, he also has to deal with a wicked sorceress named Chameleon (Davis) who can re-summon all the master villains from the spirit realm.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Directed by: Adam Wingard
Cast: Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Dan Stevens, Kaylee Hottle, Alex Ferns, Fala Chen
Runtime: 1 hour 55 minutes
IMDb rating: 6.2
Worldwide gross: USD 567,650,016
Synopsis: Godzilla and Kong battle with a colossal monster with links to the mysterious Skull Island, to protect their future and, as a result, ensure the survival of mankind.
Trivia: The film is a sequel to Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) and the fifth film in the Monsterverse franchise.
Despicable Me 4
Directed by: Chris Renaud, Patrick Delage
Voice cast: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Pierre Coffin, Joey King, Miranda Cosgrove, Sofía Vergara, Will Ferrell
Runtime: 1 hour 35 minutes
IMDb rating: 6.3
Worldwide gross: USD 584,782,526
Synopsis: Gru’s (Carell) family is in danger when his old rival Maxime Le Mal (Ferrell) creates an invention that can turn people into hybrids of cockroaches. Gru must protect his family, but before that he has to help a new neighbour, Poppy Prescott (King), commit a crime.
Trivia: Despicable Me 4 comes seven years after the third instalment in the franchise. It was made on a budget of around USD 100 million and, despite mixed reviews, performed well at the box office.
Dune: Part Two
Directed by: Denis Villeneuve
Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Charlotte Rampling, Javier Bardem, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux
Runtime: 2 hours 46 minutes
IMDb rating: 8.6
Worldwide gross: USD 711,844,358
Synopsis: Paul Atreides (Chalamet) leads the Fremen against the powerful House Harkonnen who destroyed his family, House Atreides. But this vengeful quest of his tests his relationship with Chani (Zendaya).
Trivia: The sequel to Dune (2021) completes the two-part adaptation of the 1965 novel of the same name by Frank Herbert.
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, Lilimar, Grace Lu, Sumayyah Nuriddin-Green, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Paul Walter Hauser
Runtime: 1 hour 36 minutes
IMDb rating: 7.9
Worldwide gross: USD 1,462,769,628
Synopsis: Things are going pretty well for 13-year-old Riley Andersen (Tallman) and her emotions –Joy (Poehler), Sadness (Smith), Anger (Black), Fear (Hale) and Disgust (Lapira). But everyone’s lives change in an unexpected manner the moment Anxiety (Hawke) joins the ‘emotions’ group.
Trivia: The film is a sequel to Inside Out (2015), in which Kaitlyn Dias voiced Riley. The sequel has been on a record-shattering spree since its release. It recorded the biggest second-weekend opening for any animated film at the US domestic box office in history and the seventh-biggest of any film overall. It is also the fastest animated film to cross USD 1 billion at the box office.
(All box office revenue figures are courtesy of Box Office Mojo.)
(Hero image credit: Pixar/PIXAR – © 2024 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved./IMDb; Featured image credit: DreamWorks Animation – © 2023 DreamWorks Animation/IMDb)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– What will be the biggest movie of 2024?
There is a possibility of Deadpool & Wolverine or Gladiator II, both of which will be released later in 2024, emerging as the biggest movie of 2024.
– Which is the highest-earning movie in Malaysia in 2024?
Zul Ariffin-starrer Sheriff: Narko Integriti is the highest-grossing movie in Malaysia in 2024.
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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.
