In 2022, the global box office was dominated by sequels and reboots, with one exception: the Chinese sci-fi comedy Moon Man. However, it was James Cameron who once again proved himself to be king of the world, with his latest film Avatar: The Way of Water becoming the highest-grossing movie of the year and the fourth-highest-grossing movie of all time. Despite not performing as well as its predecessor, the film still managed to earn $183 million in the US alone.
Tom Cruise’s return as Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in Top Gun: Maverick was the most popular movie in the US, earning $718 million in ticket sales. However, it was only the second most popular movie worldwide, with Avatar: The Way of Water taking the top spot.
Here are the top 10 movies that made the most money around the world in 2022:
10. Avatar: The Way of Water
Released on December 16, 2022, Avatar: The Way of Water made $134.1 million in its first weekend. While it’s too soon to tell how well the movie will do overall, it’s currently the 10th highest-grossing movie in the US in 2022, with $183 million.
9. Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was released on April 8, 2022, and earned $72.1 million in its first weekend. Despite having the worst opening weekend of any of the top 10 movies in the US and a second-weekend drop of 59.4%, it still managed to earn a total of $190.9 million.
8. Spider-Man: No Way Home
Although it was released in December 2021, Spider-Man: No Way Home earned $231.8 million in the US in 2022, making it the eighth highest-grossing movie of the year.
7. Thor: Love and Thunder
Released on July 8, 2022, Thor: Love and Thunder earned $144.2 million in its first weekend. However, its second-weekend drop of 67.7% was bigger than any other movie in the top 10.
6. Batman
Batman was released on March 4, 2022, and earned $134 million in its first weekend. While its opening weekend was the fourth-lowest of the top 10 movies of 2022, its legs were moderately strong, with a second-weekend drop of only 50.4%.
5. Minions: The Rise of Gru
Released on July 1, 2022, Minions: The Rise of Gru earned $107 million in its first weekend. While it had the second-lowest opening weekend of the top 10 movies, its second-weekend drop of 56.9% was the third best.
4. Jurassic World: Dominion
Jurassic World: Dominion was released on June 10, 2022, and earned $145 million in its first weekend. While it had the third-best opening weekend in the US in 2022, its legs were only average, with a second-weekend drop of 59.2%.
3. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Released on May 6, 2022, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness earned $187.4 million in its first weekend. However, it had the second-worst drop in the top 10 (67%) in its second weekend.
2. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Released on November 11, 2022, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever earned $181.3 million in its first weekend at the box office. While it had the second-best opening weekend in the US in 2022, it didn’t perform as well after that, coming in third worst out of the top 10.
1. Top Gun: Maverick
Released on May 27, 2022, Top Gun: Maverick earned $126.7 million in its first weekend. However, it had the third-lowest opening weekend box office. Despite this, it performed much better than any other movie in the top 10, dropping less than 30% compared to the average drop of 57%. It is currently the highest-grossing movie in the US this year and is expected to finish the year on top. However, if Avatar: The Way of Water has legs as strong as the first Avatar, it could catch up to Top Gun: Maverick’s total sometime in 2023.
In conclusion, while sequels and reboots dominated the global box office in 2022, there were still a few surprises along the way. James Cameron once again proved himself to be a box office powerhouse with Avatar: The Way of Water, while Top Gun: Maverick managed to hold its own against some tough competition. Only time will tell what surprises lie ahead for the global box office in 2023.