As the year nears its end, let’s look at the top 10 highest-grossing movies of 2022 worldwide and where to watch them. Although the list is based sheerly on box office numbers, it reflects the changing tastes and expectations of audiences all over the world.
Even though films with poor ratings, like Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Jurassic World: Dominion, have made it to the list, the future for below-par blockbusters looks bleak. And this time, the top spot belongs to a non-superhero film.
Keep reading to find out who will take the box office throne in 2022.
10. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 – $402 million
The sequel to Sonic the Hedgehog may have a mediocre 69% Rotten Tomatoes score, but the film is certainly an improvement from the original.
- Starring Jim Carrey and Ben Schwartz, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a video game come to life. Streams on Amazon Prime Video.
9. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore – $405 million
Another sequel on the list, The Secrets of Dumbledore might be a tad bit better than Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, but it still misses the magic that the original Harry Potter movies had. Streams on HBO Max.
8. Water Gate Bridge – $626 million
The Battle at Lake Changjin II, also known as Water Gate Bridge, is a 2022 Chinese war film and the sequel to The Battle at Lake Changjin (2021). Inevitably, most of its $626 million box office revenue came from its home country of China.
7. Thor: Love and Thunder – $760 million
Love and Thunder was definitely a downgrade from the exciting Thor: Ragnarök directed by Taika Waititi. The film’s inconsistent tone and silliness were its pitfalls, but it still managed to make it to this top 10 list. Streams on Disney+.
6. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – $769 million
Wakanda Forever worked better as a moving tribute to its late Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman than as a commercial blockbuster, but it still did not compromise on the action. Now in theaters.
5. The Batman – $770 million
The first entry in this list that justifies its position on this list with its quality. Robert Pattinson’s first outing as a Kurt Cobain-inspired Bruce Wayne was phenomenal. Streams on HBO Max.
4. Minions 2: The Rise of Gru – $939 million
The comedy riot is the highest-grossing animated film of the year and the only one on this list. Looks like people can never get tired of those cute and chaotic yellow creatures. Streams on Peacock.
3. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – $955 million
Multiverse of Madness was a tug-of-war between Marvel Studios’ weight and Sam Raimi’s vision. But the film was definitely a spectacle that people didn’t want to miss out in theaters, making it the third highest-grossing film of the year. Streams on Disney+.
2. Jurassic World: Dominion – $1 billion
Perhaps the franchise might be stretched out a little too thin, but it was surely enough to make it the first billion-dollar box-office entry in this list. Time to let ‘em dinosaurs rest, maybe? Streams on Peacock.
1. Top Gun: Maverick – $1.48 billion
A well-deserved top spot for the perfect action blockbuster. Top Gun: Maverick was a massive success among audiences and critics alike. Tom Cruise returns as Maverick thirty-six years after the original Top Gun and manages to outdo it. Now in theaters, IMAX, and rental on Amazon Prime Video.
Final thoughts
Marvel films usually top any year’s list, but 2022 was a wake-up call. Despite having three films on the list, the numbers are not enough to keep a Marvel-sized studio up and running.
- Spider-Man: No Way Home set the box office on fire just before the year started. And just as the year is ending, Avatar: The Way of Water is arriving to create more records.
We wouldn’t be surprised if it made it to this list in just the small remainder of this year.
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