LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — It was a year of ups and downs at the box office in 2023. Through November, films had claimed 21.6% more cash than in 2022 and eclipsed the pandemic-laden years of 2021 and 2020 at 133.9% and 294.7% increases, respectively.
Simultaneously, some tentpole blockbusters seemed to flounder as audiences stayed away from typical, reliable cinema fare.
Indeed, box office mainstays like Indiana Jones, Mission: Impossible, Transformers, the Fast & Furious franchise, The Marvels, and The Flash were all left out of the top 10 in 2024, while Swifties, a nuclear biopic, and an unexpected indie hit all dropped in.
These are the top 10 movies of 2023 based on estimated grosses as of Nov. 21 as disseminated by Box Office Mojo.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 11: Taylor Swift attends “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” Concert Movie World Premiere at AMC The Grove 14 on October 11, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
10. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour
Hi. She wasn’t the problem this year at the box office. The Eras Tour brought a tsunami of Swifties to the cinemas to take in the film version of the blockbuster Taylor Swift tour. Its earnings managed to eclipse Justin Bieber: Never Say Never to become the all-time highest-grossing concert film of all time by more than double.
Domestic box office total: $175,674,886
Jim Caviezel stars at Tim Ballard in “Sound Of Freedom” | Photo provided by Angel Studios
9. Sound of Freedom
The independent film became the surprise of 2023, beating out box-office mainstays like Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Mission: Impossible, and the Transformers to claim the ninth spot on the top 10 films of the year.
Domestic box office total: $184,174,541
Keanu Reeves as John Wick in John Wick: Chapter 4. Photo Credit: Murray Close
8. John Wick: Chapter 4
The fourth chapter in the cinematic journey of the Baba Yaga earned enough to land the eighth spot in 2023’s highest-grossing films. It is the highest-grossing domestic earner among the franchise’s four other efforts.
Domestic box office total: $187,131,806
(L-R): Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Kathryn Newton as Cassandra “Cassie” Lang, Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne/Wasp in Marvel Studios’ ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2022 MARVEL.
7. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
The Paul Rudd vehicle was released in February and settled in as the 25th most financially successful of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s 34 theatrical efforts, just after its predecessor, 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp, and ahead of 2013’s Thor: The Dark World.
Domestic box office total: $214,504,909
(L-R): Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric and Halle Bailey as Ariel in Disney’s live-action THE LITTLE MERMAID. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
6. The Little Mermaid (2023)
Disney’s live-action remake of its 1989 classic animated film did enough to nab number six on the top films of 2023, settling in as the sixth-highest grossing of Disney’s live-action efforts.
Domestic box office total: $298,172,056
5. Oppenheimer
Paired with Barbie, Christopher Nolan’s biopic on J. Robert Oppenheimer became the sixth-highest-grossing R-rated film of all time and claimed the fifth spot in 2023’s top-grossing movies of the year.
Domestic box office total: $325,312,715
(L-R): Karen Gillan as Nebula, Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, and Dave Bautista as Drax in Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Photo by Jessica Miglio. © 2023 MARVEL.
4. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
The Marvel Cinematic Universe turned the page from the Guardians of the Galaxy in 2023 — at least for now. The James Gunn-helmed comic book adaptation landed the fourth spot in the top 10 films of 2023.
Domestic box office total: $358,995,815
Spider-Man (Shameik Moore) and Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE.
3. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Fans will have to wait for a resolution to the cliffhanger ending of the sequel to 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The thrilling and frenetic series’ third installment, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, has been pushed back from its March 2024 opening date.
Domestic box office total: $381,311,319
(from left) Mario (Chris Pratt), Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), and Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) in Nintendo and Illumination’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.
2. The Super Mario Bros. Movie
The new movie starring everyone’s favorite plumber scored at the box office in 2023, becoming the highest-earning video game adaptation of all time, besting 2020’s Sonic the Hedgehog.
Domestic box office total: $574,934,330
MARGOT ROBBIE as Barbie in Warner Bros. Pictures’ “BARBIE,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. | Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
1. Barbie
The Margot Robbie-led film claimed the box office crown in 2023. The July 21 release date shared with number 5 on the list, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, created an opportunity for fans to participate in the Barbenheimer cultural phenomenon.
