Top Grossing Movies of All Time

Top Grossing Movies

• Hollywood began producing films in the 1920s, making revenue comparison challenging.
• "Gross" refers to total earnings from ticket sales; the top grossing film is the one that made the most money.
• Avatar (2009) is the highest-earning film globally, but ranks 15th when adjusted for ticket sales and current prices.

Key Films and Earnings

• Gone With The Wind (1939): Sold over 202 million tickets, translating to over $1.8 billion at modern prices, despite challenges during WWII.
• Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977): Sold over 178 million tickets; adjusted gross is nearly $1.7 billion, reflecting its instant success upon release.
• The Sound of Music (1965): Known for its catchy tunes and launched Julie Andrews' career; sold over 142 million tickets worldwide.
• E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982): Sold about 142 million tickets, leading to an adjusted gross of approximately $1.3 billion.
• Titanic (1997): Despite its lengthy run time of 3 hours and 15 minutes, it attracted nearly 136 million viewers, equating to around $1.27 billion in today's ticket sales.

Unique Aspects

• Titanic is the only film among the top five that also ranks high in gross earnings at the time of its release, sitting at third place behind Avengers: Endgame and Avatar.

Vocabulary and Comprehension

• "Titular" in Titanic refers to its namesake nature.
• "Era" indicates a distinct period in time.
• A phrase indicating A New Hope's popularity: "instant success."
• A word meaning "the first time something happened" is "initial."
• A term meaning "pretended to be somebody" would be "portrayed."

VIPERS Questions

• R: Avatar is the film that has earned the most money ever.
• S: Gone With The Wind was the first released film on the list.
• R: Julie Andrews' career was helped by The Sound of Music.
• R: The main characters in Titanic are Rose and Jack.
• S: Titanic differs in that it is also in the top grossing films list based on original earnings.

Test your knowledge on the highest-grossing films in history, from classic hits like 'Gone With The Wind' to modern blockbusters like 'Avatar'. This quiz explores ticket sales, earnings, and notable achievements of these films over the decades. See how well you understand the world of cinema revenue!