Movies took a hit with the pandemic: ticket sales were way down, and production disruptions meant fewer films hit the cinemas these past three years. However, over this year, audiences have started returning to the cineplex. Despite there being far fewer movies released in 2022 than in 2019, the U.S. box office still managed to bring in more than$3.3bnover the summer.
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Top Gun: MaverickandDoctor Strange in the Multiverseof Madnessperformed well, andAvatar: the Way of Wateris also set to makea big splashthis month. In addition, 2023 looks like it will be a better year than 2022, with many more new releases. Hopefully, we see more big hits rake in big returns, and the industry recovers its footing.
‘Frozen II’ (2019)
Box Office:$1.45bn
The firstFrozenwasan instant sensation. Its soundtrack could be heard everywhere in 2013 (to many parents' frustration). The sequel had big shoes to fill, and the cast and crew succeeded in delivering a worthy follow-up that resonated with fans. The filmmakers said they took care to make sureFrozen 2felt true to the original.
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“Over time, we’d heard a lot of feedback and ideas of who these characters are, and what should happen to them, and I found myself realizing if I was going to write further, I had to ground myself just in them, as people,“saysco-directorJennifer Lee. “I think that actually gave me courage to write a sequel.”
‘Top Gun: Maverick’ (2022)
Box Office:$1.48bn
WithTop Gun: Maverick,Tom Cruiseproved once again that his star power is far from fading. The film defied the post-pandemic slump, quickly soaring past the billion dollar threshold. With great supporting performances fromMiles TellerandJennifer Connelly, along withJoseph Kosinski’s energetic directing, it equaled - or even surpassed - its predecessor.
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Kosinski says that Cruse initially did not want to appear in the movie, and had to be persuaded. “I opened with the idea that this is a rite-of-passage story like the first film,” Kosinskisays. “The first film is a drama, even though it’s wrapped in this glossy action film. This would be the same thing, but it would be Maverick reconciling with Goose’s son set against this mission that would take them both deep into enemy territory. And as soon as I said that, I could see the wheels in his head start to turn.”
‘Furious 7’ (2015)
Box Office:$1.51bn
The team returned for one of the most explosive entries in the mega-franchise.Vin DieselandDwayne Johnsonare terrific as always, helped along by tons of well-crafted action scenes. The movie is also poignant, given the passing ofPaul Walker.
“It became very apparent to all of us that we needed to finish this movie to honor Paul’s legacy and to basically honor his memories, and moving forward that became our number one goal,” directorJames Wansays. “Like nothing else mattered, it was about making this movie for Paul.”
‘The Avengers’ (2012)
The Avengerswas a massive event for superhero movies. It was the first time that we saw Marvel’s leading heroes gathered together on-screen, laying the foundation for all the films that would follow.
Not to mention, it represents a great mash-up of various Marvel characters and storylines. “It’s part of the grand Marvel tradition to steal from all of the comics and all of the eras and Ultimates,” directorJoss Whedontold Collider. “You sort of have to take all of those things and distill them the same way the customers do […] Distill them and then find your own.”
‘The Lion King’ (2019)
Box Office:$1.66bn
The live-actionLion Kingwas another movie with high expectations to meet. While not as magical as the animated version, it’s still gorgeous and engaging, with great performances from the voice cast, especiallyDonald GloverandSeth Rogen.
“Casting is the foundation of great cinematic storytelling,” directorJon Favreauhassaid. “I came up as an actor, so I know that you can’t compromise one iota on cast. You have to get the best people you can because they’re the ones who are gonna do everything. We just built off of our cast. It started with us, just in a room, like a theater rehearsal.”
‘Jurassic World’ (2015)
Box Office:$1.67bn
Colin Trevorrowrevived theJurassic Parkfranchise with this action-packed epic. It went on to become the highest grossing entry in the series, and transformedChris Prattinto a full-on leading man. The special effects are top-notch (just look at the Indominus Rex) but arguably its greatest strength is the fleshed-out characters.
“It’s not a bunch of movies with plots about dinosaurs. It’s a movie about people who live in a world in which there are dinosaurs,” Trevorrowsays. “That’s an important distinction for me.”
‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ (2021)
Box Office:$1.91bn
Tom Hollanddelivered his best (and most emotional) superhero performance yet in this multiverse-spanning, uber-metaSpider-Manflick. The return of previous Spider-MenTobey MaguireandAndrew Garfieldwas an added treat. The result is one of the most satisfying Marvel movies in years.
No Way Homeditched many of the Spider-Man tropes, like Peter Parker being bitten by the spider, to instead focus on the characters in a new context. “It was just so nice to skip past it and just deal with more with the repercussions,” directorJon Wattssays. “And just explore it from the perspective of someone else finding out about it and having a lot of questions.”
‘Avengers: Infinity War’ (2018)
Box Office:$2.04bn
Infinity Warraised the stakes in every way - more characters, deadlier villains, and even better CGI. It also cranked the action up to 11, without sacrificing characterization or an emotional story. The film was also unafraid to kill off major characters and to hand its heroes a rare defeat.
“It’s not only a culmination of the last ten years of Marvel storytelling, but for us, it’s a culmination of our journey as directors in the Marvel Universe,” co-directorJoe Russohassaid, “And I think having at our disposal all of those characters and allowing ourselves to refilter them through the way that we see the universe, the way that we feel about the characters, the themes that we really want to bring to the forefront.”
‘Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens’ (2015)
Box Office:$2.06bn
The Force Awakenswas a true cinematic event, bringing fans back to one of the most beloved movie universes of all time. It deals heavily in nostalgia, essentially repackaging the story ofA New Hope. While some were disappointed, most fans felt this was exactly what they needed.
DirectorJ.J. Abramssayshe understood the magnitude of telling a newStar Warsstory. “You’re inheritingStar Wars! That’s not something you’re able to do lightly. You have to really understand the design choices, because everything is important.”
‘Avengers: Endgame’ (2019)
Box Office:$2.79bn
Endgamehit harder thanany Marvel moviebefore it, delivering epic battles, narrative twists, and heartbreaking sendoffs for some of its most cherished characters. The time travel element allowed the heroes (and audience) to reexperience some of the franchise’s most iconic moments, and appreciate just how much ground the Marvel films had covered over the previous decade.
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“We wanted to go right to the heart of what we care about in these movies: the relationships between these characters,” co-directorAnthony Russosays. “Once we came out of the edit ofCivil War, we realized that we’d succeeded in divorcing the Avengers, destroying the relationship between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. We’ve set the table for Thanos; we’re ready for him.”
