It was a long year, full of a bunch of new films, and according to Forbes’ new list, “Top-Earning Movies of 2011“, it was the year of the cartoon. Topping the list with $1.06 billion earned was Toy Story 3. With the total, it was not only the highest-grossing film of the year, but the highest-grossing animated film of all time (on an unadjusted basis). On top of that, it was one of the best-reviewed movies of the year. The magazine compiled the list using data from BoxOfficeMojo.com, using not just domestic, but also global earnings as well. In at #2 was Alice In Wonderland, pulling in $1.02 billion, making Disney the first studio ever to have two films in a year cross the $1 billion mark. Keep in mind that both were available in 3D though Below is a rundown of the top 10 films of the year, as reported by Forbes.com:
1. Toy Story 3 – $1.06 billion
Not only was Toy Story 3 the highest-grossing movie of 2010, it was also one of the best-reviewed films of the year, receiving a score of 99 out of 100 on Rotten Tomatoes, which aggregates reviews from around the country. Disney Studio head Rich Ross would also like to see the film win a Best Picture Oscar.
2. Alice In Wonderland – $1.02 billion
Disney is the first studio ever to have two films cross the $1 billion mark in a single year. It helps that Toy Story 3 and Alice were both in ticket-hiking 3-D, but it doesn’t take away from the studio’s achievement. Alice earned 67% of its box office outside of the U.S.
3. Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows – $831 million
The seventh Harry Potter movie looks like it’s on track to be one of the series’ highest earning. In just six weeks, it’s already brought in $831 million.
4. Inception – $825 million
The twisty dream within a dream within a dream movie from director Christopher Nolan was so complicated audiences might have stayed away. But instead it became the kind of puzzle film that everyone needs to see to be able to talk about it at the water cooler. It’s the only film on this list that isn’t animated, a sequel or a remake.
5. Shrek Forever After – $737
Despite earning $737 million Shrek Forever After didn’t exactly end the franchise on a high note. Because the film was the first Shrek movie in 3-D, it was expected to earn more, but on a global basis it is only the third highest-grossing Shrek film. A Puss in Boots spin-off is in the works.
6. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse – $693
There’s no getting around the fact that the Twilight movies are huge money makers. The latest film earned its $693 million on a budget of just $70 million. The last book, Breaking Dawn, is being broken into two films. The first will hit theaters next November.
7. Iron Man 2 – $622 million
The new movie wasn’t as well-reviewed as the first Iron Man, but it brought in more money. The first movie earned $585 million to Iron Man 2’s $622 million. Iron Man will next be seen in The Avengers, which will feature multiple Marvel heroes like The Incredible Hulk and Captain America.
8. Despicable Me – $539 million
Despicable Me was the most unlikely hit of the year. Made for just $70 million, the animated movie came not from Disney or DreamWorks but from Illumination Entertainment. The story of a bad guy who is turned good by the love of three orphaned girls clearly struck a chord with audiences.