Biggest Box Office hit of all time–all things considered (Poll)

[Shawn Robbins]

In no way, shape or form was/is Star Wars just an "American thing".

If it were, Phantom Menace would not have grossed $500+ million overseas nearly fourteen years ago. That's a $1 billion dollar figure in today's world more than likely.

Edited January 3, 2013 by ShawnMR

[fishstick]

In no way, shape or form was/is Star Wars just an "American thing".

If it were, Phantom Menace would not have grossed $500+ million overseas nearly fourteen years ago. That's a $1 billion dollar figure in today's world more than likely.

Hear hear. That amount paled in comparison to Titanic, of course, but what doesn`t? It was still staggering for its time. It`s just that Titanic changed the preception of success so some big successes in their own right come off as underperformers in (unfair) comparison.

[dashrendar44]

There's one big reason Titanic sold so many more tickets than SW and that is because it was available in so many more theaters and more screens. In 1977, if your film was playing in 1000 theaters, that was wide. Today 1000 theaters is a mini run. So for you to bring up SW only selling 6 million tickets in France and so on, wouldn't you have to take into consideration that it didn't play on nearly as many screens?

In France, The Aristocats sold 12 621 843 tickets in 1971 with less screens than Starwars Episode IV so would you say its run was more impressive than both Starwars and Titanic? Edited January 3, 2013 by dashrendar44

[vc2002]

Who the f**k voted for The Dark Knight?!That's just stupid man.

A better question: why the hell is TDK in the poll???

[vc2002]

Its Titanic no matter what anyone says. TDK and Avatar don't come close to it. Star Wars is the easy 2nd place. Gone With the Wind doesn't count because that movie came out in a completely different kind of world. TVs weren't even invented yet.

/thread

WW Avatar did come close. TDK doesnt even deserve in this conversation.

[Elessar]

There's one big reason Titanic sold so many more tickets than SW and that is because it was available in so many more theaters and more screens. In 1977, if your film was playing in 1000 theaters, that was wide. Today 1000 theaters is a mini run. So for you to bring up SW only selling 6 million tickets in France and so on, wouldn't you have to take into consideration that it didn't play on nearly as many screens?

Same could be said for the release in the US.Titanic was the much bigger event overseas.

[A Marvel Fanboy]

There's one big reason Titanic sold so many more tickets than SW and that is because it was available in so many more theaters and more screens. In 1977, if your film was playing in 1000 theaters, that was wide. Today 1000 theaters is a mini run. So for you to bring up SW only selling 6 million tickets in France and so on, wouldn't you have to take into consideration that it didn't play on nearly as many screens?

didnot you know Blanche-Neige et les 7 nains in 1938 in France sold 18.3M tickets, trpling what SW did in 1977 ?

La grande vadrouille in 1966 sold 17.2M

Autant en emporte le vent in 1950 sold 16.7m

Il était une fois dans l'ouest in 1969 sold 14.9m

http://www.cine-directors.net/box38.htm

Titanic is still #1 film in admissions in FR while SW long dropped out of top 100. Even Goldfinger (1965) is bigger than SW. In one word, SW is nothing special in FR. Same way in almost all OS markets, where Titanic was/is still #1 movie of all time. SW ? Never, nothing.

theater count is no real excuse here, since SW is too far away compared with Titanic. It does not stand a chance against Titanic.

[A Marvel Fanboy]

Same could be said for the release in the US.

Titanic was the much bigger event overseas.

Totally in different levels actually.

[Rovex]

SW and most comic book movies always were and always will be US events. Even the big grossers like The Avengers have a relativity poor OS split, rarely getting over 40:60 and often not even 50:50. The Nolan Batmans being a classic example. If The Dark Knight had a more normal 35/65 split it would have grossed almost $1.4B.

[A Marvel Fanboy]

SW and most comic book movies always were and always will be US events. Even the big grossers like The Avengers have a relativity poor OS split, rarely getting over 40:60 and often not even 50:50. The Nolan Batmans being a classic example. If The Dark Knight had a more normal 35/65 split it would have grossed almost $1.4B.

true. Though TA/TDKR dom/os was almost normal ...

[dashrendar44]

didnot you know Blanche-Neige et les 7 nains in 1938 in France sold 18.3M tickets, trpling what SW did in 1977 ?

La grande vadrouille in 1966 sold 17.2M

Autant en emporte le vent in 1950 sold 16.7m

Il était une fois dans l'ouest in 1969 sold 14.9m

http://www.cine-dire...s.net/box38.htm

Titanic is still #1 film in admissions in FR while SW long dropped out of top 100. Even Goldfinger (1965) is bigger than SW. In one word, SW is nothing special in FR. Same way in almost all OS markets, where Titanic was/is still #1 movie of all time. SW ? Never, nothing.

theater count is no real excuse here, since SW is too far away compared with Titanic. It does not stand a chance against Titanic.

This.

Even if Gone With The Wind and La Grande Vadrouille had the advantages of longer stays on screens and were re-released. SW did also have the advantages of longer stays in 1977 as it was still a trend during that era (See Emmanuelle in 1974) and re-releasings, and yet it is nowhere in the top 100.

Edited January 3, 2013 by dashrendar44

[baumer]

didnot you know Blanche-Neige et les 7 nains in 1938 in France sold 18.3M tickets, trpling what SW did in 1977 ?

La grande vadrouille in 1966 sold 17.2M

Autant en emporte le vent in 1950 sold 16.7m

Il était une fois dans l'ouest in 1969 sold 14.9m

http://www.cine-directors.net/box38.htm

Titanic is still #1 film in admissions in FR while SW long dropped out of top 100. Even Goldfinger (1965) is bigger than SW. In one word, SW is nothing special in FR. Same way in almost all OS markets, where Titanic was/is still #1 movie of all time. SW ? Never, nothing.

theater count is no real excuse here, since SW is too far away compared with Titanic. It does not stand a chance against Titanic.

Did I not know? Of course I didn't. But you guys are talking one movie per region that sold a ton of tickets. I'm just saying that SW making 300 million in 1977 is a massive amount of money, closer to a billion in today's terms. So it is certainly not just an American thing.

And as I have said, this is not about my bias towards SW, I like Titanic more than every SW film with the exception of Empire. I'm just giving credit where credit is due.

[Lordmandeep]

"SW and most comic book movies always were and always will be US events. Even the big grossers like The Avengers have a relativity poor OS split, rarely getting over 40:60 and often not even 50:50. The Nolan Batmans being a classic example. If The Dark Knight had a more normal 35/65 split it would have grossed almost $1.4B."However that is not really fair..The reason why the split was more even because of the overperformance of the films in America.If Ice Age 4 made 300 million domestic, I doubt it would have made over 80% still overseas.

[A Marvel Fanboy]

Did I not know? Of course I didn't. But you guys are talking one movie per region that sold a ton of tickets. I'm just saying that SW making 300 million in 1977 is a massive amount of money, closer to a billion in today's terms. So it is certainly not just an American thing.And as I have said, this is not about my bias towards SW, I like Titanic more than every SW film with the exception of Empire. I'm just giving credit where credit is due.

Point is SW is no close to Titanic.So answer for the title is clear.

[baumer]

Point is SW is no close to Titanic.So answer for the title is clear.

actually it is. If SW 300 mill in NA adjusts to over a billion in NA, then 300 mill overseas would also adjust to over a billion. So it is very close....if not bigger.

[The Futurist]

In no way, shape or form was/is Star Wars just an "American thing".

If it were, Phantom Menace would not have grossed $500+ million overseas nearly fourteen years ago. That's a $1 billion dollar figure in today's world more than likely.

I am not saying Star Wars was only an American thing.

I am saying the First Star Wars was a gigantic freak at the BO only in USA.

Of course Star Wars is big everywhere but it is not USA big outside of the USA .

Titanic was a titan in almost every market and because of that it is the biggest box office hit of all time.

Gone with the Wind may be up there but the movie is too old and data could be wrong.

Anyway, Stat Wars is still one of the biggest franchise ever but Lucas didn't build his empire from the profit he made from the movies.

His Empire was an Empire of toys and goodies. Star Wars is the biggest movie license of the ast 35 years.

[The Futurist]

actually it is. If SW 300 mill in NA adjusts to over a billion in NA, then 300 mill overseas would also adjust to over a billion. So it is very close....if not bigger.

Yep.Star Wars and Titanic were just as big in the USA.In the USA only, elesewhere, the Titan decimates all Star Wars figures.

[baumer]

Yep.Star Wars and Titanic were just as big in the USA.In the USA only, elesewhere, the Titan decimates all Star Wars figures.

not even close. Sorry, but you are flat out wrong.

[The Stingray]

Taking inflation into account Star Wars' foreign gross would amount to 1193m, and 2190m for Titanic. But considering that there were thousands of more theaters in '97 than in '77, one wonders what Star Wars' foreign grosses would have been, had it been released in as many theaters as Titanic. I'm guessing 1193m --> 2193, so about the same as Titanic. But that's 100% guesswork...

Edited January 3, 2013 by Don Niam The Stingray

[Jake Gittes]

How the hell do you downplay a $300m overseas gross in 1977?