Steven Spielberg has been writing and directing films since the 1970s and is still going strong. His new film, Jurassic World: Dominion, hits theaters in June of 2022 and is just one of several active projects for the director this year. Spielberg has directed some major box office blockbusters throughout his career and launched multiple successful film series, but a few films stand above the rest. From sci-fi to action-adventure, Steven Spielberg’s films span multiple genres. Spielberg hasn’t just directed films; he’s built a cultural legacy. His highest-grossing films of all time are true classics of Hollywood’s past and present.
10. Raiders Of The Lost Ark Started A Saga
The Indiana Jones series of films made Harrison Ford a household name, and it all started with this 1981 release. Raiders Of The Lost Ark is based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. The story follows illustrious archaeologist Indiana Jones through some pretty daring adventures, and moviegoers couldn’t get enough. The film grossed $390,133,212 and was the highest-grossing film of 1981. The film spawned three successful sequels, with a fourth sequel due sometime in 2023.
9. Jaws Is A Timeless Thriller Classic
Steven Spielberg directed Jaws early in his career, and it remains a stand-out on his resume today. The relatively new director topped the box office in 1975 with this adaptation of a Peter Benchley novel. Jaws was the highest-grossing film of 1975, bringing in an impressive $471,203,004. The film spawned three sequels and theme park rides at Universal Studios in both Florida and Japan. Though Spielberg didn’t direct the sequels to the original film, the Jaws series is nevertheless an essential part of his body of work.
8. Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade Completed A Trilogy
Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade is the third installment in the Indiana Jones series of films. It was released in 1989, and critics were generally in favor of this final chapter of the original film trilogy. Sean Connery joins the cast as Jones’ father, and the two of them go on a quest to find the Holy Grail. This sequel has grossed $474,310,887 and was one of the highest-grossing films of 1989, coming second only to Batman. The success of this film paved the way for an additional sequel a few years later.
7. Saving Private Ryan Was An Epic War Drama
The 1998 war drama Saving Private Ryan depicted both the tragedy and humanity of war in Spielberg’s signature style. The movie takes place during the Normandy Invasion of WWII and stars Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Vin Diesel, and many more familiar faces. The squadron embarks on a daring mission to rescue one of their own and face harrowing tragedy along the way. The film grossed $482, 349, 603 worldwide and was among the top-grossing movies of that year. It also won Speilberg his second Academy Award for Best Director in 1998.
6. Ready Player One Is A Dystopian Sci-Fi Film
Ready Player One is one of Steven Spielberg’s more recent directorial efforts. It hit theaters in 2018 and was well-received by most critics. The film takes place in 2045 in a dystopian world dominated by a virtual reality universe known as OASIS. As with most dystopian films set in the future, the movie featured unique rules for its fictional society. It also had a believable villain in James Halliday, played by Mark Rylance. The film had a fresh concept that fans enjoyed, and a sequel is currently being developed. It performed better overseas than it did domestically but grossed a staggering $582,890,172 overall.
5. War Of The Worlds Was An Excellent Modern Retelling
In 2005, Steven Spielberg directed War Of The Worlds, an adaptation of the 1898 H.G. Wells novel of the same name. The film starred Tom Cruise and a young Dakota Fanning and was relatively faithful to the plot of the original novel. Of course, Spielberg put his own unique spin on the story. The film was generally well-received by critics, though the ending of the movie got mixed reviews. The movie was yet another major box office success for Spielberg. It was among the top five highest-grossing films of the year, bringing in $591,745,532 worldwide.
4. The Lost World: Jurassic Park Was A Highly Successful Sequel
The action-packed 1997 film, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, was the first sequel to the highly successful Jurassic Park movie. Many of the actors from the first film reprised their roles in this sequel, which partially contributed to its success at the box office. The special effects were an improvement on the first, and the plot was satisfying enough for fans of the first film to enjoy the second chapter of the Jurassic Park saga. The movie grossed $618,638,999 worldwide, making it the second-highest-grossing film of 1997.
3. Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull Expanded A Franchise
Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics and viewers alike, Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull is the most financially successful of the Indiana Jones movies so far. Released in 2008, the film introduced Shia LeBeouf as Indiana Jones’ son and follows Jones on a quest to find a crystal skull before a group of Russians can find it. The movie also propels the story forward by twenty years, taking place in the 50s instead of the 30s. The film was the second-highest-grossing film of 2008, raking in a total of $786,636,033.
2. E.T. The Extraterrestrial Was A Sci-Fi Blockbuster
The 1982 film E.T.: The Extraterrestrial was a heartwarming story about a young boy who tries to help a friendly alien evade capture. The film stars a very young Drew Barrymore in one of her earliest roles. E.T. was a massive commercial success for Spielberg, grossing $792,910,554 worldwide. It topped the box office rankings as the highest-grossing movie of 1982. This Steven Spielberg film was critically-acclaimed and won multiple awards, including a People’s Choice Award for Favorite Movie.
1. Jurassic Park Is An Enduring Fan-Favorite
The original Jurassic Park hit theaters in 1993. It kicked off a trilogy that has endured for nearly thirty years, with the franchise’s final film premiering in June 2022. The film had a very simple plot and a cast of infectiously likable characters. No other Steven Spielberg film has come close to the success of Jurassic Park, which grossed a staggering $1,029,153,882. It was the highest-grossing movie of 1993, performing well both domestically and worldwide. After all these years, it is still among the forty highest-grossing films ever made.
