The 10 Highest-Grossing Movies Of The 1990s

The 1990s had some incredible films, many of which made waves at the box office. In the 20th century, without many of the technological advancements film viewers are accustomed to today, audiences were enamored by the growing possibilities of cinema. While the decade was known for its rise of low-budget, independent filmmaking, the blockbusters of the ’90s were also wildly inventive.

From disaster movies, to space exploration, to bringing extinct species back to life, the blockbusters of the ’90s seemed to have endless possibilities. The constant improvements to computer effects revolutionized the industry, fully establishing computer-animation as a tool for film visuals. The decade saw a renaissance for Disney, the return of Star Wars, as well as exciting new ideas, all of which competed at the box office.

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10 Armageddon (1998)

The 1970s popularized the disaster film genre with movies like Earthquake and The Towering Inferno. The ’90s saw the genre taken to a new level with existential threats from outer space. 1998’s Armageddon sees an asteroid heading in Earth’s direction, with the only way to stop it being to drill into it and detonate a nuke. So NASA teams up with the world’s greatest driller, Harry Stamper (Bruce Willis), to deal with it. While that may sound ridiculous, the Michael Bay action/adventure film is a lot of fun and managed to gross over $550 million at the box office.

9 Men In Black (1997)

Making nearly $600 million at the box office, Men in Black offered one of the best films in the buddy-cop genre to date. The sci-fi/action mixed with comedy perfectly due to the chemistry of stars Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith. The science-fiction concept, combined with its great movie stars, made the film a hugely entertaining family-friendly experience. The film went on to produce two direct sequels and a spin-off, the former of which earned Will Smith a massive payday.

8 The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)

While not as successful financially as the first Jurassic Park film, The Lost World still managed to be a hit, and was far more successful than the third installment. The Lost World was Steven Spielberg’s second and final film for the franchise, and it managed to make $618 million. The second installment saw Jeff Goldblum take the leading role, after his popular performance in the first. The sequel wasn’t as critically acclaimed as Jurassic Park but still managed to be a riveting movie.

7 The Sixth Sense (1999)

The M. Night Shyamalan directed film was lightning in a bottle, due to its shocking, plot-twist ending and lighter horror/supernatural elements. The Sixth Sense was also Bruce Willis’ highest-grossing film, bringing in $672 million in its run. Funnily enough, Bruce Willis was bound by contract to accept the role in the film, after finding himself in legal issues with Disney. While Pulp Fiction was arguably his best film of the ’90s, his two most profitable projects in The Sixth Sense and Armageddon came from an obligatory three-film deal with Disney.

6 Forrest Gump (1994)

Not only was Forrest Gump a financial juggernaut with $678 million at the box office, but it also managed to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 1995. Starring Tom Hanks and directed by Robert Zemeckis, Forrest Gump is one of the most influential films in modern pop culture, capturing the hearts of audiences with its epic, yet emotionally contrived story. Several Forrest Gump quotes have entered the American lexicon, making it easily one of the most quoted movies ever.

5 Independence Day (1996)

Will Smith rose to movie stardom with Bad Boys and Men in Black, but Independence Day was his crowning achievement of the decade. Another science fiction/disaster film, Independence Day sees Earth under threat by an extraterrestrial body. The 1996 classic expanded on what the scale and spectacle of a blockbuster film could look like. While the film received mixed reviews critically, despite its outstanding cast and visuals, Independence Day still managed to rake in $817 million at the box office.

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4 The Lion King (1994)

The Disney Renaissance lasted from 1989 to 1999, with The Lion King being the peak of its success. The film made $763 million in its original run, as well as over $200 million in future IMAX and 3D releases. Unlike many Disney films based on classic stories, The Lion King isn’t directly based on any literature, though it does take some Shakespearean influence. With Disney’s business model becoming so heavily reliant on reboots and adaptations, it’s ironic that the most successful film of their ’90s renaissance was also their most original.

3 Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)

The Phantom Menace was easily one of the most highly anticipated movie releases of all time. After 16 years of no Star Wars since 1983’s Return of the Jedi, the beloved franchise had built up an insane amount of hype, to the point where fans were paying for tickets for other movies, just to see its trailer. The Phantom Menace has grossed $1.03 billion in total, though $924 came from the ’90s, while the rest came from a 2012 3D re-release. When only considering their original ’90s box office runs, Star Wars: Episode I actually made more than Jurassic Park.

2 Jurassic Park (1993)

Due to its own set of re-releases, primarily in 2013, Jurassic Park added $118 million to its box office total, placing it higher than The Phantom Menace with a massive $1.11 billion. The 1993 Steven Spielberg phenomenon is one of the highest-grossing films of all time and was massively influential in terms of what could be accomplished with film CGI. Jurassic Park had a genius marketing campaign that built anticipation with mass product placement, while not actually revealing the look of the dinosaurs. This made it impossible for audiences to not know about the film, with the logo being everywhere, but also kept them wanting to know more.

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1 Titanic

Titanic was easily the highest-grossing film of the ’90s, and is still the forth highest-grossing film of all time. With $1.84 billion at the box office on its initial release, the film doubled Jurassic Park‘s box office numbers, also becoming the first film ever to gross over $1 billion. After extra releases, the film now sits at $2.26 billion. The scale of Titanic was mind-blowing, almost perfectly fulfilling the imagination and curiosity that the public had for the real Titanic disaster. The film rocketed Leonardo DiCaprio into stardom and also took home a well-deserved Best Picture award.