Marvel

20 Top Grossing Movies Of 2016

The box office in 2016 broke records despite there being fewer truly successful […]

The box office in 2016 broke records despite there being fewer truly successful blockbusters.

Videos by ComicBook.com

Disney had three films break $1 billion, with a fourth likely to cross the mark soon.

Meanwhile, Warner Bros. had some disappointing successes and the overall number of movies that made $100 million or more was down.

So who were the real winners at the box office in 2016? We’ve decided to take a look and made a list of the 20 highest-grossing films of the year.

Keep in mind that this is as of the end of 2016. Some of these films are still in theaters and their totals will rise as 2017 moves forward.

Here are the 20 highest grossing films of 2016.

20. The Legend of Tarzan

Studio:ย Warner Bros.
Release Date:ย July 1
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 35%
ComicBook.com Composite:ย N/A
Domestic gross:ย $126.6M
International gross:ย $230.1M
Worldwide gross:ย $356.7M

The Legend of Tarzan won’t be the last time a Margot Robbie movie shows up on this list.

It has been years since the man once known as Tarzan (Alexander Skarsgรฅrd) left the jungles of Africa behind for a gentrified life as John Clayton III, Lord Greystoke, with his beloved wife, Jane (Margot Robbie) at his side. Now, he has been invited back to the Congo to serve as a trade emissary of Parliament, unaware that he is a pawn in a deadly convergence of greed and revenge, masterminded by the Belgian, Captain Leon Rom (Christoph Waltz). But those behind the murderous plot have no idea what they are about to unleash.

Legend of Tarzan1899

ComicBook Composite NAAll-Time Comic Movies
Average rating
0/5 from 0 users NA All-Time Rated

19. Independence Day: Resurgence

Studio:ย Fox
Release Date:ย June 24
Rotten Tomatoes Score:ย 31%
ComicBook.com Composite:ย 40.86
Domestic gross:ย $103.1M
International gross:ย $286.5M
Worldwide gross:ย $389.7M

Two decades after the originalย Independence Day came to theaters, the aliens came back.

We always knew they were coming back. After INDEPENDENCE DAY redefined the event movie genre, the next epic chapter delivers global spectacle on an unimaginable scale. Using recovered alien technology, the nations of Earth have collaborated on an immense defense program to protect the planet. But nothing can prepare us for the aliens’ advanced and unprecedented force. Only the ingenuity of a few brave men and women can bring our world back from the brink of extinction.

Independence Day Resurgence

Independence Day: Resurgence2016

ComicBook Composite 40.86 NAAll-Time Comic Movies
Average rating
2.27/5 from 11 users NA All-Time Rated

18. Moana

Studio:ย Disney Animation
Release Date:ย Nov. 23
Rotten Tomatoes Score:ย 95%
ComicBook.com Composite:ย N/A
Domestic gross:ย $214.3M
International gross:ย $189.1M
Worldwide gross:ย $403.4M

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson showed off his singing voice in this animated musical.

A sweeping, CG-animated adventure about a spirited teenager who sails out on a daring mission to prove herself a master wayfinder and fulfill her ancestors’ unfinished quest. During her journey, Moana meets the once-mighty demi-god Maui, and together, they traverse the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous fiery creatures and impossible odds.

17. Ice Age: Collision Course

Studio:ย Fox/Blue Sky
Release Date:ย July 22
Rotten Tomatoes Score:ย 13%
ComicBook.com Composite:ย 34.33
Domestic gross:ย $64.1M
International gross:ย $343.7M
Worldwide gross:ย $407.7M

The fifth installment of theย Ice Age animated film franchise.

Scrat’s epic pursuit of the elusive acorn catapults him into the universe where he accidentally sets off a series of cosmic events that transform and threaten the Ice Age World. To save themselves, Sid, Manny, Diego, and the rest of the herd must leave their home and embark on a quest full of comedy and adventure, traveling to exotic new lands and encountering a host of colorful new characters.

Ice Age Collision Course

Ice Age: Collision Course2016

ComicBook Composite 34.33 NAAll-Time Comic Movies
Average rating
3.00/5 from 5 users NA All-Time Rated

16. Jason Bourne

Studio:ย Universal
Release Date:ย July 29
Rotten Tomatoes Score:ย 56%
ComicBook.com Composite:ย 62.61
Domestic gross:ย $162.2M
International gross:ย $253.1M
Worldwide gross:ย $415.2M

Matt Damon returned to the Bourne franchise after skipping the previous film.

Matt Damon returns to his most iconic action movie role in the new Jason Bourne movie as the CIA’s most dangerous former operative seeking to uncover truths about his past. Once again Bourne is hunted by the CIA, but this time he remembers everything. However, remembering everything and knowing everything are not the same. Watch as Jason Bourne is pitted against his most dangerous foe yet, a killer who considers Bourne a traitor and is known only as “The Asset.”

15. Warcraft

Studio:ย Universal/Legendary
Release Date:ย June 10
Rotten Tomatoes Score:ย 28%
ComicBook.com Composite: 62.50
Domestic gross:ย $47.2M
International gross:ย $386.3M
Worldwide gross:ย $433.5M

The video game adaptation struggled domesticallyย but was a hit overseas.

The peaceful realm of Azeroth stands on the brink of war as its civilization faces a fearsome race of invaders: Orc warriors fleeing their dying home to colonize another. As a portal opens to connect the two worlds, one army faces destruction and the other faces extinction. From opposing sides, two heroes are set on a collision course that will decide the fate of their family, their people and their home. So begins a spectacular saga of power and sacrifice in which war has many faces, and everyone fights for something.

14. Kung Fu Panda 3

Studio: Fox/DreamWorks Animation
Release Date:ย Jan. 29
Rotten Tomatoes Score:ย 87%
ComicBook.com Composite: 75.65
Domestic gross:ย $143.5M
International gross:ย $377.6M
Worldwide gross:ย $521.2M

A successful third outing fro DreamWorks Animations most popular character.

When Po’s long-lost panda father suddenly reappears, the reunited duo travels to a secret panda paradise to meet scores of hilarious new panda characters. But when the supernatural villain Kai begins to sweep across China defeating all the kung fu masters, Po must do the impossible-learn to train a village full of his fun-loving, clumsy brethren to become the ultimate band of Kung Fu Pandas!

Kung Fu Panda 3

Kung Fu Panda 32016

ComicBook Composite 75.65 NAAll-Time Comic Movies
Average rating
3.78/5 from 23 users NA All-Time Rated

13. X-Men: Apocalypse

Studio:ย Fox
Release Date:ย May 27
Rotten Tomatoes Score:ย 48%
ComicBook.com Composite: 65.94
Domestic gross:ย $155.4M
International gross:ย $388.5M
Worldwide gross:ย $543.9M

The third film in the X-Men prequel trilogy.

Since the dawn of civilization, he was worshiped as a god. Apocalypse, the first and most powerful mutant from Marvel’s X-Men universe, amassed the powers of many other mutants, becoming immortal and invincible. Upon awakening after thousands of years, he is disillusioned with the world as he finds it and recruits a team of powerful mutants, including a disheartened Magneto (Michael Fassbender), to cleanse mankind and create a new world order, over which he will reign. As the fate of the Earth hangs in the balance, Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) with the help of Professor X (James McAvoy) must lead a team of young X-Men to stop their greatest nemesis and save mankind from complete destruction.

12. The Mermaid

Studio:ย China Film Group/Sony
Release Date:ย Fen. 19
Rotten Tomatoes Score:ย 93%
ComicBook.com Composite:ย N/A
Domestic gross:ย $3.2M
International gross:ย $550.6M
Worldwide gross:ย $553.8M

The Mermaidย was the highest-grossing film of the year in China.

Xuan’s real estate project involved reclamation of the sea, threatening the livelihood of the residents who relied on the sea to make a living. Bearing family secrets, Shan was dispatched to stop Xuan. During their encounters, they fall in love with each other. Even though Xuan stopped the reclamation plan out of his love for Shan, Shan got injured in an accident and vanished into the sea.

the mermaid

11. Doctor Strange

Studio: Disney/Marvel Studios
Release Date:ย Nov. 4
Rotten Tomatoes Score:ย 90%
ComicBook.com Composite: 82.27
Domestic gross:ย $230.3M
International gross:ย $427.5M
Worldwide gross:ย $657.8M

Doctor Strange told the origin story of Marvel’s Sorcerer Supreme.

Marvel’s Doctor Strange follows the story of the talented neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange who, after a tragic car accident, must put ego aside and learn the secrets of a hidden world of mysticism and alternate dimensions. Based in New York City’s Greenwich Village, Doctor Strange must act as an intermediary between the real world and what lies beyond, utilizing a vast array of metaphysical abilities and artifacts to protect the Marvel cinematic universe.

10. Suicide Squad

Studio:ย Warner Bros.
Release Date:ย Aug. 5
Rotten Tomatoes Score:ย 26%
ComicBook.com Composite:ย 58.50
Domestic gross:ย $325.1M
International gross:ย $420.5M
Worldwide gross:ย $745.6M

The film was the on-screen debut for many of DC’s villainsย and introduced a new cinematic Joker.

It feels good to be badโ€ฆAssemble a team of the world’s most dangerous, incarcerated Super Villains, provide them with the most powerful arsenal at the government’s disposal, and send them off on a mission to defeat an enigmatic, insuperable entity. U.S. intelligence officer Amanda Waller has determined only a secretly convened group of disparate, despicable individuals with next to nothing to lose will do. However, once they realize they weren’t picked to succeed but chosen for their patent culpability when they inevitably fail, will the Suicide Squad resolve to die trying, or decide it’s every man for himself?

9. Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them

Studio:ย Warner Bros.
Release Date:ย Nov. 18
Rotten Tomatoes Score:ย 73%
ComicBook.com Composite: 77.25
Domestic gross:ย $225.6M
International gross:ย $551.4M
Worldwide gross:ย $777M

The first film to expand on the Harry Potter universe, and JK Rowling’s screenwriting debut.

The year is 1926, and Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) has just completed a global excursion to find and document an extraordinary array of magical creatures. Arriving in New York for a brief stopover, he might have come and gone without incident, were it not for a No-Maj (American for Muggle) named Jacob, a misplaced magical case, and the escape of some of Newt’s fantastic beasts, which could spell trouble for both the wizarding and No-Maj worlds.

8. Deadpool

Studio:ย Fox
Release Date:ย Feb. 12
Rotten Tomatoes Score:ย 84%
ComicBook.com Composite: 83.21
Domestic gross:ย $363.1M
International gross:ย $420M
Worldwide gross:ย $783.1M

Ryan Reynolds’ second shot at playing Deadpool was much more successful than his first.

Based upon Marvel Comics’ most unconventional anti-hero, DEADPOOL tells the origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson, who after being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopts the alter ego Deadpool. Armed with his new abilities and a dark, twisted sense of humor, Deadpool hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life.

7. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Studio:ย Disney/Lucasfilm
Release Date:ย Dec. 16
Rotten Tomatoes Score:ย 85%
ComicBook.com Composite:ย 80.70
Domestic gross:ย $440.9M
International gross:ย $361M
Worldwide gross:ย $801.9M

The first standalone Star Wars movie is likely to hit the $1 billion mark before its theatrical run is done. Numbers above are accruals in 2016 calendar year only.

Former scientist Galen Erso lives on a farm with his wife and young daughter Jyn. His peaceful existence comes crashing down when the evil Orson Krennic takes him away from his beloved family. Many years later, Galen is now the Empire’s lead engineer for the most powerful weapon in the galaxy, the Death Star. Knowing that her father holds the key to its destruction, a vengeful Jyn joins forces with a spy and other resistance fighters to steal the space station’s plans for the Rebel Alliance.

6. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Studio:ย Warner Bros.
Release Date: March 25
Rotten Tomatoes Score:ย 28%
ComicBook.com Composite:ย 68.21
Domestic gross:ย $330.4M
International gross:ย $542.9M
Worldwide gross:ย $873.3M

Batman v Superman missed the $1 billion mark, likely due to negative reviews.

Fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs. And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before.

5. The Secret Life of Pets

Studio:ย Illuminati/Universal
Release Date:ย July 8
Rotten Tomatoes Score:ย 75%
ComicBook.com Composite:ย N/A
Domestic gross:ย $368.4M
International gross:ย $507.1M
Worldwide gross:ย $875.5M

Another animated hit for 2016.

Max (Louis C.K.) is a spoiled terrier who enjoys a comfortable life in a New York building until his owner adopts Duke, a giant and unruly canine. During their walk outside, they encounter a group of ferocious alley cats and wind up in a truck that’s bound for the pound. Luckily, a rebellious bunny named Snowball swoops in to save the doggy duo from captivity. In exchange, Snowball demands that Max and Duke join his gang of abandoned pets on a mission against the humans who’ve done them wrong.

ย 

4. The Jungle Book

Studio:ย Disney
Release Date:ย April 15
Rotten Tomatoes Score:ย 94%
ComicBook.com Composite:ย 80.00
Domestic gross: $364M
International gross:ย $602.5M
Worldwide gross:ย $966.6M

A successful adaptation of Disney’s animated classic.

In this reimagining of the classic collection of stories by Rudyard Kipling, director Jon Favreau uses visually stunning CGI to create the community of animals surrounding Mowgli (Neel Sethi), a human boy adopted by a pack of wolves. The appearance of a villainous tiger named Shere Khan (voiced byIdris Elba) forces Mowgli’s guardian, the panther Bagheera (Ben Kingsley), to shepherd the child to safety in the “man village.” Along the way, the boy meets an affable, lazy bear named Baloo (Bill Murray), as well as a snake with hypnotic powers (Scarlett Johansson) and an orangutan (Christopher Walken) who wants to harness the power of fire. Lupita Nyong’o, Giancarlo Esposito, and Garry Shandling also lend their voices to this adventure tale.

3. Zootopia

Studio: Disney Animation
Release Date:ย March 4
Rotten Tomatoes Score:ย 98%
ComicBook.com Composite:ย 86.65
Domestic gross:ย $341.3M
International gross:ย $682.5M
Worldwide gross:ย $1.024B

Disney Animation does it again.

The modern mammal metropolis of Zootopia is a city like no other. Comprised of habitat neighborhoods like ritzy Sahara Square and frigid Tundratown, it’s a melting pot where animals from every environment live together-a place where no matter what you are, from the biggest elephant to the smallest shrew, you can be anything. But when rookie Officer Judy Hopps (voice of Ginnifer Goodwin) arrives, she discovers that being the first bunny on a police force of big, tough animals isn’t so easy. Determined to prove herself, she jumps at the opportunity to crack a case, even if it means partnering with a fast-talking, scam-artist fox, Nick Wilde (voice of Jason Bateman), to solve the mystery.

2. Finding Dory

Studio:ย Disney/Pixar
Release Date:ย June 17
Rotten Tomatoes Score:ย 94%
ComicBook.com Composite:ย 84.33
Domestic gross:ย $486.3M
International gross:ย $541.5M
Worldwide gross:ย $1.028B

The sequel to a Pixar classic.

“Finding Dory” reunites the friendly-but-forgetful blue tang fish with her loved ones, and everyone learns a few things about the true meaning of family along the way. The all-new big-screen adventure dives into theaters in 2016, taking moviegoers back to the extraordinary underwater world from the original film.

Finding Dory2016

ComicBook Composite 84.33 NAAll-Time Comic Movies
Average rating
4.42/5 from 12 users NA All-Time Rated

1. Captain America: Civil War

Studio:ย Disney/Marvel Studios
Release Date:ย May 6
Rotten Tomatoes Score:ย 90%
ComicBook.com Composite:ย 87.73
Domestic gross:ย $408.1M
International gross:ย $745.2M
Worldwide gross: $1.153B

Marvel’s third Captain America movie pit Cap against Iron Man.

Marvel’s “Captain America: Civil War” finds Steve Rogers leading the newly formed team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. But after another incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability, headed by a governing body to oversee and direct the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers, resulting in two campsโ€”one led by Steve Rogers and his desire for the Avengers to remain free to defend humanity without government interference, and the other following Tony Stark’s surprising decision to support government oversight and accountability.