LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� , and its legacy of the summer movie blockbuster remains strong.
The titles that have packed the most into theaters since 1975 represent some of the best known films of the last half century, including five 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� movies, Pixar favorites like 鈥淭oy Story 3鈥� and 鈥淔inding Nemo,鈥� superheroes galore and both 鈥淭op Gun鈥� films. They also include some surprises, and movies both less bombastic and less enduring.
Combined, the top-earning summer films between 1975 and 2024 earned more than $15 billion through the summer months, a figure not adjusted for inflation, according to the tracking firm Comscore.
It's also worth noting that box-office tracking before 1981 was not as robust as it is today 鈥� and there was essentially no summer movie season in 2020, when the across the country.
Here鈥檚 a list of the top summer movie each year, along with the film鈥檚 gross earnings from its release date through Labor Day, according to Comscore's data.
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1975: 鈥淛aws,鈥� $260 million
1976: 鈥淭he Omen,鈥� $60.9 million
1977: 鈥淪tar Wars,鈥� $221.3 million
1978: 鈥淕rease,鈥� $132.5 million
1979: 鈥淎lien,鈥� $79 million
1980: 鈥淪tar Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back,鈥� $222.7 million
1981: 鈥淪uperman II,鈥� $59.2 million
1982: 鈥淓.T. The Extra-Terrestrial,鈥� $242 million
1983: 鈥淪tar Wars: Episode VI - Return Of The Jedi鈥� $222.3 million
1984: 鈥淕hostbusters,鈥� $189.1 million
1985: 鈥淩ambo: First Blood Part II,鈥� $139 million
1986: 鈥淭op Gun,鈥� $131.3 million
1987: 鈥淏everly Hills Cop II,鈥� $151 million
1988: 鈥淲ho Framed Roger Rabbit,鈥� $130.7 million
1989: 鈥淏atman,鈥� $239 million
1990: 鈥淕host,鈥� $125 million
1991: 鈥淭erminator 2: Judgment Day,鈥� $183.1 million
1992: 鈥淏atman Returns,鈥� $159.8 million
1993: 鈥淛urassic Park,鈥� $316.6 million
1994: 鈥淭he Lion King,鈥� $262.3 million
1995: 鈥淏atman Forever,鈥� $181.4 million
1996: 鈥淚ndependence Day,鈥� $282 million
1997: 鈥淢en In Black,鈥� $235.1 million
1998: 鈥淎rmageddon,鈥� $193 million
1999: 鈥淪tar Wars: Episode I - Phantom Menace,鈥� $421.4 million
2000: 鈥淢ission: Impossible II,鈥� $214 million
2001: 鈥淪hrek,鈥� $263 million
2002: 鈥淪pider-Man,鈥� $403.7 million
2003: 鈥淔inding Nemo,鈥� $332.7 million
2004: 鈥淪hrek 2,鈥� $436.7 million
2005: 鈥淪tar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith,鈥� $380 million
2006: 鈥淧irates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man鈥檚 Chest,鈥� $414 million
2007: 鈥淪pider-Man 3,鈥� $336.5 million
2008: 鈥淭he Dark Knight,鈥� $504.8 million
2009: 鈥淭ransformers: Revenge of the Fallen,鈥� $400.6 million
2010: 鈥淭oy Story 3,鈥� $409 million
2011: 鈥淗arry Potter And The Deathly Hallows II,鈥� $375.6 million
2012: 鈥淢arvel鈥檚 The Avengers,鈥� $620.3 million
2013: 鈥淚ron Man 3,鈥� $409 million
2014: 鈥淕uardians Of The Galaxy,鈥� $281.2 million
2015: 鈥淛urassic World,鈥� $647.4 million
2016: 鈥淔inding Dory,鈥� $482.9 million
2017: 鈥淲onder Woman,鈥� $409.5 million
2018: 鈥淚ncredibles 2,鈥� $602.6 million
2019: 鈥淭he Lion King,鈥� $523.6 million
2020: 鈥淭enet,鈥� $20 million
2021: 鈥淏lack Widow,鈥� $182.7 million
2022: 鈥淭op Gun Maverick,鈥� $701.3 million
2023: 鈥淏arbie,鈥� $612.3 million
2024: 鈥淚nside Out 2,鈥� $650.8 million
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Source: Comscore
The Associated Press
