List of highest-grossing film directors
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following is a non-definitive list of the film directors with the highest career film grosses as of October 2026[update]. The list is not adjusted for inflation.
Worldwide
Background shading indicates directors whose films are currently playing in theaters.
| Rank | Name | Worldwide box office | Highest-grossing film |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steven Spielberg | $11,026,557,876 | $1,058,000,000 (Jurassic Park) |
| 2 | James Cameron | $10,591,396,628 | $2,923,710,708 (Avatar) |
| 3 | Christopher Nolan | $8,012,502,208 | $1,767,464,000 (The Odyssey) |
| 4 | Anthony Russo, Joe Russo | $6,849,018,339 | $2,885,439,100 (Avengers: Endgame) |
| 5 | Peter Jackson | $6,553,022,508 | $1,147,997,407 (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King) |
| 6 | Michael Bay | $6,495,849,210 | $1,123,794,079 (Transformers: Dark of the Moon) |
| 7 | David Yates | $6,354,627,148 | $1,342,139,727 (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2) |
| 8 | Ridley Scott | $5,044,794,385 | $630,161,890 (The Martian) |
| 9 | Tim Burton | $4,940,106,509 | $1,025,491,110 (Alice in Wonderland) |
| 10 | Andrew Stanton | $4,772,691,895 | $1,146,101,548 (Toy Story 5) |
| 11 | J. J. Abrams | $4,637,580,337 | $2,068,223,624 (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) |
| 12 | Robert Zemeckis | $4,396,123,401 | $678,226,465 (Forrest Gump) |
| 13 | Ron Howard | $4,352,178,743 | $801,349,858 (The Da Vinci Code) |
| 14 | Jon Favreau | $4,336,018,074 | $1,656,943,394 (The Lion King) |
| 15 | Sam Raimi | $4,266,568,715 | $955,755,804 (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) |
| 16 | Chris Renaud | $4,176,449,267 | $972,964,428 (Despicable Me 4) |
| 17 | James Wan | $4,174,708,796 | $1,515,342,457 (Furious 7) |
| 18 | Chris Columbus | $4,092,285,485 | $1,029,374,615 (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone) |
| 19 | Shawn Levy | $4,050,867,277 | $1,338,071,348 (Deadpool & Wolverine) |
| 20 | Roland Emmerich | $4,015,708,066 | $817,400,891 (Independence Day) |
| 21 | Jon Watts | $3,934,883,628 | $1,921,847,111 (Spider-Man: No Way Home) |
| 22 | Byron Howard | $3,874,928,691 | $1,870,309,291 (Zootopia 2) |
| 23 | Francis Lawrence | $3,758,130,588 | $865,011,746 (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire) |
| 24 | Pierre Coffin | $3,710,005,544 | $1,159,457,503 (Minions) |
| 25 | Bryan Singer | $3,708,723,733 | $910,813,521 (Bohemian Rhapsody) |
| 26 | Gore Verbinski | $3,679,473,328 | $1,066,179,747 (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest) |
| 27 | George Lucas | $3,522,061,896 | $1,046,515,409 (Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace) |
| 28 | Brad Bird | $3,433,846,498 | $1,242,805,359 (Incredibles 2) |
| 29 | Todd Phillips | $3,393,161,492 | $1,078,958,629 (Joker) |
| 30 | Clint Eastwood | $3,370,612,544 | $547,659,020 (American Sniper) |
| 31 | James Gunn | $3,323,256,386 | $869,087,963 (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2) |
| 32 | M. Night Shyamalan | $3,246,538,712 | $672,806,292 (The Sixth Sense) |
| 33 | Zack Snyder | $3,177,750,173 | $874,360,194 (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice) |
| 34 | Kyle Balda | $3,127,787,910 | $1,159,457,503 (Minions) |
| 35 | Carlos Saldanha | $3,113,638,013 | $886,686,817 (Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs) |
| 36 | Sam Mendes | $3,112,775,307 | $1,108,561,013 (Skyfall) |
| 37 | Chris Buck | $3,104,257,376 | $1,450,026,933 (Frozen 2) |
| 38 | Bill Condon | $3,038,602,782 | $1,263,521,126 (Beauty and the Beast) |
| 39 | Justin Lin | $3,012,761,684 | $788,679,850 (Fast & Furious 6) |
| 40 | Destin Daniel Cretton | $3,003,264,684 | $2,495,682,822 (Spider-Man: Brand New Day) |
| 41 | Joss Whedon | $2,955,065,480 | $1,518,812,988 (The Avengers) |
| 42 | Tom McGrath | $2,899,949,644 | $746,921,274 (Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted) |
| 43 | Christopher McQuarrie | $2,863,278,525 | $791,115,104 (Mission: Impossible – Fallout) |
| 44 | Joseph Kosinski | $2,805,407,970 | $1,503,260,455 (Top Gun: Maverick) |
| 45 | Guy Ritchie | $2,776,314,651 | $1,050,693,953 (Aladdin) |
| 46 | Ryan Coogler | $2,754,272,776 | $1,347,597,973 (Black Panther) |
| 47 | Jennifer Lee | $2,740,026,933 | $1,450,026,933 (Frozen 2) |
| 48 | Jon M. Chu | $2,722,128,393 | $758,729,195 (Wicked) |
| 49 | Rob Marshall | $2,698,628,525 | $1,045,713,802 (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) |
| 50 | Colin Trevorrow | $2,684,288,396 | $1,671,537,444 (Jurassic World) |
