Entertainment
The 17 Highest-Grossing Sci-Fi Movies of the Last 10 Years, Ranked
Science fiction is one of the biggest film genres on the planet and, in turn, one of the highest-grossing of all time. People scramble to theaters to escape into new and unique worlds that keep the real one from being so scary and invasive. Whether they travel to space in a galaxy far, far away, or Earth in an alternative reality or dark future, fans always seem to enjoy some incredible journeys through things they’ve never seen before.
Some of the highest-grossing sci-fi projects also happen to be among the highest-earning in history, largely because the genre holds some of the greatest cinema franchises ever. Star Wars, Dune, Avatar, and Jurassic World are among the sci-fi series that dominated the last ten years, taking sci-fi to a new level of critical and commercial acclaim. This list will rank the highest-grossing sci-fi movies of the last ten years based on their worldwide gross.
17
‘Kong: Skull Island’ (2017)
Worldwide Gross: $568,652,812
Any fan of sci-fi knows who King Kong is, and they can’t deny that one of his best projects is, without a doubt, Kong: Skull Island—clear from the box office revenue it pulled in. Taking place just after the Vietnam War, this King Kong flick is such a stylized project—being a period piece—with a strong cast and great direction from director Jordan Vogt-Roberts.
Kong: Skull Island does some great worldbuilding for the Kong/Godzilla universe and introduces some super cool creatures. This 2017 film feels like a perfect blend between a wild, mindless blockbuster that’s fun to watch and a good screenplay from writers Dan Gilroy, Max Borenstein, and Derek Connolly.
16
‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ (2024)
Worldwide Gross: $572,050,016
There’s no denying that everyone loves Godzilla, and everyone loves King Kong. So, the idea of creating a franchise that brings the two together is pretty genius. The second project in the franchise, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, took everything good about Godzilla vs. Kong and improved upon it.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is big, bold, fun, thrilling, and everything a blockbuster action flick needs to be. Does it have much depth? No. Is it very thought-provoking? No. But the film knows that it absolutely does not have to be, and simply has fun being exactly what it is: an action flick that is thrilling and entertaining for the eyes.
15
‘Transformers: The Last Knight’ (2017)
Worldwide Gross: $605,425,157
The Transformers franchise has always been one of the most popular sci-fi franchises ever made. Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) and the Autobots have ruled the box office for most of the years they’ve released projects. Despite how rough around the edges they can be at times (aka, the Michael Bay series), this series is known for making a great amount of cash.
One of the more recent examples is the fifth and final entry in the Michael Bay series, Transformers: The Last Knight. Bringing home an incredible $605.4 million, this project may very well be the worst Transformers movie, but it is a high-earner. Funny enough, Transformers: The Last Knight may be one of the highest-grossing sci-fi movies of the last ten years, but it’s actually the lowest-grossing of the Michael Bay movies.
14
‘Ready Player One’ (2018)
Worldwide Gross: $607,874,422
Based on the hit book of the same name, Steven Spielberg‘s more recent sci-fi success, Ready Player One, had a great time at the box office in 2018. This is partially because the book was already so popular, but also because it’s the one and only Steven Spielberg, and nobody wants to miss a Spielberg release when it comes around. Therefore, many flocked to theaters when Ready Player One had its big release.
Despite what people think of the film’s quality (book fans, as typical, not enjoying it as much as the source material), the movie made a good amount of money, and gamers specifically loved it. Spielberg did a great job bringing the world of the Oasis to life, and while some people have issues with the plot, the movie is a really enjoyable one for the most part.
13
‘The Wandering Earth II’ (2023)
Worldwide Gross: $615,023,132
With how popular the first movie was (more on that later), it only made sense that audiences were going to see The Wandering Earth II. What this Frant Gwo movie does best is exactly what the first movie did best, as well—subverting the typical Hollywood tropes for the genre and serving as a breath of fresh air for anyone who’s a fan of the genre.
The Wandering Earth II tells a story about worldwide teamwork that brings people together for the greater good. The idea of the entire planet working as one force to do good may sound like an impossible future, but that’s what sci-fi is for, is it not? The Wandering Earth II‘s story is one that is inspiring and worth giving a watch.
12
‘Project Hail Mary’ (2026)
Worldwide Gross: $684,041,145
One of the most recent sci-fi hits is none other than Project Hail Mary, based on the book of the same title by Andy Weir—also the author of The Martian. This Ryan Gosling-led film is such a refreshing movie for the genre, and provides a plot that is not only fun and entertaining, but heartwarming, as well.
The relationship between Gosling’s character, Ryland Grace, and the little alien he meets, Rocky (James Ortiz), is a phenomenal character dynamic that serves as the beating heart of the movie. The critical reception of Project Hail Mary should be proof enough that the 2026 project is going to go down in history as an unforgettable cult-classic.
11
‘The Wandering Earth’ (2019)
Worldwide Gross: $699,992,512
If one were to ask a real cinephile, they’d be told that many American audience members are totally missing out on international movies. However, sometimes an international product breaks through and becomes one of the highest-grossing sci-fi movies of all time—said product being The Wandering Earth. This 2019 Frant Gwo movie was a breakout hit, and for very good reason.
The Wandering Earth is the seventh highest-grossing non-English film to date. It is a huge spectacle of a movie that emphasizes humanity’s ability to survive, no matter what the scenario. It’s a genuine vision, and Gwo is quite easily one of the greatest directors of all time—somehow not being recognized as such, which is a massive shame. For a sci-fi fan, The Wandering Earth is a must-see.
10
‘Dune: Part Two’ (2024)
Worldwide Gross:$714,844,358
Dune was so popular and garnered such a large fanbase that the second movie, Dune: Part Two, out-grossed the first by around a whopping $304 million, bringing home about $714 million. The first movie displayed some of Timothee Chalamet’s best acting work, but it doesn’t even compare to the performance he brings to Dune: Part Two.
Many consider Dune to be the new generation’s Star Wars, and that makes complete sense, given the critical love it’s gotten and the massive box office return it brings in. Dune: Part Two helped define the franchise’s reputation and cement it in not only the sci-fi genre but the Hollywood landscape of films as a whole.
9
‘Jurassic World: Rebirth’ (2025)
Worldwide Gross: $868,823,474
Despite how absolutely horrific the reviews were for Jurassic World: Rebirth, it, as usual for the Jurassic Park franchise, brought home the bacon at the box office. In spite of trying to do something new and different with the series (which, in theory, is a great idea), the love was not critically present for Jurassic World: Rebirth. They got very lucky with how many people went to see it, due to the money it received, but it was also a detriment, thanks to the horrible reputation it now has.
Jurassic World: Rebirth takes place five years after the last entry in the franchise and brings in an entirely new cast—thank goodness, due to the nostalgia bait that so horribly held down the last trilogy—and has fun with new concepts. Again, in theory, this was a great idea, and if written a bit better, this could have easily been one of the most critically successful movies in the Jurassic Park series.
8
‘Jurassic World Dominion’ (2022)
Worldwide Gross: $1,001,978,080
Since the beginning of the genre, the Jurassic Park franchise has been one of the defining staples of it in cinema—of course, Hollywood needed to keep it around for more big bucks. Thus, the world got the Jurassic World franchise. While it has been hit-or-miss critically (with the entire franchise feeling tired at this point), it has been a massive earner at the box office.
Still, when the original Jurassic Park cast returned for the third Jurassic World film, people immediately sprinted to theaters on June 10th, 2022. The assumptions were true, as Jurassic World: Dominion became one of the highest-grossing movies of 2022. The movie didn’t get great reviews, but the box office numbers cannot be denied.
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