Not very strong year for original content with nine sequels topping on the list, but a great year for cashing in on franchises.
The final Harry Potter movie set several records, including the biggest single-day domestic gross of $92.1 million and best worldwide debut of $481.5.
Rio, the only non-sequel on the list, caps off a big year for animation studios with four movies in the top 10.
- $1.3 billion – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
- $1.1 billion – Transformers: Dark of the Moon
- $1.0 billion – Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
- $663 million – Kung Fu Panda 2
- $648 million – The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1
- $626 million – Fast Five
- $581.5 million – The Hangover Part II
- $562.4 million – The Smurfs
- $551.9 million – Cars 2
- $484.6 million – Rio
*Figures represent worldwide gross
see the top 20 at The Hollywood Reporter
Um… the Smurfs isn’t a sequel. Neither is Rio. And don’t bag on animation; cartoons are just another method of storytelling.