List of highest-grossing live-action comedy films


This is a list of the highest-grossing live-action comedy films.

Highest-grossing comedy films

The following is a list of highest grossing comedy films of all time. Only Barbie and Deadpool & Wolverine sit along the highest grossing films of all time, being both 14th and 20th place, respectively. 2018 was the most frequent year, with three films. 50% of films have placed since 2000, and all had a theatrical run since 1987. Deadpool and Meet the Parents are tied for the most frequented franchises, with three films.
RankFilmGrossYearRef
1Barbie$1,447,038,4212023
2Deadpool & Wolverine$1,338,073,6452024
3Hi, Mom$841,674,4192021
4Deadpool 2$785,046,9202018
5Deadpool$783,112,9792016
6Detective Chinatown 3$686,257,5632021
7Men in Black 3$654,213,4852012
8Men in Black$589,390,5391997
9The Hangover Part II$586,764,3052011
10Night at the Museum$574,482,4792006
11The Mermaid$553,810,2282016
12Ted$549,368,3152012
13Detective Chinatown 2$544,185,1562018
14Meet the Fockers$522,657,9362004
15Detective Chinatown 1900$508,922,9472025
16The Intouchables$484,873,0452011
17Bruce Almighty$484,592,8742003
18Home Alone$477,063,1141990
19The Hangover$469,310,8362009
20Pretty Woman$463,406,2481990
21Moon Man$460,237,6622022
22Beetlejuice Beetlejuice$451,100,4352024
23Mrs. Doubtfire$441,286,1951993
24Sex and the City$418,765,3212008
25Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian$413,106,1702009
26Back to the Future$389,053,7971985
27What Women Want$374,111,7072000
28Hitch$371,594,2102005
29There's Something About Mary$369,884,6511998
30My Big Fat Greek Wedding$368,744,0442002
31Notting Hill$364,015,4751999
32Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb$363,204,6352014
33The Hangover Part III$362,000,0722013
34Home Alone 2: Lost in New York$358,994,8501992
35Rain Man$354,825,4351988
36The Mask$351,583,4071994
37The Flintstones$341,631,2081994
38Never Say Die$334,530,8692017
39Back to the Future Part II$331,950,0021989
40Free Guy$331,526,5982021
4122 Jump Street$331,333,8762014
42Meet the Parents$330,444,0452000
43Green Book$329,704,5992018
44Crocodile Dundee$328,203,5061986
45Crazy Alien$327,598,8912019
46The Devil Wears Prada$326,706,1152006
47The Proposal$317,375,9372009
48Beverly Hills Cop$316,360,4781984
49Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me$312,016,9281999
50Little Fockers$310,650,5852010

Highest-grossing comedy film by year

The following is a list of highest-grossing comedy films by year. Both Deadpool and Meet the Parents tops the list more than any other franchise, with all three films on the list.
A film has made more than $100 million every year since 1983, over $250 million every year since 2021, and over $500-$750 million every year since 2022.
2023 was the top-grossing overall film of the year.
YearFilmWorldwide grossBudget
2025Detective Chinatown 1900$508,922,947
2024Deadpool & Wolverine$1,338,073,382$200,000,000
2023Barbie$1,447,038,421$145,000,000
2022Moon Man$460,237,662$8,200,000
2021Hi, Mom$841,674,419$59,000,000
2020Bad Boys for Life$426,505,244$90,000,000
2019The Upside$125,856,180$37,500,000
2018Deadpool 2$785,896,609 $110,000,000
2017Pitch Perfect 3$185,400,345$45,000,000
2016Deadpool$782,836,791$58,000,000
2015Pitch Perfect 2$287,144,079$29,000,000
2014Ride Along$154,468,902$25,000,000
2013Grown Ups 2$246,984,278$80,000,000
2012Men in Black III$654,213,485$225,000,000
2011Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides$1,045,713,802$250,000,000
2010Meet the Parents: Little Fockers$310,650,585$110,000,000
2009The Hangover$469,310,836$35,000,000
2008Mamma Mia!$609,841,637$52,000,000
2007Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End$961,691,209$300,000,000
2006Night at the Museum$574,481,229$110,000,000
2005Mr. & Mrs. Smith$487,287,646$110,000,000
2004Meet the Fockers$522,657,936$80,000,000
2003Bruce Almighty$484,592,874$81,000,000
2002My Big Fat Greek Wedding$368,744,044$5,000,000
2001Ocean's Eleven$450,728,529$85,000,000
2000What Women Want$374,111,707$70,000,000
1999Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me$313,701,294$33,000,000
1998There's Something About Mary$369,884,651$23,000,000
1997As Good as It Gets$314,178,011$50,000,000
1996The Nutty Professor $273,961,019$54,000,000
1995Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls$212,385,533$30,000,000
1994The Mask$351,583,407$23,000,000
1993Mrs. Doubtfire$441,286,195$25,000,000
1992Home Alone 2: Lost in New York$358,994,850$28,000,000
1991City Slickers$179,000,000$27,000,000
1990Home Alone$477,063,114$18,000,000
1989Look Who's Talking$296,999,813$7,500,000
1988Coming to America$288,752,301$36,000,000
1987Three Men and a Baby$240,000,000$11,000,000
1986Crocodile Dundee$328,203,506
1985Back to the Future$389,053,797 $19,000,000
1984Beverly Hills Cop$316,360,478$13,000,000
1983Trading Places$90,404,800$15,000,000
1982Tootsie$241,000,000$21,000,000
1981Arthur$95,461,682$7,000,000
19809 to 5$103,290,500$10,000,000
1979The Jerk$100,000,000$4,000,000
1978Animal House$141,607,219
1977Smokey and the Bandit$300,000,000$3,500,000
1976The Pink Panther Strikes Again$75,000,000
1975The Rocky Horror Picture Show$115,322,757$1,400,000
1974Blazing Saddles$119,617,265
1973The Sting$257,000,000$5,500,000
1972What's Up, Doc?$66,000,000
1971Bedknobs and Broomsticks$17,871,174$6,500,000
1970M*A*S*H$81,600,000$3,500,000
1969The Love Bug$51,264,022$5,000,000
1968Funny Girl$58,707,416
1967The Graduate$105,015,008
1966The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming$21,693,114$3,900,000
1965Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines$31,111,111
1964My Fair Lady$72,632,653$17,000,000
1963It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World$60,000,000$9,400,000
1962That Touch of Mink$12,923,077
1961The Absent-Minded Professor$25,300,000
1960The Apartment$24,000,000$3,000,000
1959Some Like It Hot$49,200,000$2,900,000
1958Auntie Mame$23,200,000$2,900,000
1957Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?$4,900,000$1,050,000
1956The Teahouse of the August Moon $8,925,000$3,926,0001955 Mister Roberts$21,200,000$2,300,000
1954Sabrina$4,000,000
1953[How to Marry a Millionaire">List of comedy films of the 1950s">1955 Mister Roberts$21,200,000$2,300,000
1954Sabrina$4,000,000
1953[How to Marry a Millionaire$8,000,000$1,300,000
1952Singin' in the Rain$7,241,009$2,540,000
1951 An American in Paris$7,000,000$2,700,000
1950Father of the Bride$6,084,000$1,215,000
1949I Was a Male War Bride$4,100,000
1948The Paleface$4,500,000$2,000,000
1947Welcome Stranger$6,100,000$1,961,000
1946Margie$4,100,000$1,680,000
1945The Bells of St. Mary's$21,300,000$1,300,000
1944The Miracle of Morgan's Creek$9,000,000$775,000
1943Thousands Cheer$5,886,000$1,568,000
1942Road to Morocco$3,800,000
1941Ball of Fire$2,641,000
1940The Great Dictator$5,000,000$2,200,000
1939Mr. Smith Goes to Washington$9,000,000
1938You Can't Take It with You$2,137,575$1,644,736
1937The Awful Truth$3,000,000
1936Follow the Fleet$2,727,000$747,000
1935Top Hat$3,200,000$609,000
1934It Happened One Night$3,200,000$325,000
1933I'm No Angel$2,250,000$225,000
1932Movie Crazy$1,439,000$675,353
1931City Lights$4,250,000
1930Animal Crackers$3,100,000
1929Welcome Danger$3,000,000 $979,828
1928The Circus$3,800,000
1927The General$474,264
1925The Gold Rush$4,000,000$923,000
1924The Navigator$680,406$385,000

Timeline of highest-grossing comedy film

At least 10 films have held the title of highest grossing comedy film.
TitleEstablishedRecord-setting grossRef
Ghostbusters1984$229,242,989
Beverly Hills Cop1985$316,360,478
Crocodile Dundee1986$328,203,506
Home Alone1990$476,684,675
Bruce Almighty2003$484,592,874
Meet the Fockers2004$522,657,936
Night at the Museum2006$579,446,407
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End2007$961,691,209
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides2011$1,046,721,266
Barbie2023$1,447,038,421

Comedy films by box office admissions

The following is a list of comedy films by estimated tickets sold worldwide.
FilmYearTicket sales Notes
Shaolin Temple1982304,920,000
Sholay 1975250,000,000
Awaara 1951217,000,000
Disco Dancer1982135,000,000
Back to the Future198590,184,478
Ghostbusters198482,375,218
Beverly Hills Cop198481,716,713
Home Alone199081,491,808

Highest-grossing comedy film series and franchises

The following is a list of highest grossing film series.
Deadpool sits atop the list with $2.9 billion and has the best average with $968.7 million per film.

Biggest worldwide openings on record for comedy films

This list charts films the biggest worldwide openings for comedy films. Since films do not open on Fridays in many markets, the 'opening' is taken to be the gross between the first day of release and the first Sunday following the movie's release. Figures prior to the year 2002 are not available. Country-by-country variations in release dates are not taken into account.
RankFilmYearOpening
1Deadpool & Wolverine2024$444,300,000
2Barbie2023$356,300,000
3Deadpool 22018$300,386,357
4Deadpool2016$264,711,361
5Men In Black 32012$189,884,945