The Best Summer Blockbusters of the 21st Century
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Just two years ago, it seemed like the summer blockbuster might be a thing of the past. After COVID kept cinemas closed across the United States for the majority of 2020, the box office reopened in 2021 on uncertain footing, with many high profile flops and a soft performance for the movies overall. That summer seemed like the harbinger of the end for the seasonal release strategy that “Jaws” perfected all the way back in 1975, wherein the hottest months hosts the biggest titles — marketed aggressively to theatergoers. It seemed like those days were behind us, and the streaming age had finally overtaken the days when movies could be events. So thank goodness for “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.”
Things aren’t entirely rosy at cinemas again (and Hollywood writ large is a mess), but things are improving at the box office with those July 21 releases helping to massively goose theatrical business, picking up where “Top Gun: Maverick’s” runaway success left off. Add in other smash hits from this summer, like “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” and it’s one of the more exciting times in box office memory. While some high-profile disappointments are still around — cough cough, “The Flash” — the current box office seems to signal good things ahead, where gasp actually good movies are the ones raking in the most money. But it makes you question; of all the summer box office successes of this century, which ones were the biggest and best?
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Since there aren’t specific parameters of what makes a summer blockbuster a summer blockbuster, we set some ground rules in selecting titles for the list. Number one is that the films had to be released in the summer theatrical window, loosely defined as the period of time each year between May 15 and September 15. Second, the films’ worldwide box office totals had to equal or exceed $700 million worldwide. That later metric meant that many successful and culturally relevant films — including “Oppenheimer,” “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” “Mamma Mia!,” “The Simpsons Movie,” “War of the Worlds,” and “Ratatouille” — just missed the cutoff.
And finally, to represent a relatively expansive slate of films, we limited ourselves to just one movie per director; which is why “The Dark Knight” isn’t here in favor of another Christopher Nolan classic. Entries are unranked and listed in chronological order. Read on for our list of the 10 best summer blockbusters of the 21st century.
“Finding Nemo” (2003, Andrew Stanton)
What it is: Pixar’s popular animated classic focuses on clownfish Marlin (Albert Brooks) as he goes on a quest to save his son Nemo (Alexander Gould) after he gets captured by humans and brought to the surface as a pet.
What it made at the box office: $871,014,978
Peak cultural frenzy: “Finding Nemo” made a ton of money in theaters, but its true success may be on home video, where it became a staple of family movie collections and a perennial kid rewatch classic. Upon it’s release, it was the most successful DVD release of all time, selling 15 million copies during its first two weeks of release alone. It remains the second best-selling home video release in the United States, only behind Disney’s “The Lion King.”
“Shrek 2” (2004, Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, and Conrad Vernon)
What it is: The sequel to DreamWorks’ defining film sees the titular ogre meet the parents of his wife Fiona — and lock horns with her scheming Fairy Godmother.
What it made at the box office: $928,760,770
Peak cultural frenzy: The “Shrek” franchise ended in 2010, but its cultural legacy remains apparent in the “Puss in Boots” spinoff series and the legendary memes it spawned. In “Shrek 2” alone, you have the famous reaction photo of Puss making a pleading baby face, and the beloved “I Need a Hero” scene. Shrek is truly love, and Shrek is truly life.
“Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” (2004, Alfonso Cuarón)
What it is: The third and best film in the “Harry Potter” franchise sees the titular wizard struggle through his third year at Hogwarts, especially when a mysterious figure from his parents’ past escapes prison and seeks him out.
What it made at the box office: $795,634,069
Peak cultural frenzy: “Prisoner of Azkaban” is widely agreed to be the strongest film in the “Potter” film series, but was the lowest grossing film in the franchise (yes, nearly $800 million is low by the standards of the Wizarding World franchise). But even at the “low point” of Potter mania, the film inspired a ton of opening night cosplay for kids and families, and birthed some iconic memes.
“Spider-Man 2” (2004, Sam Raimi)
What it is: Sam Raimi’s sequel to his original 2002 “Spider-Man” sees Tobey Maguire return as the web-slinger to confront a new threat: the insane and heartbroken Dr. Otto Octavius.
What it made at the box office: $788,618,317
Peak cultural frenzy: Raimi’s Spider-Man films helped save Marvel from bankruptcy during the early 2000s, and was the most prominent franchise in the superhero boom during the turn of the century. But Raimi’s distinctive, funny, and vibrant tone helps his “Spider-Man” films endure in the public consciousness years later, with moments like J. Jonah Jameson’s laughing face living on via internet memes forever.
“Inception” (2010, Christopher Nolan)
What it is: Christopher Nolan’s dream heist movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a thief who steals information by infiltrating his targets’ subconscious.
What it made at the box office: $825,793,570
Peak cultural frenzy: Yes, “The Dark Knight” was the bigger movie at its time, but looking back, “Inception” might have had the longer legacy. Nolan’s film didn’t just make a lot of money, it added a whole new term to the cultural lexicon. “Inception” became a shorthand for many when talking about anything complicated or with layers, ensuring that the film would still remain on (and in) people’s minds for years to come.
“Wonder Woman” (2017, Patty Jenkins)
What it is: The long-awaited first film starring comic book’s most famous heroine, “Wonder Woman” sees Gal Gadot don the tiara and wield the lasso of the Amazon princess as she ventures into the world of men in an attempt to stop World War II.
What it made at the box office: $821,847,012
Peak cultural frenzy: As the first major studio superhero film to be directed solo by a woman, Jenkins’ “Wonder Woman” was greeted with high expectations when it originally premiered in Summer 2017. And, similar to “Barbie,” its positive reception turned it into a cultural moment, with even non-superhero fans flocking to theaters to support the first truly good, major female-led superhero movie, turning it into (at the time) the most successful film from a solo female director ever.
“It: Chapter One” (2017, Andy Muschietti)
What it is: The first half of Stephen King’s iconic book about a scary clown — actually a scary shapeshifting monster [editor’s note: actually an evil, ancient, cosmic entity] — tormenting a bunch of small town kids is faithfully adapted, with Bill Skarsgård in the title role of It.
What it made at the box office: $700,381,748
Peak cultural frenzy: “It” revitalized interest in Stephen King’s work, particularly for a younger audience who didn’t grow up with the Tim Curry ’90s miniseries adaptation of the book. Pennywise and the Loser’s Club became the hottest group Halloween costume of 2017, and it launched a dedicated online fandom that still can be found on the edges of TikTok and Tumblr to this day.
“Mission Impossible: Fallout” (2018, Christopher McQuarrie)
What it is: The sixth entry in the “Mission: Impossible” franchise pits Tom Cruise against a bioterroist organization in a nuclear arms race.
What it made at the box office: $791,115,104
Peak cultural frenzy: “Mission: Impossible” has always been a workhorse blockbuster franchise, always big but never the biggest movie of its year. “Fallout” was the franchise’s most successful entry, and its biggest moment in the cultural consciousness. In addition to the obligatory memes about Cruise risking his life to perform the stunts every movie, Henry Cavill’s “fist reload” scene went viral, and helped the movie reach a bigger audience than prior entries.
“Top Gun: Maverick” (2022, Joseph Kosinski)
What it is: Decades after the first “Top Gun,” Cruise returns as an older but still rebellious Maverick, who heads back to the titular training center to lead a new group of Navy cadets for a dangerous new mission.
What it made at the box office: $1,495,696,292
Peak cultural frenzy: “Top Gun: Maverick’s” success was greeted as the salvation for movie theaters everywhere, becoming the first true non-MCU post-pandemic box office success; Steven Spielberg himself thanked Cruise for saving Hollywood’s ass. Out of theaters, the film’s beach football scene went viral on TikTok, and the movie became the perfect Father’s Day movie.
“Barbie” (2023, Greta Gerwig)
What it is: Greta Gerwig’s Mattel-approved studio comedy stars Margot Robbie as the titular doll, who has an existential crisis and departs the matriarchal Barbie Land to discover more about or world; hijinks ensue.
What it made at the box office: $1,059,661,086
Peak cultural frenzy: Barbenheimer, anyone? The same day release of “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” inspired the big viral trend of the summer, as theater goers flocked to see both films in theaters. But although “Oppenheimer” has definitely succeeded at the box office — passing the $500 million mark worldwide — “Barbie” is definitely the star of the double bill, as crowds have taken to wearing all pink get ups for the blockbuster, helped rocket the soundtrack album to No. 2 on the Billboard charts, and launched meme after meme about the film. This summer, the Earth is Greta Gerwig’s oyster, and she’s turning it into the new Barbie Land.
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