It looked pretty bleak for the 2024 theatrical movie slate in the first five months of the year. Dune: Part Two did its part, becoming a hit domestically and internationally. However, many blockbusters from January to May either flopped or underperformed. Those disappointments include Argylle, The Fall Guy, and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.
However, Bad Boys: Ride or Die came out the first weekend of June and completely turned the tide. One week later, Inside Out 2 opened to historic numbers on its way to becoming the highest-grossing animated movie ever. Deadpool & Wolverine proved Marvel’s cold streak was over with a monster box office haul. Twisters and Despicable Me 2 also found large audiences and performed well in theaters. Despite the slow start, 2024 has had a slew of hits. Below are the 10 most popular movies of 2024 ranked by domestic gross.
Note: U.S. domestic box office grosses were reported by Box Office Mojo on October 27. The list only includes films released in 2024.
10. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes ($171,130,165)
What a wonderful day! It’s been seven years since War for the Planet of the Apes, the final film of the fantastic reboot trilogy. 2024 marked the return of the apes with new characters and a new story in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. 300 years after Caesar (Andy Serkis) led his tribe to the promised land, ape civilizations remain the dominant species over humans, who are now feral-esque.
After his friends are kidnapped, a young ape named Noa (Owen Teague) embarks on a journey to rescue his tribe. Along the way, Noa meets Mae (Freya Allan), a young woman who can speak and think unlike her fellow humans. Mae teams up with Noa to help save his tribe, though she also has an important mission of her own. Audiences still love the Apes franchise, as evidenced by the $171 million domestic gross. Expect more Apes films in the future.
Stream Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes on Hulu.
9. Bad Boys: Ride or Die ($193,573,217)
Nostalgia is a powerful drug in Hollywood. Audiences love to revisit their favorite heroes and join them on another adventure. The box office return of Bad Boys: Ride or Die is a case in point. After the success of Bad Boys for Life, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence reprised their roles as Detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett in the franchise’s fourth installment, Bad Boys: Ride or Die.
After the late Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano) is falsely linked to drug cartels, Mike and Marcus set out to clear his name and prove his innocence. After a disappointing start to the summer box office in May, Bad Boys: Ride or Die started June off on the right foot with an excellent opening weekend of $56.5 million. With the promising box office numbers, we likely haven’t seen the last of Mike and Marcus.
Stream Bad Boys: Ride or Die on Netflix.
8. Kung Fu Panda 4 ($193,590,620)
Never underestimate the power of Jack Black. The 54-year-old comedian is a glorified family movie star thanks to recent hits, including The Super Mario Bros. Movie, two Jumanji films, and The House with a Clock in Its Walls. Black recently returned to his kid-friendly martial arts comedy franchise for a fourth time in Kung Fu Panda 4. Po (Black) embarks on a quest to find his successor as the Dragon Warrior. However, the shapeshifting creature, The Chameleon (Viola Davis), threatens the Valley of Peace with her ability to copy kung fu techniques.
Po reluctantly teams up with the mischievous Zhen (Awkwafina) to save the kung fu masters from Chameleon’s wrath. Because of the lack of family movies in Q1, Kung Fu Panda 4 has found a significant audience at the theaters, earning over $193 million domestically. As long as Kung Fu Panda continues to have legs, Kung Fu Panda 5 will likely become a reality.
Stream Kung Fu Panda 4 on Peacock.
7. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire ($196,350,016)
Critics were never going to like Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Do you want to know who enjoys these monster movies? Audiences. Despite a day-and-date release in 2021, Godzilla x Kong’s predecessor, Godzilla vs. Kong, set several pandemic box office records on its way to $470 million worldwide gross. In 2024, the two sworn enemies form an unlikely alliance to battle a new threat in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
Despite the effort to tell an interesting and thought-provoking story, MonsterVerse fans are going to the movies to see Godzilla and Kong engage in epic battles, not learn about their mythology. It’s two Titans teaming off against another huge threat. In terms of spectacle, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire delivers. The Godzilla and Kong saga will continue with a sequel scheduled for a 2026 release.
Stream Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire on Max.
6. Twisters ($267,762,265)
Although it’s been 28 years since Twister, audiences still crave a good disaster movie. Enter Twisters, Lee Isaac Chung’s standalone sequel to 1996’s Twister. After a disastrous experiment in the field, Kate Carter (Daisy Edgar-Jones) abandons her career as a storm chaser to sit behind the desk. Javi (Anthony Ramos), a former colleague and friend, convinces Kate to join him in the field for one week as they look to implement new technology that could improve tornado warning systems dramatically.
When she arrives in Tornado Alley, Kate meets Tyler Owens (Glen Powell), a tornado-chasing pretty boy and social media star. The two rival factions begin their chases, and as the week progresses, they realize the twisters will only get worse, with a historic storm system on the horizon. Twisters is an old-fashioned summer blockbuster in all the best ways. The film has made over $238 million domestically, becoming one of the summer’s biggest hits.
Buy or rent Twisters on Prime Video, YouTube, Apple, or Google. Stream on Peacock starting November 15.
5. Dune: Part Two ($282,144,358)
The movie event of 2024 to this point has been Dune: Part Two. Denis Villeneuve’s highly anticipated sequel to 2021’s Dune has been met with overwhelmingly positive reviews thanks to stunning visuals, electrifying action, and sensational direction. Dune: Part Two continues to follow the rise of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), the gifted Duke who wishes to liberate the Fremen and exact revenge on the Harkonnens for murdering his father.
Originally scheduled for a November 2023 release, Warner Bros. delayed the film to March 2024 because of the actor and writer strikes. The gamble paid off, as Dune: Part Two’s $282 million domestic total is more than Dune’s $108 million haul. Dune: Part Two will likely stay in the top 10 the entire year and should be a major player at the 2025 Oscars.
Stream Dune: Part Two on Max.
4. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice ($285,513,942)
Somehow, Dune: Part Two is not Warner Bros.’s highest-grossing film domestically through the first 10 months of 2024. That honor belongs to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Tim Burton’s sequel to 1988’s Beetlejuice. Set in 2024, it sees Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) return to Winter River to attend the funeral of her father, Charles. Her estranged daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega), accompanies Lydia on the trip.
After meeting a mysterious boy, Astrid is tricked into a trip to the Afterlife. With little options, Lydia must team up with the Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton), the same demon who tried to marry her 36 years prior. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is the perfect example of how to make a nostalgia sequel that feels fresh and makes sense in terms of story. Audiences responded in a big way, to the tune of $111 million, the second-biggest domestic opening weekend in September behind 2017’s It.
Buy or rent Beetlejuice Beetlejuice on Prime Video, YouTube, Apple, or Google.
3. Despicable Me 4 ($361,004,205)
Never underestimate the power of the minions. The lovable yellow creatures are back for a new adventure in Despicable Me 4. Gru (Steve Carrell) is still married to Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig) and is the adoptive father of Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier), and Agnes (Madison Polan). However, the family expands with the arrival of Gru and Lucy’s biological child, Gru Jr., who unfortunately hates his father.
Besides the problem with his son, more trouble is on the horizon with the return of Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell), who teams up with his girlfriend Valentina (Sofía Vergara) to seek revenge on Gru. Forced to relocate to a safer area, Gru and his family take on new identities. But Gru can’t outrun Maxime forever, leading to an important confrontation between the two. Despicable Me 4 opened to an impressive July Fourth weekend total of $120 million. The minions will continue attracting audiences to theaters for the rest of the summer.
Stream Despicable Me 4 on Peacock starting October 31.
2. Deadpool & Wolverine ($636,505,810)
The only Marvel movie of 2024 belongs to the Merc with a Mouth. The highly anticipated introduction of Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool into the MCU finally happens in Deadpool & Wolverine. Wade Wilson (Reynolds) has retired his Deadpool persona and now lives a quiet life as a car salesman. During his birthday party, Wade is kidnapped by the Time Variance Authority and taken to Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen). Unfortunately for Wade, Mr. Paradox plans to destroy his universe.
Not willing to let his friends die, Wade deduces that the only way to save his universe is to recruit Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) to help. Yet, it will take some serious convincing from Wade for an angry Wolverine to join the fight. With violent action and an underrated amount of emotion, Deadpool & Wolverine has quickly become a huge hit with fans, and it stands as the highest-grossing R-rated film in history.
Buy or rent Deadpool & Wolverine on Prime Video, YouTube, Apple, or Google.
1. Inside Out 2 ($652,980,194)
After a string of minor hits and straight-to-Disney+ releases, Pixar needed to reestablish its dominance in theaters. Enter Inside Out 2, the long-awaited sequel to the Academy Award-winning Inside Out. 13-year-old Riley Andersen (Kensington Tallman) is now heading into high school. Joy (Amy Poehler), one of Riley’s emotions, still runs the show inside her mind with Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Tony Hale), Anger (Lewis Black), and Disgust (Liza Lapira).
The arrival of Anxiety (Maya Hawke) threatens to ruin the entire operation, so Joy attempts to fill Riley’s mind with only happy thoughts. Inside Out 2 recorded a massive $154.2 million opening weekend, the biggest of 2024. Inside Out 2 is at $642 million domestically and counting. Inside Out 2 has grossed $1.6 billion worldwide, the new high for an animated film.
Stream Inside Out 2 on Disney+.
