7 Highest-Grossing Directors of All Time, Ranked (Guess Who’s Number 1)
We bet you have no idea which filmmaker has made the most moneymakers in their lifetime!
Here are the seven highest-grossing film directors of all time.
Nolan’s films are considered niche because they are too complicated to understand on the first viewing, yet they have grossed over $4.9 billion worldwide. 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises took the crown with over $1 billion in profits, but the upcoming Oppenheimer could still change things up…
6. David Yates
Potterheads may hate him all they want, but their money spent on tickets to see Harry Potter has secured David Yates’ sixth place in this rating. His films have taken home over $6.3 billion, with the final movie of the Harry Potter saga’s box office being a record $1.3 billion.
5. Michael Bay
This renowned filmmaker is best known for his work on the Transformers franchise. His movies have grossed over $6.4 billion, and 2011’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon is responsible for about a fifth of that (over $1.1 billion). Michael Bay is also the only director on this list who hasn’t received much critical acclaim.
4. Peter Jackson
The person who has given Tolkien’s Middle-earth a second life (now, on the big screen), has made films that have taken home over $6.5 billion combined. His highest-grossing movie is the third installment of The Lord of the Rings franchise, which alone made an impressive $1.1 billion.
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3. The Russo Brothers
Anthony and Joseph have broken our fans so many times in Avengers: Infinity War and then again in Avengers: Endgame… and made so much money doing it! Their movies have sold over $6.8 billion worth of tickets, with the penultimate installment of the Infinity Saga alone bringing in a third of that (over $2.7 billion).
Avatar 2 may not have beaten the first movie box office-wise, but it has moved Cameron up three spots on this list! The director’s films have made over $8.7 billion in theaters, and the first Avatar’s profits are a quarter of that (over $2.9 billion). Wonder if the future installments will outdo it…
Steven Spielberg is the most commercially successful director in history, with his films’ total box office being over $10.6 billion. Surprisingly enough, 1993’s Jurassic Park is still his highest-grossing movie to date – it took home over $1 billion at the time.