Top summer movies

As “Jaws” turns 50, its legacy of the summer movie blockbuster remains strong. Combined, the top-earning summer films between 1975 and 2024 earned more than $15 billion through the summer months, a figure not adjusted for inflation, according to the tracking firm Comscore. Here’s a list of the top summer movie each year, along with the film’s gross earnings from its release date through Labor Day.

1975: “Jaws”

$260 million

1976: “The Omen”

$60.9M

1977: “Star Wars”

$221.3M

1978: “Grease”

$132.5M

1979: “Alien”

$79M

1980: “Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back”

$222.7M

1981: “Superman II”

$59.2M

1982: “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”

$242M

1983: “Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi”

$222.3M

1984: “Ghostbusters”

$189.1M

1985: “Rambo: First Blood Part II”

$139M

1986: “Top Gun”

$131.3M

1987: “Beverly Hills Cop II”

$151M

1988: “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”

$130.7M

1989: “Batman”

$239M

1990: “Ghost”

$125M

1991: “Terminator 2: Judgment Day”

$183.1M

1992: “Batman Returns”

$159.8M

1993: “Jurassic Park”

$316.6M

1994: “The Lion King”

$262.3M

1995: “Batman Forever”

$181.4M

1996: “Independence Day”

$282M

1997: “Men in Black”

$235.1M

1998: “Armageddon”

$193M

1999: “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace”

$421.4M

2000: “Mission: Impossible II”

$214M

2001: “Shrek”

$263M

2002: “Spider-Man”

$403.7M

2003: “Finding Nemo”

$332.7M

2004: “Shrek 2”

$436.7M

2005: “Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith”

$380M

2006: “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”

$414M

2007: “Spider-Man 3”

$336.5M

2008: “The Dark Knight”

$504.8M

2009: “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”

$400.6M

2010: “Toy Story 3”

$409M

2011: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II”

$375.6M

2012: “Marvel’s The Avengers”

$620.3M

2013: “Iron Man 3”

$409M

2014: “Guardians of the Galaxy”

$281.2M

2015: “Jurassic World”

$647.4M

2016: “Finding Dory”

$482.9M

2017: “Wonder Woman”

$409.5M

2018: “Incredibles 2”

$602.6M

2019: “The Lion King”

$523.6M

2020: “Tenet”

$20M

2021: “Black Widow”

$182.7M

2022: “Top Gun: Maverick”

$701.3M

2023: “Barbie”

$612.3M

2024: “Inside Out 2”

$650.8M

Source: Comscore