Movies That Made the Most Money in 2020

As of March 16, three of the largest U.S. movie theater chains — AMC Theatres, Cinemark and Regal Cinemas — had announced that they would be closing their locations across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic. Although theaters in some places have since reopened, they remain closed in many others, which has led to a huge decline in box office revenue. As of Dec. 14, domestic box office revenue for 2020 stands at around $2.2 billion — an 80% decrease from 2019, when revenue reached roughly $11.4 billion, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

See: The Impact of COVID-19 on the Movie Industry This Holiday Season

Because movie theaters have been closed for much of 2020, most of the highest-earning films of the year were released in late 2019 and early 2020, prior to the shutdown. The one exception to this is the film “Tenet,” which was one of the only films released in theaters this summer.

Find out where “Tenet” ended up ranking among the movies that made the most at the domestic box office in 2020, and take a look at the other movies that managed to bring in big bucks during this very strange year for the film industry.

15. 'Spies in Disguise'

• Domestic gross: $37.43 million
• Number of theaters: 3,502
• Release date: Dec. 25, 2019
• Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox

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14. 'Tenet'

• Domestic gross: $46.29 million
• Number of theaters: 2,930
• Release date: Sept. 3
• Distributor: Warner Bros.

Read: Critically Acclaimed Movies That Bombed at the Box Office

13. 'Frozen II'

• Domestic gross: $47.23 million
• Number of theaters: 4,440
• Release date: Nov. 22, 2019
• Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

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12. 'Knives Out'

• Domestic gross: $49.65 million
• Number of theaters: 3,461
• Release date: Nov. 27, 2019
• Distributor: Lionsgate

Read: Most Profitable Holiday Movies of All Time

11. 'Onward'

• Domestic gross: $61.56 million
• Number of theaters: 4,310
• Release date: March 6
• Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Find Out: Disney’s 27 Biggest Controversies

10. 'The Call of the Wild'

• Domestic gross: $62.34 million
• Number of theaters: 3,914
• Release date: Feb. 21
• Distributor: 20th Century Studios

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9. 'The Invisible Man'

• Domestic gross: $64.91 million
• Number of theaters: 3,636
• Release date: Feb. 28
• Distributor: Universal Pictures

Year in Review: People Spent a Lot on These Streaming Services in 2020 — and Here’s What They Watched

8. 'Little Women'

• Domestic gross: $70.51 million
• Number of theaters: 3,308
• Release date: Dec. 25, 2019
• Distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment

Read: Oscar Winners With Surprisingly Low Paychecks

7. 'Dolittle'

• Domestic gross: $77.04 million
• Number of theaters: 4,155
• Release date: Jan. 17
• Distributor: Universal Pictures

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6. 'Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn'

• Domestic gross: $84.16 million
• Number of theaters: 4,236
• Release date: Feb. 7
• Distributor: Warner Bros.

Read More: 19 Sequels That Made Much More Than the First Film

5. 'Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker'

• Domestic gross: $124.5 million
• Number of theaters: 4,406
• Release date: Dec. 20, 2019
• Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

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4. 'Jumanji: The Next Level'

• Domestic gross: $124.74 million
• Number of theaters: 4,227
• Release date: Dec. 13, 2019
• Distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment

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3. 'Sonic the Hedgehog'

• Domestic gross: $146.07 million
• Number of theaters: 4,198
• Release date: Feb. 14
• Distributor: Paramount Pictures

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2. '1917'

• Domestic gross: $157.9 million
• Number of theaters: 3,987
• Release date: Dec. 25, 2019
• Distributor: Universal Pictures

Find Out: 10 Highest-Paid Movie Roles of All Time

1. 'Bad Boys for Life'

• Domestic gross: $204.42 million
• Number of theaters: 3,775
• Release date: Jan. 17
• Distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment

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About the Author

Gabrielle Olya

Gabrielle joined GOBankingRates in 2017 and brings with her a decade of experience in the journalism industry. Before joining the team, she was a staff writer-reporter for People Magazine and People.com. Her work has also appeared on E! Online, Us Weekly, Patch, Sweety High and Discover Los Angeles, and she has been featured on “Good Morning America” as a celebrity news expert. 

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