Being a director in Hollywood is one of the toughest gigs around thanks to the amount of pressure that comes with leading a project. One hit film can bring on millions of dollars and tons of work, but a misfire at the box office can sink someone’s career in a hurry. Directors like Tim Burton and James Cameron are some of the best for a reason.
During his time in Hollywood, Steven Spielberg has developed into one of the biggest directors of all time. He has had countless hit films through the years, but only one film can lay claim to being his biggest hit of all time.
Let’s look and see which films reigns supreme.
Jurassic Park Is Number One With Over $1 Billion
Through the decades, Steve Spielberg has seemingly directed one gigantic hit after the next, and this is precisely why he is considered one of the greatest and most influential directors of all time. When it comes to the biggest film that he has ever directed, 1993’s Jurassic Park remains at the top spot with over $1 billion at the box office.
Prior to the release of Jurassic Park, Steve Spielberg already laid claim to having the highest-grossing film of all time with 1982’s E.T. Having held onto that spot for over a decade, the director was looking to take things to another level, and Jurassic Park was the perfect type of project to accomplish the impossible.
Thanks to an amazing script, stellar performances, and incredible use of both CGI and animatronics, Jurassic Park became a global sensation that launched one of the most successful franchises of all time. Spielberg was able to break his previous record at the box office with Jurassic Park, which became the highest-grossing movie of all time back in 1993. Spielberg was box office dominator and no one else was coming close.
The ripple effect that Jurassic Park caused with its success can still be felt to this day in the Jurassic World franchise. Spielberg does not direct these newer films, but he does serve as producer, so he is still cashing in after all these years. He clearly thrives with franchise flicks, so it shouldn’t be too surprising that another one of his biggest hits is from another classic franchise.
Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull Is Next With $786 Million
There is a lot to be said about the direction that the Indiana Jones franchise has gone over the years, but there is no denying that the franchise has been a huge success. After breaking ground in the 80s, the franchise made its return for Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which grossed $786 million at the box office.
The hype was through the roof for this film thanks to the lengthy break that the franchise took, and people couldn’t wait to see their favorite archaeologist back in action. Instead of delivering another franchise classic, however, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull proved to be a divisive entry that many fans are still not completely sold on.
Fans division notwithstanding, the monumental financial success of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull proved that the people still wanted more Indy. Because of this, a fifth film in the franchise has been confirmed and will get underway in the future. We imagine that the folks making the movie will be catering more to the fans this time around.
These first two box office juggernauts are more than some directors will ever achieve, but there are more films that Spielberg has taken to the top during his career.
The Lost World Grossed $618 Million
Heading back to the Jurassic Park franchise, The Lost World still stands at Spielberg’s third-biggest movie of all time. While it was not as big of a hit as its predecessor, The Lost World was still able to gross $618 million at the box office, which was more than enough for the studio to make a third film.
In 2005, Spielberg would release War of the Worlds, which ranks number four in his box office history. That film, which grossed $606 million, is the first non-franchise film that we have touched on, but to be fair, the book that the film is based on had been a huge success in the past and had a built-in audience.
Other huge films like Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Minority Report are some of Spielberg’s other massive hits. That is a slew of successful projects, and these titles clearly show why the director is so beloved.
Despite having been over 20 years since its release, Jurassic Park is still the biggest film that Steven Spielberg has ever made.