The Current State of
the Top Movie Production Companies in the World
the Top Movie Production Companies in the World
To put it simply, more people are going to the movies every year. Consumer spending on movies in theaters is up 30 percent over the last decade and 19 percent of people in the United States say they go to the movies about once a month. This growth to meet market demand is led by the top movie production companies in the world innovating with movies shattering box office records. Movies are consistently breaking box office grossing records with Avengers: Endgame recently topping the list. In terms of box office grossing, the biggest movie studio in the world is Universal Pictures, followed by Warner Bros. and Columbia Pictures, rounding out the top 3 movie production companies list. This fact sheet will breakdown the biggest movie studios in detail and answer the following questions about the global film industry:
- What are the top movie production companies in the world by box office grossing?
- What are the biggest movie production companies in the US?
- Global film industry statistics and trends you should know.
- How big is the global film industry?
- If you’re looking to discover and connect with movie production companies (and related companies), you can do so here.
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Global Film Industry Statistics and Trends
- With worldwide box office grossing of over US $2,797,800,564, Avengers: Endgame is the highest-grossing film of all time.
- Universal Pictures is the highest-grossing movie production company with a total worldwide box office grossing of US $43,913,150,146.
- The global film industry — led by stellar global box office revenue — is forecast to increase from about USD 38 billion in 2016 to USD 50 billion in 2020.
- The U.S. is the third-largest film market in the world in terms of tickets sold per year, ranking behind China and India.
- 19 percent of Americans go to the movies about once a month, eight percent go see movies in the movie theater several times a month, whereas four percent go about once per week.
- Global consumer spending on movies has grown by nearly 30 percent over the past decade.
Access All Industry Trends and Challenges
Top 10 Movie Production Companies in the World 2020
Who are the top movie production companies in the world in 2020? The following is a list of biggest movie studios ranked by worldwide box office performance in 2020.
Rank |
Movie Production Company |
No. of Movies |
Total Worldwide Box Office |
| 1 | Universal Pictures | 254 | $43,913,150,146 |
| 2 | Warner Bros. | 249 | $43,895,933,593 |
| 3 | Columbia Pictures | 245 | $41,490,771,945 |
| 4 | Walt Disney Pictures | 130 | $38,420,360,892 |
| 5 | Marvel Studios | 62 | $33,686,093,642 |
| 6 | Paramount Pictures | 168 | $30,207,013,009 |
| 7 | 20th Century Fox | 108 | $25,232,413,752 |
| 8 | RatPac-Dune Entertainment | 70 | $16,498,034,609 |
| 9 | Legendary Entertainment | 61 | $16,280,673,534 |
| 10 | Relativity Media | 117 | $15,349,403,396 |
1. Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures ranks numbers 1 on our list of the top movie production companies in the world in 2020 with the highest worldwide box-office performance of the year at US$43,913,150,146 generated last year. Universal Pictures is an American film studio owned by Comcast through the NBCUniversal Film and Entertainment division of its wholly-owned subsidiary NBCUniversal. Founded in 1912, Universal Pictures is the oldest surviving film studio in the United States. Universal Pictures is considered one of the 6 major film studios. Currently headquartered in California, United States, Universal Pictures operates multiple subsidiaries including DreamWorks Animation, Amblin Partners, and NBC Universal Entertainment Japan. Some of the company’s most famous movie productions include Jurassic Park and the whole Jurassic World series; Furious 7 and the whole Fast and the Furious series; Minions, Despicable Me, King Kong, and more. The company has a total of 254 movies and last year generated USD 4.23 billion — making it one of the biggest movie studios in the world.
- Founded: 1912
- Universal Pictures Headquarters: Universal City, California, United States
- Universal Pictures Revenue: USD 23 billion
- Universal Pictures WW Box-office Performance: US$43,913,150,146
Universal Pictures Highest Grossing Films
|
Rank |
Title |
Year |
Box office gross |
|
1 |
Jurassic World |
2015 |
$1,670,400,637 |
|
2 |
Furious 7 |
2015 |
$1,516,045,911 |
|
3 |
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom |
2018 |
$1,308,534,046 |
|
4 |
The Fate of the Furious |
2017 |
$1,238,764,765 |
|
5 |
Minions |
2015 |
$1,159,398,397 |
|
6 |
Jurassic Park ‡ |
1993 |
$1,029,153,882 |
|
7 |
Despicable Me 3 |
2017 |
$1,015,741,270 |
|
8 |
Despicable Me 2 |
2013 |
$970,761,885 |
|
9 |
The Secret Life of Pets |
2016 |
$875,457,937 |
|
10 |
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial ‡ |
1982 |
$792,910,554 |
2. Warner Bros.
Ranking number 2 on this list of the top 10 movie production companies in the world is Warner Bros., an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a division of AT&T’s WarnerMedia. Last year, Warner Bros., generated US$43,895,933,593 a box office — making it the 2nd biggest movie production company on this list by box office performance. A member of the Motion Picture Association, Warner Bros. is one of the “Big Five” major American film studios. Warner Bros. is known for its film studio division, the Warner Bros. Pictures Group, which includes Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema, the Warner Animation Group, Castle Rock Entertainment, and DC Films. Warner Bros. currently has 249 movies including the Harry Potter series, The Dark Knight, Aquaman, Joker, and more.
- Founded: 1923
- Warner Bros. Headquarters: Burbank, California, United States
- Warner Bros. Revenue: USD 86 billion
- Warner Bros. WW Box-office Performance: US$43,895,933,593
Warner Bros. Highest Grossing Films
|
Rank |
Movie |
Released |
Box office gross |
|
1 |
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II |
2011 |
$1,341,653,717 |
|
2 |
Aquaman |
2018 |
$1,143,966,520 |
|
3 |
The Dark Knight Rises |
2012 |
$1,084,439,099 |
|
4 |
Joker |
2019 |
$1,072,722,593 |
|
5 |
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey |
2012 |
$1,017,003,568 |
|
6 |
The Dark Knight |
2008 |
$1,000,888,325 |
|
7 |
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone |
2001 |
$975,044,468 |
|
8 |
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I |
2010 |
$960,429,357 |
|
9 |
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug |
2013 |
$960,238,087 |
|
10 |
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies |
2014 |
$945,577,621 |
3. Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures ranks 3rd on this list of the top movie production companies in the world in 2020. Columbia Pictures is an American film studio and production and distribution company that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Entertainment’s Sony Pictures, a subsidiary of the Japanese multinational conglomerate, Sony. Columbia Pictures is one of the biggest movie production companies in the World and considered a member of the “Big Five” major American film studios. Columbia Pictures is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States and currently, has released 245 achieving worldwide box office numbers of US $41,490,771,945 — making it one of the top movie studios in the world.
- Founded: 1924
- Columbia Pictures Headquarters: Los Angeles, California, United States
- Columbia Pictures Revenue: USD 13 billion
- Columbia Pictures WW Box-office Performance: US$41,490,771,945
Columbia Pictures Highest Grossing Films
|
Rank |
Movie |
Box office gross |
|
1 |
Spider-Man: Far From Home |
$1,126,906,240 |
|
2 |
Skyfall |
$1,110,526,981 |
|
3 |
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle |
$964,496,193 |
|
4 |
Spider-Man 3 |
$894,860,230 |
|
5 |
Spider-Man: Homecoming |
$880,166,350 |
|
6 |
Venom |
$853,628,605 |
|
7 |
Spider-Man |
$821,706,375 |
|
8 |
Jumanji: The Next Level |
$797,731,246 |
|
9 |
Spider-Man 2 |
$794,697,557 |
|
10 |
The Da Vinci Code |
$767,820,459 |
4. Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures ranks number 4 on this list of the top film production companies in 2020 with total box office grossing exceeding US$38,420,360,892. Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio and a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Studios, which is owned by The Walt Disney Company. The movie production company subsidiary is the flagship producer of live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Studios unit and is based at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. Walt Disney Pictures released some of the highest-grossing and most profitable films worldwide including Avengers: Endgame, the Lion King, and the Pirates of the Caribbean series.
- Founded: 1983
- Walt Disney Pictures Headquarters: Burbank, California, United States
- Walt Disney Pictures Revenue: USD 57 billion
- Walt Disney Pictures WW Box-office Performance: US$38,420,360,892
Walt Disney Pictures Highest Grossing Films
|
Rank |
Released |
Movie |
Box office gross |
|
1 |
2019 |
Avengers: Endgame |
$2,797,800,564 |
|
2 |
2015 |
Star Wars Ep. VII: The Force Awakens |
$2,065,478,084 |
|
3 |
2018 |
Avengers: Infinity War |
$2,048,359,754 |
|
4 |
2019 |
The Lion King |
$1,656,943,394 |
|
5 |
2012 |
The Avengers |
$1,515,100,211 |
|
6 |
2019 |
Frozen II |
$1,447,549,711 |
|
7 |
2015 |
Avengers: Age of Ultron |
$1,396,099,202 |
|
8 |
2018 |
Black Panther |
$1,346,103,376 |
|
9 |
2017 |
Star Wars Ep. VIII: The Last Jedi |
$1,332,539,889 |
|
10 |
2013 |
Frozen |
$1,268,746,174 |
5. Marvel Studios
Ranking 5th on this list of the top movie production companies ion the world is Marvel Studios, an American film and television studio that is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Studios. Marvel Studios is known for the production of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, based on characters that appear in Marvel Comics publications, such as Spider-man, Iron-man, and Hulk. Marvel Studios was founded in 1993 and has currently grossed over billions.
- Founded: 1993
- Marvel Studios Headquarters: Burbank, California, United States
- Marvel Studios Revenue: USD 2 billion
- Marvel Studios WW Box-office Performance: US$33,686,093,642
Marvel Studios Highest Grossing Films
|
Rank |
Movie |
Box office gross |
|
1 |
Avengers: Endgame |
$2,797,800,564 |
|
2 |
Avengers: Infinity War |
$2,048,359,754 |
|
3 |
The Avengers |
$1,515,100,211 |
|
4 |
Avengers: Age of Ultron |
$1,396,099,202 |
|
5 |
Black Panther |
$1,346,103,376 |
|
6 |
Iron Man 3 |
$1,215,392,272 |
|
7 |
Captain America: Civil War |
$1,153,284,349 |
|
8 |
Captain Marvel |
$1,129,729,839 |
|
9 |
Spider-Man: Far From Home |
$1,126,906,240 |
|
10 |
Spider-Man: Homecoming |
$880,166,350 |
6. Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures ranks 6th on BizVibe’s list of the top movie production companies in the world in 2020, grossing over US$30,207,013,009 and generating USD 730 million in revenue. Paramount Pictures is an American film studio and subsidiary of ViacomCBS and is considered one of the Big Five film studios of America. Paramount Pictures is a member of the Motion Picture Association (MPA). Paramount Pictures is known for some of the highest-grossing films of all time including Titanic, the Transformers series, Shrek, and Mission Impossible films. Paramount Pictures is one of the most profitable and biggest movie studios in the world due to its consistent box office success.
- Founded: 1912
- Paramount Pictures Headquarters: Hollywood, California, United States
- Paramount Pictures Revenue: USD 730 million
- Paramount Pictures WW Box-office Performance: US$30,207,013,009
Paramount Pictures Highest Grossing Films
|
Rank |
Movie |
Year |
Box office gross |
|
1 |
Titanic |
1997 |
$2,187,463,944 |
|
2 |
Transformers: Dark of the Moon |
2011 |
$1,123,794,079 |
|
3 |
Transformers: Age of Extinction |
2014 |
$1,104,054,072 |
|
4 |
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen |
2009 |
$836,303,693 |
|
5 |
Shrek the Third 2 |
2007 |
$798,958,162 |
|
6 |
Mission: Impossible – Fallout |
2018 |
$791,017,452 |
|
7 |
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull |
2008 |
$786,636,033 |
|
8 |
Shrek Forever After 2 |
2010 |
$752,600,867 |
|
9 |
Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted 2 |
2012 |
$746,921,274 |
|
10 |
Transformers |
2007 |
$709,709,780 |
7. 20th Century Studios
20th Century Studios ranks 7th on this list of the top 10 movie production companies in 2020. 20th Century Studios is an American film studio that is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Studios, a division of The Walt Disney Company. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States, and currently has 2,300 employees. 20th Century Studios is known for high-grossing films such as Avatar, Bohemian Rhapsody, Star Wars, and more.
- Founded: 1935
- 20th Century Studios Headquarters: Los Angeles, California, United States
- 20th Century Studios Revenue: USD 4 billion
- 20th Century Studios WW Box-office Performance: US$25,232,413,752
20th Century Studios Highest Grossing Films
|
Rank |
Movie |
Year |
Box office gross |
|
1 |
Avatar ‡ |
2009 |
$2,789,679,794 |
|
2 |
Titanic ‡ |
1997 |
$2,187,463,944 |
|
3 |
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace ‡ |
1999 |
$1,027,044,677 |
|
4 |
Bohemian Rhapsody |
2018 |
$903,655,259 |
|
5 |
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs |
2009 |
$886,686,817 |
|
6 |
Ice Age: Continental Drift |
2012 |
$877,244,782 |
|
7 |
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith |
2005 |
$848,754,768 |
|
8 |
Independence Day |
1996 |
$817,400,891 |
|
9 |
Deadpool 2 |
2018 |
$785,046,920 |
|
10 |
Deadpool |
2016 |
$783,112,979 |
8. RatPac-Dune Entertainment
RatPac-Dune Entertainment ranks 8th on this list of the top movie production companies in the world with box office grossing exceeding US$16,498,034,609 as of 2020. RatPac Entertainment, LLC is an American motion picture production company owned by producer-director Brett Ratner. Popular films from the studio includes X-Men: The Last Stand, Suicide Squad, and Wonder Woman.
- Founded: 2006
- RatPac-Dune Entertainment Headquarters: Los Angeles, California, United States
- RatPac-Dune Entertainment WW Box-office Performance: $16,498,034,609
RatPac-Dune Entertainment Highest Grossing Films
|
Rank |
Title |
Box office gross |
|
1 |
Avatar |
$2,788,701,337 |
|
2 |
Batman v Superman |
$872,395,091 |
|
3 |
Wonder Woman |
$821,133,378 |
|
4 |
Suicide Squad |
$746,846,894 |
|
5 |
Life of Pi |
$619,310,368 |
|
6 |
Ready Player One |
$579,278,642 |
|
7 |
Dunkirk |
$527,268,280 |
|
8 |
Rise of the Planet of the Apes |
$470,986,200 |
|
9 |
San Andreas |
$456,258,539 |
|
10 |
Prometheus |
$402,448,265 |
9. Legendary Entertainment
Ranking 9th on this list of the top 10 movie production companies is Legendary Entertainment, an American film production and mass media company based in Burbank, California. The company was founded by Thomas Tull in 2000 and 2005 agreed to co-produce and co-finance films with Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures. The company operates multiple divisions including Legendary Pictures, Legendary Comics, Legendary Television, Legendary East, Legendary Digital Networks, and Legendary Animation. The film studio is known for popular films such as Batman Begins, Watchmen, The Hangover, Pokémon Detective Pikachu, and many more. Legendary Entertainment ranks 9th in terms of highest-grossing movie production companies with total worldwide box office numbers of US$16,280,673,534.
- Founded: 2000
- Legendary Entertainment Headquarters: Burbank, California, United States
- Legendary Entertainment Revenue: USD 5 billion
- Legendary Entertainment WW Box-office Performance: US$16,280,673,534
Legendary Entertainment Highest Grossing Films
|
Rank |
Movie |
Box office gross |
|
1 |
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom |
$1,308,470,988 |
|
2 |
Kong: Skull Island |
$561,072,059 |
|
3 |
Pokémon: Detective Pikachu |
$432,743,947 |
|
4 |
Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! |
$395,414,125 |
|
5 |
Godzilla: King of the Monsters |
$383,299,915 |
|
6 |
The Great Wall |
$334,486,852 |
|
7 |
Skyscraper |
$304,868,961 |
|
8 |
Pacific Rim: Uprising |
$290,930,148 |
|
9 |
BlacKkKlansman |
$93,411,426 |
|
10 |
Little |
$49,207,917 |
10. Relativity Media
Rounding out BizVibe’s list of the top movie production companies in the world is Relativity Media, an American media company headquartered in Beverly Hills, California, founded in 2004 by Lynwood Spinks and Ryan Kavanaugh. The company is known for co-producing Furious 7, The Bourne Legacy, and releasing full-length films such as Robin Hood. Relativity Media’s films have grossed US$15,349,403,396 at the box office — making it the 10th biggest movie studio in the world by box office numbers.
- Founded: 2004
- Relativity Media Headquarters: Beverly Hills, California, United States
- Relativity Media WW Box-office Performance: $15,349,403,396
Relativity Media Highest Grossing Films
|
Rank |
Movie |
Box office gross |
|
1 |
Fast and Furious 6 |
$789,300,444 |
|
2 |
Hancock |
$624,234,272 |
|
3 |
Les Misérables |
$438,421,116 |
|
4 |
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor |
$405,760,225 |
|
5 |
Wanted |
$342,416,460 |
|
6 |
Little Fockers |
$310,650,574 |
|
7 |
The Pursuit of Happyness |
$307,311,093 |
|
8 |
Salt |
$290,650,494 |
|
9 |
Bridesmaids |
$289,632,023 |
|
10 |
Oblivion |
$287,916,633 |
This is BizVibe’s list of the top 10 movie production companies ranked by their worldwide box office gross. The biggest movie studios continue to create films that capture its audiences time and time again.
Top Movie Production Companies– Complete List
Here is a complete list of the top 50 movie production companies ranked by their total worldwide box office revenues. Many of these biggest movie studios are on the cusp of cracking the top 10 movie production companies in the world list
Rank |
Movie Production Company |
No. of Movies |
Total Worldwide Box Office |
| 1 | Universal Pictures | 254 | $43,913,150,146 |
| 2 | Warner Bros. | 249 | $43,895,933,593 |
| 3 | Columbia Pictures | 245 | $41,490,771,945 |
| 4 | Walt Disney Pictures | 130 | $38,420,360,892 |
| 5 | Marvel Studios | 62 | $33,686,093,642 |
| 6 | Paramount Pictures | 168 | $30,207,013,009 |
| 7 | 20th Century Fox | 108 | $25,232,413,752 |
| 8 | RatPac-Dune Entertainment | 70 | $16,498,034,609 |
| 9 | Legendary Entertainment | 61 | $16,280,673,534 |
| 10 | Relativity Media | 117 | $15,349,403,396 |
| 11 | DreamWorks Animation | 45 | $15,211,096,061 |
| 12 | Amblin Entertainment | 63 | $14,608,192,088 |
| 13 | Disney-Pixar | 24 | $14,498,449,592 |
| 14 | New Line Cinema | 111 | $14,167,246,513 |
| 15 | Village Roadshow Productions | 78 | $13,412,076,251 |
| 16 | DreamWorks Pictures | 82 | $13,372,006,851 |
| 17 | Regency Enterprises | 143 | $12,897,078,109 |
| 18 | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures | 104 | $12,182,011,273 |
| 19 | Lucasfilm | 23 | $11,629,221,319 |
| 20 | Heyday Films | 25 | $11,024,410,955 |
| 21 | Walt Disney Animation Studios | 23 | $10,209,323,958 |
| 22 | RatPac Entertainment | 46 | $10,004,879,964 |
| 23 | Lionsgate | 169 | $9,795,820,260 |
| 24 | Summit Entertainment | 72 | $8,462,142,310 |
| 25 | Touchstone Pictures | 66 | $8,311,978,479 |
| 26 | Working Title Films | 95 | $7,779,270,579 |
| 27 | di Bonaventura Pictures | 31 | $7,607,033,196 |
| 28 | Original Film | 37 | $7,472,799,457 |
| 29 | Jerry Bruckheimer | 21 | $7,379,657,476 |
| 30 | Bad Robot | 20 | $7,138,664,627 |
| 31 | TSG Entertainment | 44 | $7,077,817,085 |
| 32 | Illumination Entertainment | 12 | $6,719,748,852 |
| 33 | Eon Productions | 25 | $6,355,611,816 |
| 34 | Wingnut Films | 12 | $6,308,535,565 |
| 35 | Twentieth Century Fox | 46 | $6,180,673,061 |
| 36 | 1492 Pictures | 22 | $6,160,140,069 |
| 37 | Perfect World Pictures | 35 | $6,049,723,508 |
| 38 | Skydance Productions | 28 | $5,912,494,120 |
| 39 | The Kennedy/Marshall Company | 30 | $5,831,932,244 |
| 40 | Fox 2000 Pictures | 50 | $5,739,229,240 |
| 41 | Imagine Entertainment | 53 | $5,308,391,399 |
| 42 | Ingenious Film Partners | 16 | $5,047,187,409 |
| 43 | Temple Hill Entertainment | 33 | $5,039,635,391 |
| 44 | Blue Sky Studios | 15 | $5,037,092,918 |
| 45 | Hasbro Studios | 15 | $4,913,495,236 |
| 46 | Sony Pictures Animation | 24 | $4,879,138,302 |
| 47 | PDI | 9 | $4,839,757,327 |
| 48 | Syncopy | 7 | $4,778,442,175 |
| 49 | One Race Films | 11 | $4,747,567,486 |
| 50 | Blumhouse | 104 | $4,640,440,585 |
The Future of the Global Film Industry
As the consumption of blockbuster movies continues to grow, expect to see records to keep shattering at the box office. The top movie productions companies are providing the most popular films to audiences demanding enjoyable films. Which one of the biggest movie studio’s film will shatter the next box office record? I guess we’ll know soon enough.
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