The number 1 biggest movie of all time by worldwide box office gross is Avatar (2009), directed by James Cameron, with nearly $2.93 billion, followed by Avengers: Endgame (2019) and Avatar: The Way of Water (2022). While Avatar leads in total gross, Avengers: Endgame briefly held the top spot and has a higher domestic gross.
Seven films in total have grossed in excess of $2 billion worldwide, with Avatar ranked in the top position.
There's no single "number one movie" as it depends on the criteria, but James Cameron's Avatar (2009) is the highest-grossing film worldwide unadjusted for inflation. When adjusting for inflation, Gone with the Wind (1939) is often cited as number one, while The Shawshank Redemption (1994) is consistently rated the top movie by users on IMDb based on critical acclaim and audience votes.
There's no single definitive #1 most-watched movie due to different metrics (box office, TV, streaming), but James Cameron's Titanic often appears at the top for overall viewership, blending massive theatrical success with extensive TV broadcasts, while Disney's The Lion King and The Wizard of Oz are frequently cited for sheer volume over decades, and Avatar holds the box office crown, notes Statista and Wikipedia.
The #1 movie in the world, based on the highest worldwide box office gross, is James Cameron's Avatar (2009), followed by Avengers: Endgame (2019) and Avatar: The Way of Water (2022). These rankings focus on total money earned, with Avatar exceeding $2.9 billion globally.
As of late 2025, the number 1 most-watched Netflix movie of all time by views is KPop Demon Hunters, followed by Red Notice, then Carry-On, according to Netflix's official data, with these figures updated regularly on their Tudum site.
The movie that took 48 years to make is The Other Side of the Wind, Orson Welles' final, unfinished film that began shooting in the 1970s and was finally completed and released by Netflix in 2018, long after Welles' death. The project was famously trapped in legal issues and distribution nightmares, with production spanning years and the editing process continuing posthumously until its eventual release, making it one of the longest-produced films ever.
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As of November 2025, "Avatar" (2009) was the most commercially successful movie of all time, grossing about 2.92 billion U.S. dollars at box offices across the globe. "Avengers: Endgame" (2019) and "Avatar: The Way of Water " (2022) followed, with revenues of around 2.8 billion and 2.34 billion dollars, respectively.
Three movies are tied for the most Oscar wins with 11 Academy Awards each: Ben-Hur (1959), Titanic (1997), and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). These films share the record for the most Oscars won by a single movie in Academy Awards history, with The Return of the King achieving a clean sweep of all its nominations.
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There's no single "No. 1" suspense movie, as it's subjective, but top contenders consistently cited for impact and acclaim include The Dark Knight, The Sixth Sense, Inception, Se7en, and The Silence of the Lambs, often topping lists for their thrilling narratives, iconic twists, and high audience ratings, with classics like Hitchcock's Vertigo also highly ranked.
The first actor paid $1 million for a single movie role is often cited as Marlon Brando for Mutiny on the Bounty (1962), but Elizabeth Taylor secured a $1 million contract for Cleopatra (1963) that included significant box office bonuses, making her the first to earn that much, while Mary Pickford had a $1 million contract for multiple films earlier (1916).
Citizen Kane (1941), starring and directed by Orson Welles, has topped several international polls, including five consecutive decades at number 1 in the British Film Institute's Sight and Sound decennial poll of critics.
To date, Leave No Trace holds the site's record, with a rating of 100% and 248 positive reviews.
Mithun Chakraborty holds the dubious honour of giving the highest number of flop films among lead actors in Bollywood. The actor has 180 flop films in a career that has spanned over 40 years.
Dwayne Johnson's contract clause stating he can't lose a fight has been adopted by his Fast & Furious co-stars, making fight scene choreography difficult.
The #1 richest actor is often cited as Arnold Schwarzenegger, with an estimated net worth around $1.49 billion, followed closely by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, while some lists place Tyler Perry at the top due to his studio ownership, but Schwarzenegger consistently leads actor-focused lists with vast wealth from acting, business, and politics.
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In 2012, a film called Logistics was completed. It runs for 51,420 minutes — about 857 hours, or 35 days and 17 hours. This record length makes it the longest movie ever made. The film was created and directed by two Swedish artists, Erika Magnusson and Daniel Andersson.
The "saddest" movie based on a true story is subjective, but top contenders often include Schindler's List, due to its harrowing Holocaust depiction; 12 Years a Slave, for its brutal portrayal of American slavery; Grave of the Fireflies (animated, deeply tragic WWII story); and The Pianist, showing survival in the Warsaw Ghetto, with Worth, focusing on the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, also cited for emotional impact.
Average viewership
Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, was the site of Super Bowl LIX, the most-watched broadcast in American television history. The Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969, is reported to have been watched by 125–150 million people.
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