When watching movies, audiences often focus on the lead actors, but they may not always know the directors behind the scenes. In the film industry, directors play a crucial role as the “brain” that builds an outstanding movie, influencing its style and making crucial decisions that shape each work. Therefore, it’s common to see the names of directors frequently mentioned, especially when they are associated with various other roles.
Below, we present the list of the top 10 directors with the highest global box office earnings as of now:
1. Steven Spielberg
Notable Films: Munich, War of the Worlds, War Horse, The Terminal, Catch Me If You Can, Minority Report, A.I., Saving Private Ryan, Amistad, Jurassic Park, The Lost World, Hook, Always, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Empire of the Sun, The Color Purple, ET, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Jaws, Schindler’s List, Lincoln, 1941.
Global Box Office Earnings: $9.246 billion
2. Peter Jackson
Notable Films: Braindead, Heavenly Creatures, Forgotten Silver, The Frighteners, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, King Kong, The Lovely Bones, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.
Global Box Office Earnings: $6.518 billion
3. James Cameron
Notable Films: The Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, True Lies, Titanic, Avatar.
Global Box Office Earnings: $6.139 billion
4. Michael Bay
Notable Films: Bad Boys, The Rock, Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, Bad Boys II, The Island, Transformers, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Pain & Gain, Transformers: Age of Extinction.
Global Box Office Earnings: $5.776 billion
5. Christopher Nolan
Notable Films: Following, Memento, Insomnia, Batman Begins, The Prestige, The Dark Knight, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, Interstellar.
Global Box Office Earnings: $4.222 billion
6. David Yates
Notable Films: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.
Global Box Office Earnings: $4.176 billion
7. Robert Zemeckis
Notable Films: I Wanna Hold Your Hand, Used Cars, Romancing the Stone, Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Back to the Future Part II, Back to the Future Part III, Death Becomes Her, Forrest Gump, Contact, What Lies Beneath, Cast Away, The Polar Express, Beowulf, A Christmas Carol, Flight.
Global Box Office Earnings: $4.062 billion
8. Chris Columbus
Notable Films: Adventures in Babysitting, Heartbreak Hotel, Home Alone, Only the Lonely, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Mrs. Doubtfire, Nine Months, Stepmom, Bicentennial Man, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Rent, I Love You, Beth Cooper, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.
Global Box Office Earnings: $3.815 billion
9. Gore Verbinski
Notable Films: MouseHunt, The Mexican, The Time Machine, The Ring, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, The Weather Man, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Rango, The Lone Ranger.
Global Box Office Earnings: $3.728 billion
10. Tim Burton
Notable Films: Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, Batman, Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns, Ed Wood, Mars Attacks!, Sleepy Hollow, Planet of the Apes, Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Alice in Wonderland, Dark Shadows, Frankenweenie, Big Eyes.
Global Box Office Earnings: $3.653 billion
Source: Wikipedia
