The Top 11 Most Profitable Films in Box Office History

2. E.T.

E.T. wasn’t just a movie; it was a thing. It was bigger than big. Considering how few screens were available for movie releases in 1982, it gives one cause for pause: how could this film be the second most profitable of all-time, being over 30 years old?  If you’re old enough to have experienced it, you know exactly why. As stated: it was more than a movie; it was a thing. The sweeping John Williams score, the suggestion that other beings from beyond our existential understanding also understood love, compassion, friendship… and the kids. Steven Spielberg defied industry standards again, and built a film around a bunch of kids, and an alien puppet creation. It was a bummer for LucasArts to jazz up E.T.’s face for the 20th anniversary, but the charm of this one is still undeniable. $25 million invested; $793 million returned.