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21 Biggest Box Office Hits of All-Time

Posted: 09 Feb 2017 03:53 PM PST

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Time to check out the most successful movies of all-time based on their box office figures. The rankings of the 21 films are based on their box office gross when adjusted for inflation per 2010 figures, which means more recent released have been dialed back, although it didn’t change their spot on the chart. You’ll find plenty of James Cameron, a lot of Star Wars, quite a few Steven Spielberg, and even 3 movies from the 1930’s, including the two first animated features by Dinsey.

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21. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: A perfect example of how strong this series was on film, the 8th Harry Potter film (the second part of the split 7th book) made $1.342 billion after its 2011 release, which is $1.286 billion worldwide when adjusted for inflation. It broke 16 different box office records at the time.

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20. Avengers – Age of Ultron: It didn’t matter that the second Avengers film was far inferior to the first. The 2015 release made just over $1.4 billion worldwide, which is $1.292 billion when adjusted for inflation around the world. The next officially titles Avengers movie, Infinity War, will come out in 2018.

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19. Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace: Widely considered the worst of the Star Wars film (we see the new movies trying to ignore the prequel trilogy as much as possible), the Phantom Menace carved up the box office when it came out in 1999, making $1.027 billion, which is $1.3 billion adjusted for inflation. It is one of 3 Star Wars movie on the list.

Image via: YouTube18. The Lion King: The 1994 Disney mega hit was the most successful and best during the studio’s Renaissance, making $968.5 million worldwide, which is good enough for $1.323 billion when adjusted for inflation. The movie did spawn a number of spin-offs, but none of them went to the cinemas.

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17. Lord of the Rings – The Return of the King: The conclusion of the Lord of the Rings trilogy was probably the best film in the series, not to mention the most successful. Released in 2013, it made $1.12 billion worldwide, or $1.34 when adjusted for inflation. Years later The Hobbit trilogy made a lot of money, but felt like a money grab to many instead of an epic retelling of a great story, like the LOTR cinema experience turned out to be.

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16. Pinocchio: Released in 1940, the tale of the wooden boy who wanted to be a real one was the 2nd animated film by Disney. It made $84 million on a $2.2 million budget. Adjusted for inflation it’s at $1.386 billion worldwide. A sequel was in the works in the early 2000’s but was scrapped around 2005.

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15. Furious 7: The story of the Fast & the Furious franchise is an incredible one, considering it flatlined after the third film only to be resurrected and become one of the biggest money makers Hollywood has ever known. The 7th installment made $1.516 billion worldwide in 2015, or $1.4 billion when adjusted for inflation.

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14. The Avengers: Phase 1 of Marvel’s Cinematic ambitions peaked with The Avengers, more or less the first attempt to put so many Superheroes on screen together. It worked like a charm both in the eyes of the critics and moviegoers, making $1.52 billion, which is $1.429 billion when adjusted.

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13. Jurassic Park: A groundbreaking movie at the time (1993) which still looks amazing due to the minimal use of CGI, which wasn’t as advanced as it is now. The Steven Spielberg film began a franchise that was dormant for a while, making $1.029 billion worldwide, or $1.494 billion when adjusted for inflation.

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12. Jurassic World: It took Universal a while to kickstart the franchise, but the 2015 film was a mega hit for some inexplicable reason (not that good of a movie), making $1.67 billion, down to $1.531 billion on our inflation calculator based on the 2010 numbers.

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11. Doctor Zhivago: To me, this was the most surprising film on the list. The 1965 epic made $111.7 million, $1.551 billion adjusted for inflation. Critics were impressed with the grandeur and visuals of the movie at the time, but it was highly criticized for romanticizing the Russian Revolution. Most of the movie takes place in the pre World War I years, the War itself, the Russian revolution and the Russian Civil War.

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10. The Exorcist: The 1973 film based on a 1971 book based on a 1949 exorcism was massive hit, making over $400 million (exact number unknown), which is $1.601 billion adjusted for inflation. It is still considered as one of the scariest movies ever made, usually topping (or close to it) all-time horror movies lists.

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9. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial: Every movie I’m writing about teaches me something new. In E.T’s case, it’s that there’s a longer name to the film’s title. This all-time classic made $792.9 million at the time (released in 1982), which is $1.711 billion when adjusted for inflation.

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8. Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens: The return to the Star Wars universe was, as expected, a huge success, under the reviving hands of J.J. Abrams. Bringing back the endless battle between the light & dark sides of the Force made $2.068 billion in the box office, dialed down to $1.9 billion when adjusted for inflation.

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7. Jaws: The film is credited for birthing the summer blockbuster and a new approach to market films, while also giving sharks an even worse reputation than they had, one they certainly didn’t deserve. In terms of facts, Jaws made $470.7 million in 1975 (only $9 million budget), which is $1.913 billion when adjusted for inflation.

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6. The Sound of Music: A hugely successful adaptation of the 1959 Broadway Musical, the Sound of Music charmed audiences and scorched box offices in 1965. The story of Maria and the von Trapp’s made $286.2 million in the box office back then, $1.955 billion when adjusted for inflation. I really dislike musicals, but this film is something special.

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5. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: The first animated feature film by Disney (and the 1st movie I ever watched in the cinema), Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was a massive success, making $418.2 million worldwide, which is $2.116 billion when adjusted for inflation. The movie has been re-released to the theatres many times over the years.

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4. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope: The first Star Wars film changed so many things in movie making, cinema trends and pop culture in general it just might be the most influential cinematic creation of all-time. A New Hope grossed $775.4 million in 1977, $2.2 billion when adjusted for inflation.

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3. Avatar: James Cameron keeps talking about sequels (4 of them planned!!!) but for now, all we have is the 2009 original, which is the highest grossing film of all-time with $2.788 billion. When adjusted for inflation, it drops to 3rd, making $2.799 billion. A rather bland story, however the visuals are incredible, and were truly one-of-a-kind when the movie first came out.

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2. Titanic: 12 years earlier Cameron released the mega tear-jerker, labeled as an epic romance-disaster film. It was the first billion-dollar film, making $2.187 billion worldwide, good enough for $2.805 billion when adjusted for inflation. The film sold an estimated 128 million tickets during its cinematic run in the United States alone.

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1. Gone With the Wind: The almost 4-hour movie from 1937 remains the most successful film in history. The 1936 novel adaptation set in the South during the Civil War and reconstruction era turned into a film filled with memorable quotes that hold up well to this day. It made just under $400 during its cinematic run, which is $3.861 billion when adjusted for inflation.

14 Best Fantasy Books to Read in 2017

Posted: 09 Feb 2017 01:27 PM PST

There’s one specific Fantasy Book a lot of people who aren’t neceesarily harcore fantasy novel fans are waiting for. Alas, it doesn’t seem like it’ll come out in 2017, but there’s a wonderful crop of new fantasy books to enjoy in the progressing new year.

Political fantasy is a trending topic which isn’t surprising, but there’s a little bit for everyone on this list: From Neil Gaiman’s new novel retelling stories of Norse Mythology, to Hugo Award winners Elizabeth Bear and N.K. Jemisin, as well as the conclusion of some terrific series like Peter V. Brett’s the Demon Cycle and Robin Hobb’s Fitz and the Fool. Oh, and there’s even a new Tolkien book about Middle-Earth. Yippie!

A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab

The third and final part in Schwab’s ‘A Shade of Light’ trilogy, which takes us back to the Maresh Empire and the conclusion of one of the best series in recent years in terms of worldbuilding and the overall handling of something that many writers struggle with in fantasy books: The balance of magic and its existence in the specific fantasy universe.

Amberlough by Lara Elena Donnelly

Donnelly has made her name by writing short fiction stories, but has a very good shot of showing her long-read chops with Amberlough: A more political fantasy book, with plenty of spy thriller elements.

American War by Omar El Akkad

Political fantasy is the trendy topic in 2017, and the actual events and ideas of our current time ripple through art, including El Akkad’s debut novel, American War, which discusses the events of a 2nd Civil War taking place in 2074, focusing on Sarat Chestnut and her Louisiana family, her evolution into a lethal weapon, and her decisions having great consequences for her family and the nation.

Assassin’s Fate by Robin Hobb

Robin Hobb closes yet another trilogy (Fitz and the Fool) inside the Realm of the Enderlings universe, telling the tale of prince Fitzchivalry Farseer, this time vowing to reach the city of Clerres and exact his revenge on the Servants of the Four. Once again, Hobb’s latest novel seems like something special and different in the crowded field of fantasy novels, setting a standard few can follow.

Beren and Luthien by J.R.R. Tolkien

It’s sometimes impossible to comprehend the amount of work J.R.R. Tolkien managed to do while crafting the always intriguing world of Middle-Earth. This time, a tale shaped into a novel by Christopher Tolkien about the impossible love between a mortal and an elf. Beren is tasked by Luthien’s father with something impossible: Stealing a Simlaril from Morgoth.

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

There’s really no need to introduce Neil Gaiman, who seems to be onto another best seller with Norse Mythology, staying true to the myths of Odin, Loki and other Norse gods and tells their story through a more novel-istic prism, giving these timeless stories a new life and exciting angle that you’ve probably never thought about.

Seven Surrenders by Ada Palmer

Ada Palmer creates an interesting, tense world in Seven Surrenders, which is a story that revolves around Mycroft Canner and his place in a grand conspiracy to keep a seemingly utopian world running smoothly, and how a special child with the power to bring inanimate objects to life plays in all of this. Political intrigue, only with a much more interesting, fantastic spin.

Skullsworn by Brian Staveley

Brian Staveley finished the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, but isn’t done with the universe of the emperor’s blade. Skullsworn follows Pyree Lakatur, an assassin-priestess, who has a 10-days, 10-deaths trial to complete, while she struggles with the notion of feeling love for the first time, in a terrific stand alone that gives a different look into a universe and world that has an endless amount of stories to tell.

Spoonbenders by Daryl Gregory

In Spoonbenders, Daryl Gregory tells a terrific tale about a family of psychics that has run out of magic, withdraws from the world until it is faced with a trifecta of threats from the CIA, mafia and the general public of skeptics, just as the grandson of the family’s patriarch stumbles upon some old magic within himself; just in time to protect the family.

The Core: Book Five of The Demon Cycle by Peter V. Brett

The 5th and final installment in the Demon Cycle series, The Core is still quite the mystery in terms of what it’ll be about, but Peter V. Brett has confirmed it won’t be the last story he writes that is set in the world trying to battle the demons known as Corellings, first introduces to us in 2008, and only getting better with time.

The Stone in the Skull by Elizabeth Bear

Elizabeth Bear did an incredible job with the Eternal Sky trilogy, and The Stone in the Skull is the first book in a new trilogy, set in the same world. This time, an automaton (The Gage) created by a wizard works as a mercenary, and along with a broken soldier, ends up being caught up in a war fought over what remains of a once huge empire.

The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin

The conclusion of the Broken Earth trilogy, which started with The Fifth Season, winner of the Hugo Awards in 2016. Jemisin broke fantasy genre tropes with her previous books, and expectations are running high for the third book in this series, which focused on the belief in good and second chances against a more pragmatic approach: What is corrupt can only be destroyed, not fixed or cleansed.

The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss

Theodora Goss is mostly known for her terrific work in short fantasy stories. In The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter, she brings her talent into a bigger canvas, writing an exciting tale that retells the story of some of the genres most popular characters, which begins with Mary Jekyll beginning to investigate her father’s mysterious past, leading her to Diana Hyde and a group of women created by terrible experiments. A classic tale turned upside down, and reimagined in the most wonderful way possible.

Walkaway by Cory Doctorow

Walkway is a story about two people who have had enough with the crumbling of modern society (a futuristic one, of course), in a world where people can print up anything they need. The other part of the world – neglected, forgotten, dangerous, harbors one thing that is important enough to fight over, and ignite war: The power to cheat, or cure, death.

If you’re into Science Fiction as well, check out our recommendations for the best sci-fi books in 2017.

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