Oleg Danylov
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31 July, 10:00
The number of Oscars, BAFTAs and other film awards received and positive reviews from critics are certainly important indicators of a filmmaker’s success, but… the real indicator of popular love and recognition is the money that viewers leave in cinemas after watching a particular director’s films, i.e. box office. In addition, it is an extremely important indicator that affects the willingness of producers to finance the artist’s next film.
In this selection, we have collected the 10 most successful film directors of our time by box office. Interestingly, most of them are still working, delighting us with new films almost every year. The box office amounts are given without taking into account inflation due to the large number of films released over the past 40 years. The basis is data from the Statista service as of January 2026, taking into account releases in 2026
1. Steven Spielberg
The most successful film Jurassic Park (1993) – $1.058 billion
The latest filmDisclosure Day (2026) – $239 million
Steven Spielberg’s film career began in the mid-1960s, and over the next 60 years he managed to make 37 feature films, making him one of the most prolific directors of our time. And although he has only one film in his portfolio that has crossed the $1 billion box office mark – the original Jurassic Park – that was back in 1993, when such figures seemed simply incredible.
The director’s latest film, Disclosure Day, which was released just a month and a half ago, garnered fairly positive reviews from the media and audiences, but has only grossed $239 million so far.
2. James Cameron
The most successful film Avatar (2009) – $2.923 billion
The latest filmAvatar: Fire and Ash (2025) – $1.49 billion
Unlike Spielberg, James Cameron has only made 10 feature films in his 40-plus-year film career. But the last four of them have been among the highest-grossing films of all time, and the original 2009 Avatar still tops the list with an incredible haul of nearly $3 billion.
And although the master’s latest film, Avatar: Fire and Ash, released in late 2025, no longer arouses the same enthusiasm as the first film in the series, it still collected a respectable $1.49 billion in theaters.
3. The Russo Brothers
The most successful filmAvengers: Endgame (2019) – $2.799 billion
The latest filmThe Electric State (2025) – streaming release
Anthony and Joe Russo, better known as the Russo Brothers, gained recognition for their work on the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, the most famous of which, Avengers: Endgame (2019), is the second highest-grossing film of all time.
After leaving the MCU, the brothers made films for Netflix, the last of which, The Electric State (2025), seemed completely worthless to us. But this year, the Russos are returning to Marvel: the brothers’ next film, Avengers: Doomsday, will hit the big screens on December 17, 2026.
4. Christopher Nolan
The most successful film The Dark Knight Rises (2012) – $1.085 billion
The last filmThe Odyssey (2026) – $683 million
Christopher Nolan has given us many films that are still hotly debated decades after their release. The director is known for his love of non-linear storytelling and unconventional perception of time, and his The Dark Knight trilogy still remains the best film based on DC Comics. In fact, The Dark Knight Rises (2012) is Nolan’s highest-grossing work.
Although it’s possible that The Odyssey, which came out just two weeks ago, will reach that record. It’s said that tickets for the film in IMAX 70 mm are sold out worldwide until Christmas.
5. Peter Jackson
The most successful filmThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) – $1.148 billion
The last filmThe Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) – $963 million
Peter Jackson is best known for his The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. The last film in the first trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), is the director’s highest-grossing film, and the final film in the second trilogy, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014), is the director’s last feature film. We can say that it is Jackson who is responsible for the return of the fashion for fantasy films.
Since 2014, Jackson has not made feature films, instead finding himself in documentary and restoring old newsreels, creating such notable films as They Shall Not Grow Old (2018) and The Beatles: Get Back – The Rooftop Concert (2022).
6. Michael Bay
The most successful film Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) – $1.124 billion
Latest filmAmbulance (2022) – $52.3 million
And while Michael Bay’s name has become synonymous with bad taste over time, the first Transformers films under his direction were truly impressive and made a lot of money. In fact, one of these films, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, became the director’s highest-grossing film, grossing $1.124 billion in 2011.
Then there were two more “Transformers”, which already looked like a frank mockery, and finally in 2018 the series was restarted without Michael Bay. And in the meantime, the director shot the pathetic 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, the strange 6 Underground (2019) for Netflix and the flop Ambulance (2022), which barely paid for itself. Now Bay is mostly engaged in producing.
7. David Yates
The most successful film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011) – $1.343 billion
The latest filmPain Hustlers (2023) – streaming release
David Yates is best known for his work on the Harry Potter film franchise. In fact, he directed half of the eight films, including the highest-grossing final installment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, which grossed $1.343 billion. Plus three more films in the Fantastic Beasts spin-off series.
In fact, out of Yates’ ten films, only three are not related to the magical world of J.K. Rowling. The director’s latest film about the pharmaceutical business and the problem of the spread of opiates in the United States, Pain Hustlers, was released in 2023 on Netflix.
8. Ridley Scott
The most successful film The Martian (2015) – $631 million
The latest filmGladiator II (2024) – $462 million
Ridley Scott’s career in big cinema began in the mid-1970s, and the director’s second and third films, Alien (1979) and Blade Runner (1982), became immortal classics. In total, Scott has made 28 films, the most successful of which was The Martian (2015), based on the novel by Andy Weir, which grossed $631 million.
Scott’s latest film, Gladiator II (2024), was met with caution and barely made a profit, grossing $462 million. And at the end of August 2026, the director’s new film, The Dog Stars, based on the novel by Peter Heller, will be released, and this is again science fiction, which Scott does best.
9. Tim Burton
The most successful film Alice in Wonderland (2010) – $1.025 billion
The last filmBeetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) – $452 million
Tim Burton is a director with a specific vision of the world, who was lucky enough to work on both small auteur films and expensive blockbusters for Disney. In fact, one of these blockbusters, Alice in Wonderland (2010), collected the largest amount of money in the director’s career – $ 1.025 billion.
Burton’s latest film, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024), is a kind of attempt by the master to return to his own past, because it was the first Beetlejuice (1988) that brought him recognition.
10. J. J. Abrams
The most successful film Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) – $2.071 billion
The latest filmStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) – $1.077 billion
Jeffrey Jacob Abrams’s cinematic directorial debut took place quite late, in 2006 with the film Mission: Impossible 3, and in total, the artist’s portfolio includes only six feature films. But he managed to work on two of the most famous fantasy franchises – Star Trek and Star Wars, effectively reviving the former and almost burying the latter. The most money in his piggy bank was earned by Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) – $2.071 billion.
Abrams’ latest film, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, grossed $1.077 billion in 2019 and received mixed reviews from fans. The director is currently working on the fantasy film The Great Beyond, which is scheduled for release in October 2027. Abrams not only took the director’s chair, but also became the screenwriter, producer, and… composer of the film.
Other successful directors
11. Robert Zemeckis – $4.4 billion (Forrest Gump (1994) – $678 million)
12. Ron Howard – $4.35 billion (The Da Vinci Code (2006) – $801 million)
13. Jon Favreau – $4.34 billion (The Lion King (2019) – $1.66 billion)
14. Sam Raimi – $4.27 billion (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) – $956 million)
15. Chris Reno – $4.18 billion (Despicable Me 4 (2024) – $987 million)
16. James Wan – $4.17 billion (Furious 7 (2015) – $1.51 billion)
17. Chris Columbus – $4.09 billion (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001) – $1.03 billion)
18. Sean Levy – $4.05 billion (Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) – $1.34 billion)
19. Roland Emmerich – $4.02 billion (Independence Day (1996) – $817 million)
20. Jon Watts – $3.93 billion (Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) – $1.92 billion)
21. Byron Howard – $3.87 billion (Zootopia 2 (2025) – $1.87 billion)
22. Francis Lawrence – $3.76 billion (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) – $865 million)
23. Pierre Coffin – $3.71 billion (Minions (2015) – $1.16 billion)
24. Bryan Singer – $3.71 billion (Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) – $911 million)
25. Gore Verbinski – $3.68 billion (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006) – $1.07 billion)
