As the box office veers more and more towards big blockbusters, comedy movies are seemingly falling by the wayside. People are finding it increasingly needless to go see a comedy in the theater, and streaming is granting movie lovers immediate access to thousands of beloved comedies at home.
With the movie-going experience becoming more and more expensive, people want their money to go to good use - big sound, extravagant special effects, and epic stories. In short, movies worth seeing in the theater. Comedies just don't scratch that itch, and comedic grosses have been dropping steadily. But that's not to say there haven't been a few big hits throughout the years.
22 Jump Street (2014) - $331 Million
a surprising critical and commercial success, resulting in a hilarious sequel that endlessly spoofed and mocked the tropes of needless sequels. Luckily, the movie wasn't too clever for its own good, and it proved a major commercial success. The movie opened at #1 with a $57 million opening weekend and spent five weeks in the top five.
It ended its domestic run with a very respectable $191.7 million gross, and when combined with the $139 million international takings, 22 Jump Street took home $331.3 million at the worldwide box office.
The Hangover Part III (2013) - $362 Million
its experimentation and surprising genre switch must be commended, it didn't really work. However, the negative critical reception didn't stop audiences from flocking to the theater. The movie opened at #2 over the Memorial Day weekend with a four-day gross of $62 million.
It spent three weeks in the top ten, finishing its domestic run with $112.1 million. Luckily, the movie was buoyed by its $249 million international gross, resulting in a worldwide taking of $362 million.
Shazam! (2019) - $365 Million
While technically a superhero movie, just funny and knowingly meta enough to qualify as a comedy. Despite its less-than-well-known source material, Shazam! opened at #1 with a solid $56 million gross. The movie had strong legs and spent five weeks in the top ten - two of which were spent at the #1 position - finishing its domestic run with $140.3 million.
Shazam! also earned $225 million in the international market, resulting in a worldwide box office gross of $365.9 million. Basically an opening weekend for one of the mega-blockbusters, but a solid finish for a superhero comedy with relatively unknown source material.
Ted (2012) - $549 Million
Co-written, directed by, and Ted was a massive, and rather surprising, commercial success. The comedy was made for a decently-sized $50 million but made it all back in its opening weekend, opening at #1 with $54.4 million.
The movie had stellar legs for a comedy, spending seven weeks in the top ten and finishing its domestic run with $218.6 million. Ted also performed fantastically in the international market, grossing $330 million for a worldwide gross of $549.3 million. It was the highest-grossing comedy of the 2010s that wasn't based on previously-existing material.
The Hangover Part II (2011) - $586 Million
The Hangover was a massive success, so Warner Bros. immediately commissioned a sequel. R-rated comedy ever made.
Part II was made for $80 million, and it grossed $135 million over the four-day Memorial Day weekend. It spent five weeks in the top ten and finished with $254.4 million. It took in $586.7 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing R-rated comedy ever made at the time.
Men In Black 3 (2012) - $624 Million
A uniqueMen in Black 3 was another surprise success. Coming a full ten years after its predecessor, Sony gambled big with Men in Black 3 and put upwards of $225 million into its production. It opened at #1 over the 2012 Memorial Day weekend, grossing $69.2 million.
However, strong word of mouth kept it in the top ten for five weeks, and it finished with $179 million. The international market helped carry it to success with a $445 million gross, resulting in a worldwide taking of $624 million.
Deadpool 2 (2018) - $734 Million
Deadpool 2 was released two years after its iconic original. This one was made for a far more robust $110 million and proved just as successful at the worldwide box office. The movie opened at #1 with $125 million and grossed $53 million over the four-day Memorial Day weekend.
In just two weeks, it had grossed $218.5 million. Deadpool 2 finished its domestic run with $318.4 million and grossed $416 million internationally, resulting in a worldwide gross of $734.5 million.
Deadpool (2016) - $782 Million
Hype for the star power of lead Ryan Reynolds. The movie was made for just $58 million - a rather small sum for a superhero comedy. Fox made their money back and then some. The movie opened with $152 million over the four-day Presidents' Day weekend and spent three consecutive weeks at #1.
It spent eight weeks in the top ten and finished its domestic run with a stellar $363 million. When combined with international takings of $419 million, Deadpool accumulated $782.6 million at the worldwide box office.
Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) - $800 Million
Serving as a direct sequel to the surprise 2017 original, Jumanji: The Next Level earned strong reviews and a very strong box office performance. The movie opened at #1 over the December 13-15 weekend with $59.2 million.
Like its predecessor, the movie had some stellar legs and spent eleven weeks in the top ten before it was finally displaced the weekend of February 28-March 1. It finished with $316.7 million and $479 million internationally for a worldwide box office gross of bang-on $800 million.
Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle (2017) - $962 Million
The surprise hit of all surprise hits, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle was a monumental smash for Sony. The movie opened wide over the 2017 Christmas long weekend and grossed a solid, if not overwhelming, $55.3 million. However, the movie enjoyed some unbelievably strong legs, spending twelve straight weeks in the top ten until it was finally displaced in March.
It finished its domestic run with a spectacular $404.5 million - even while competing with The Last Jedi. When combined with the $557 million international takings, Welcome to the Jungle finished its worldwide run with $962 million.
