#1 of 229 #1 thriller movie of 2020
2020 · Action, Thriller
$426.5M worldwide · 21% of the chart's total
$206.3M US & Canada · 48% $220.2M elsewhere · 52%
Thriller box office · 2020
Thriller Box Office 2020: Highest-Grossing Thriller Movies
Bad Boys for Life (2020) is the highest-grossing thriller movie released in 2020, with $426.5M worldwide, ahead of Tenet (2020) at $365.3M and Shock Wave 2 (2020) at $198.9M. 229 thriller films released in 2020 report a worldwide gross, $2B in all, 27% of it from the US & Canada. 5 films crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is down 77% on 2019, whose releases took $8.6B. By language, English leads with $1.4B across 135 thriller releases.
- 2020 releases with a gross
- 229
- combined worldwide
- $2B
- films crossed $100M
- 5
- vs 2019
- −77%
#1 of 229 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Thriller Hits of 2020?
Bad Boys for Life (2020) leads with $426.5M, 21% of the total. The top 5 together took $1.3B, 65% of what all 229 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.
- Number 1
-
Number 2 -
Number 3 -
Number 4 -
Number 5
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Thriller Release of 2020, Ranked by Worldwide Gross
Ranks 1 to 50 of 229. Lifetime worldwide grosses in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation; domestic means the US & Canada. Films are grouped by their release date in 2020.
- 1 Jan 17, 2020 US and Canada: $206.3M Rest of the world: $220.2M Worldwide: $426.5M
- 2 Sep 3, 2020 US and Canada: $58.5M Rest of the world: $306.8M Worldwide: $365.3M
- 3 Dec 24, 2020 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $198.9M
- 4 Mar 6, 2020 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $161M
- 5 Feb 28, 2020 US and Canada: $70.4M Rest of the world: $74.1M Worldwide: $144.5M
- 6
Dec 18, 2020 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $52.3M - 7
Nov 20, 2020 US and Canada: $793.5K Rest of the world: $50.1M Worldwide: $50.9M - 8
Blumhouse's Fantasy Island (2020)Feb 14, 2020 US and Canada: $27.3M Rest of the world: $22.1M Worldwide: $49.4M
Feb 14, 2020 · English · Adventure, Mystery, Thriller $49.4M worldwide - 9
Aug 21, 2020 US and Canada: $20.8M Rest of the world: $23.5M Worldwide: $44.3M - 10
Jul 15, 2020 US and Canada: $1.2M Rest of the world: $41.5M Worldwide: $42.7M - 11
Jan 10, 2020 US and Canada: $17.3M Rest of the world: $23.6M Worldwide: $40.9M - 12
Sep 17, 2020 US and Canada: $23.2M Rest of the world: $17.4M Worldwide: $40.6M - 13
Oct 16, 2020 US and Canada: $14.2M Rest of the world: $17.1M Worldwide: $31.2M - 14
Jan 31, 2020 US and Canada: $15.3M Rest of the world: $7M Worldwide: $22.3M - 15
Feb 21, 2020 US and Canada: $12.6M Rest of the world: $7.7M Worldwide: $20.3M - 16
Dec 25, 2020 US and Canada: $6.5M Rest of the world: $12.4M Worldwide: $18.9M - 17
Nov 13, 2020 US and Canada: $9M Rest of the world: $9M Worldwide: $18.1M - 18
Jan 10, 2020 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $17.6M - 19
Mar 6, 2020 US and Canada: $721.4K Rest of the world: $16M Worldwide: $16.7M - 20
May 1, 2020 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $14.3M - 21
Oct 30, 2020 US and Canada: $10.5M Rest of the world: $2.7M Worldwide: $13.2M - 22
Nov 6, 2020 US and Canada: $9.4M Rest of the world: $1.5M Worldwide: $10.8M - 23
Mar 13, 2020 US and Canada: $5.8M Rest of the world: $4.7M Worldwide: $10.6M - 24
Feb 21, 2020 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $9.7M - 25
Feb 7, 2020 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $8.4M - 26
Sep 18, 2020 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $7.8M - 27
Jun 5, 2020 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $7.1M - 28
Dec 18, 2020 US and Canada: $6.3M Rest of the world: $724.4K Worldwide: $7M - 29
Oct 23, 2020 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $6.7M - 30
Jun 10, 2020 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $6.7M - 31
Oct 17, 2020 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $6.6M - 32
Jan 31, 2020 US and Canada: $5.4M Rest of the world: $551.6K Worldwide: $6M - 33
Jan 26, 2020 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $5.8M - 34
Nov 20, 2020 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $5.2M - 35
Mar 6, 2020 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $5.1M - 36
Feb 7, 2020 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $5.1M - 37
Oct 23, 2020 US and Canada: $3M Rest of the world: $1.8M Worldwide: $4.8M - 38
Jun 4, 2020 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $4.8M - 39
Feb 21, 2020 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $4.4M - 40
Jul 24, 2020 US and Canada: $1.6M Rest of the world: $2.7M Worldwide: $4.3M - 41
Jan 17, 2020 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $3.6M - 42
Sep 25, 2020 US and Canada: $497.7K Rest of the world: $2.8M Worldwide: $3.3M - 43
Feb 7, 2020 US and Canada: $2.1M Rest of the world: $1M Worldwide: $3.2M - 44
Sep 1, 2020 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $3M - 45
Nov 6, 2020 US and Canada: $300.5K Rest of the world: $2.6M Worldwide: $2.9M - 46
Jul 10, 2020 US and Canada: $1M Rest of the world: $1.9M Worldwide: $2.9M - 47
Feb 6, 2020 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $2.9M - 48
Jun 19, 2020 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $2.9M - 49
Mar 12, 2020 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $2.8M - 50
Jan 15, 2020 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $2.8M
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in 2020?
Of the top 10, Blumhouse's Fantasy Island (2020) earned the biggest share at home (55% in the US & Canada), while Vanguard (2020) made 98% of its gross abroad. Across all 229 films, $541M (27%) came from the US & Canada. 3 films of the top 10 report no US & Canada figure.
- 1 Bad Boys for Life (2020) $426.5M $206.3M US & Canada · 48% $220.2M elsewhere · 52%
- 2 Tenet (2020) $365.3M $58.5M US & Canada · 16% $306.8M elsewhere · 84%
- 3 Shock Wave 2 (2020) $198.9M No US & Canada figure reported
- 4 Sacrifice (2020) $161M No US & Canada figure reported
- 5 The Invisible Man (2020) $144.5M $70.4M US & Canada · 49% $74.1M elsewhere · 51%
- 6 Greenland (2020) $52.3M No US & Canada figure reported
- 7 Vanguard (2020) $50.9M $793.5K US & Canada · 2% $50.1M elsewhere · 98%
- 8 Blumhouse's Fantasy Island (2020) $49.4M $27.3M US & Canada · 55% $22.1M elsewhere · 45%
- 9 Unhinged (2020) $44.3M $20.8M US & Canada · 47% $23.5M elsewhere · 53%
- 10 Peninsula (2020) $42.7M $1.2M US & Canada · 3% $41.5M elsewhere · 97%
Gross bands
How Many 2020 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
5 of 229 films crossed $100M and took $1.3B between them, 65% of the total. 206 films, 90% of the list, earned under $10M.
65% 26% 10%
- $1B or more 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $500M to $1B 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $100M to $500M 5 films, 2% of the list $1.3B · 65% of the gross
- $10M to $100M 18 films, 8% of the list $515.2M · 26% of the gross
- Under $10M 206 films, 90% of the list $193.2M · 10% of the gross
By release month
Which Month of 2020 Earned the Most?
January releases took the most, $531.4M from 25 films, led by Bad Boys for Life (2020). April was the quietest month ($910.9K). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.
- January Jan Bad Boys for Life (2020) $531.4M Bad Boys for Life (2020)
- February Feb The Invisible Man (2020) $251M The Invisible Man (2020)
- March Mar Sacrifice (2020) $202.9M Sacrifice (2020)
- April Apr Sea Fever (2020) $910.9K Sea Fever (2020)
- May May Nightfire (2020) $17.5M Nightfire (2020)
- June Jun The Collini Case (2020) $28.4M The Collini Case (2020)
- July Jul Peninsula (2020) $53.2M Peninsula (2020)
- August Aug Unhinged (2020) $48.5M Unhinged (2020)
- September Sep Tenet (2020) $425.2M Tenet (2020)
- October Oct Honest Thief (2020) $70M Honest Thief (2020)
- November Nov Vanguard (2020) $94.5M Vanguard (2020)
- December Dec Shock Wave 2 (2020) $281.2M Shock Wave 2 (2020)
Last 10 years
How Does 2020 Compare With Previous Years?
Of these 10 years, 2015 earned the most: $12.8B from 279 films, led by Jurassic World (2015). 2020 took $2B.
| Year | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 174 films | 174 | $5B | – | The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011) $712.2M |
| 2012 216 films · +138% | 216 | $12B | +138% | The Avengers (2012) $1.5B |
| 2013 232 films · −13% | 232 | $10.5B | −13% | Iron Man 3 (2013) $1.2B |
| 2014 251 films · −19% | 251 | $8.5B | −19% | The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014) $759.2M |
| 2015 279 films · +50% | 279 | $12.8B | +50% | Jurassic World (2015) $1.7B |
| 2016 306 films · −41% | 306 | $7.6B | −41% | Captain America: Civil War (2016) $1.2B |
| 2017 343 films · +35% | 343 | $10.2B | +35% | The Fate of the Furious (2017) $1.2B |
| 2018 368 films · −2% | 368 | $10B | −2% | Venom (2018) $856.1M |
| 2019 381 films · −14% | 381 | $8.6B | −14% | Joker (2019) $1.1B |
| 2020 229 films · −77% | 229 | $2B | −77% | Bad Boys for Life (2020) $426.5M |
By language
Which Languages Do the Biggest Thriller Movies Speak in 2020?
English-language thriller films took $1.4B across 135 films, 71% of the total, ahead of Cantonese-language thriller films ($199.1M) and Japanese-language thriller films ($198.8M).
2020 Thriller Box Office by Language
- English $1.4B135 films · #1 Bad Boys for Life (2020)
-
Cantonese $199.1M3 films · #1 Shock Wave 2 (2020) -
Japanese $198.8M7 films · #1 Sacrifice (2020) -
Korean $68.5M10 films · #1 Peninsula (2020) -
Hindi $29.8M5 films · #1 Baaghi 3 (2020) - Malayalam $9M8 films · #1 Ayyappanum Koshiyum (2020)
-
German $7.3M3 films · #1 The Collini Case (2020) -
Vietnamese $7M2 films · #1 Blood Moon Party (2020) -
French $6.4M7 films · #1 Appearances (2020) - Tamil $4.6M3 films · #1 Walter (2020)
Archive
Thriller Box Office Year by Year
Every year from 1920 to 2026 with its total and its biggest film. 2015 leads with $12.8B, led by Jurassic World (2015).
2020s 7 years · $38.5B
- 2026 so far $2.6B #1 Project Hail Mary (2026)
- 2025 $7.7B #1 Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025)
- 2024 $5.7B #1 Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)
- 2023 $7.9B #1 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
- 2022 $7.1B #1 Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
- 2021 $5.5B #1 No Time to Die (2021)
- 2020 $2B #1 Bad Boys for Life (2020)
2010s 10 years · $93.9B
- 2019 $8.6B #1 Joker (2019)
- 2018 $10B #1 Venom (2018)
- 2017 $10.2B #1 The Fate of the Furious (2017)
- 2016 $7.6B #1 Captain America: Civil War (2016)
- 2015 $12.8B #1 Jurassic World (2015)
- 2014 $8.5B #1 The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014)
- 2013 $10.5B #1 Iron Man 3 (2013)
- 2012 $12B #1 The Avengers (2012)
- 2011 $5B #1 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011)
- 2010 $8.6B #1 Inception (2010)
2000s 10 years · $67.5B
- 2009 $8.6B #1 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
- 2008 $8.5B #1 The Dark Knight (2008)
- 2007 $8.8B #1 Spider-Man 3 (2007)
- 2006 $7B #1 The Da Vinci Code (2006)
- 2005 $5.8B #1 War of the Worlds (2005)
- 2004 $6.7B #1 Spider-Man 2 (2004)
- 2003 $6.6B #1 The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
- 2002 $5.2B #1 Die Another Day (2002)
- 2001 $5.3B #1 Ocean's Eleven (2001)
- 2000 $5B #1 Mission: Impossible II (2000)
1990s 10 years · $36B
- 1999 $5.2B #1 The Sixth Sense (1999)
- 1998 $4.2B #1 Armageddon (1998)
- 1997 $5.1B #1 The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
- 1996 $5B #1 Independence Day (1996)
- 1995 $3.9B #1 Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995)
- 1994 $2.9B #1 True Lies (1994)
- 1993 $2.3B #1 The Fugitive (1993)
- 1992 $2.3B #1 Basic Instinct (1992)
- 1991 $2.2B #1 Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
- 1990 $3B #1 Ghost (1990)
1980s 10 years · $9.2B
- 1989 $1.8B #1 Batman (1989)
- 1988 $995.3M #1 Rambo III (1988)
- 1987 $1.7B #1 Fatal Attraction (1987)
- 1986 $571.7M #1 Aliens (1986)
- 1985 $908.2M #1 Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)
- 1984 $822.8M #1 Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
- 1983 $1.2B #1 Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
- 1982 $608M #1 First Blood (1982)
- 1981 $397.1M #1 For Your Eyes Only (1981)
- 1980 $291.5M #1 The Shining (1980)
1970s 10 years · $3.5B
- 1979 $452.1M #1 Moonraker (1979)
- 1978 $674.5M #1 Superman (1978)
- 1977 $161.1M #1 The Deep (1977)
- 1976 $200.3M #1 All the President's Men (1976)
- 1975 $589.1M #1 Jaws (1975)
- 1974 $352.9M #1 The Towering Inferno (1974)
- 1973 $509M #1 The Exorcist (1973)
- 1972 $334.9M #1 The Godfather (1972)
- 1971 $141.7M #1 The French Connection (1971)
- 1970 $120.3M #1 Airport (1970)
1960s 10 years · $273.6M
- 1969 $24.3M #1 On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
- 1968 $3.7M #1 Coogan’s Bluff (1968)
- 1967 $43.9M #1 You Only Live Twice (1967)
- 1966 $47.4K #1 Blow-Up (1966)
- 1965 $114.9M #1 Thunderball (1965)
- 1964 $34.5M #1 From Russia with Love (1964)
- 1963 $16.6M #1 Dr. No (1963)
- 1962 $2.9M #1 The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
- 1961 $69.7K #1 Yojimbo (1961)
- 1960 $32.7M #1 Psycho (1960)
1950s 10 years · $52.7M
- 1959 $215.4K #1 North by Northwest (1959)
- 1958 $10.7M #1 Vertigo (1958)
- 1957 $27.4K #1 The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
- 1956 $18.2K #1 The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
- 1955 $2.3M #1 Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
- 1954 $38.5M #1 Rear Window (1954)
- 1953 $46.2K #1 The Wages of Fear (1953)
- 1952 $26K #1 Sudden Fear (1952)
- 1951 $52K #1 Strangers on a Train (1951)
- 1950 $816.7K #1 Shadow on the Wall (1950)
1940s 10 years · $12.3M
- 1949 $1.5M #1 The Third Man (1949)
- 1948 $464.6K #1 The Fallen Idol (1948)
- 1947 $79K #1 Odd Man Out (1947)
- 1946 $10M #1 Cloak and Dagger (1946)
- 1945 $94.2K #1 Dead of Night (1945)
- 1944 $23.6K #1 Double Indemnity (1944)
- 1943 $37K #1 Le Corbeau (1943)
- 1942 $47.5K #1 Went the Day Well? (1942)
- 1941 $19 #1 Suspicion (1941)
- 1940 $114.1K #1 Rebecca (1940)
1930s 7 years · $195.5K
FAQ
Thriller Box Office 2020: Questions & Answers
The chart's numbers in short: the #1 film, the total, the billion-dollar hits and the US & Canada share, answered from the same 229 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing thriller movie in 2020?
Bad Boys for Life (2020) leads with $426.5M worldwide, $206.3M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Tenet (2020) at $365.3M and Shock Wave 2 (2020) at $198.9M.
How much did thriller movies released in 2020 earn?
229 thriller films released in 2020 report a worldwide gross, $2B in all, or $8.8M per film on average. 2019 releases took $8.6B.
How many thriller movies released in 2020 made $1 billion?
None. 5 films crossed $100 million, led by Bad Boys for Life (2020) with $426.5M.
How is the 2020 thriller box office chart ranked and where do the numbers come from?
Films are ranked by lifetime worldwide gross in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation, and grouped by their release date in 2020. The figures are the reported box office grosses in our database. A gross that looks misattributed, such as one figure shared by two unrelated films or a blockbuster total on an obscure title, is left out rather than shown as a fact.
How often is the 2020 thriller box office chart updated?
Grosses change while films are in theaters and whenever a new figure is reported; this chart reads the latest numbers in our database, so an older film can still move after a re-release.