#1 of 1,074 Highest-grossing war movie ever
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
2016 · Action, Adventure
$1.1B worldwide
$533.5M US & Canada · 50% $525.1M elsewhere · 50%
War box office
War Box Office: Highest-Grossing War Movies of All Time & 2026 So Far
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) is the highest-grossing war movie in our database, with $1.1B worldwide, ahead of The Battle at Lake Changjin (2021) ($902.5M) and Wolf Warrior 2 (2017) ($870.3M). 1,074 war films report a worldwide gross, $27.2B in all, 38% of it from the US & Canada. 1 film crossed $1 billion and 69 crossed $100 million. In 2026 so far, Young Washington (2026) leads with $47.2M; 11 releases took $119.7M, down 84% on the same days of 2025 ($771.4M).
- war films with a gross
- 1,074
- combined worldwide, all time
- $27.2B
- from 2026 releases so far
- $119.7M
- vs the same days of 2025
- −84%
#1 of 1,074 All-time records
What Are the 10 Highest-Grossing War Movies Ever?
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) leads with $1.1B, $156.1M ahead of The Battle at Lake Changjin (2021). The top 10 took $7B together, 26% of what all 1,074 films earned. 7 of them came out in 2016 or later.
- 1 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)Dec 16, 2016 US and Canada: $533.5M Rest of the world: $525.1M Worldwide: $1.1B
Dec 16, 2016 · English · Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi $1.1B worldwide - 2
Sep 30, 2021 US and Canada: $342.4K Rest of the world: $902.2M Worldwide: $902.5M - 3
Jul 28, 2017 US and Canada: $2.7M Rest of the world: $867.6M Worldwide: $870.3M - 4
Jun 2, 2017 US and Canada: $412.8M Rest of the world: $411.1M Worldwide: $824M - 5
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015)Nov 20, 2015 US and Canada: $281.7M Rest of the world: $379.7M Worldwide: $661.5M Nov 20, 2015 · English · Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi $661.5M worldwide - 6
Feb 23, 2018 US and Canada: $1.5M Rest of the world: $577.8M Worldwide: $579.3M - 7
Dec 25, 2014 US and Canada: $350.2M Rest of the world: $197.5M Worldwide: $547.7M - 8
Jul 21, 2017 US and Canada: $189.7M Rest of the world: $344M Worldwide: $533.7M - 9
War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)Jul 14, 2017 US and Canada: $146.9M Rest of the world: $343.8M Worldwide: $490.7M Jul 14, 2017 · English · Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi $490.7M worldwide - 10
Jul 24, 1998 US and Canada: $217M Rest of the world: $265.3M Worldwide: $482.4M
2026 so far
What Are the Biggest War Hits of 2026 So Far?
Young Washington (2026) leads with $47.2M, 39% of the total. The top 5 together took $105.3M, 88% of what all 11 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.
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Number 1 -
Number 2 -
Number 3 -
Number 4 -
Number 5
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
By release month
Which Month of 2026 Was Best for War Movies?
July releases took the most, $54.3M from 2 films, led by Young Washington (2026). October was the quietest month ($47.9K). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.
- January Jan Sound of Falling (2026) $5.1M Sound of Falling (2026)
- February Feb Palestine 36 (2026) $2.8M Palestine 36 (2026)
- March Mar No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- April Apr Amrum (2026) $10.1M Amrum (2026)
- May May Pressure (2026) $31.5M Pressure (2026)
- June Jun No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- July Jul Young Washington (2026) $54.3M Young Washington (2026)
- August Aug The Brink of War (2026) $5.7M The Brink of War (2026)
- September Sep The Uprising (2026) $10.2M The Uprising (2026)
- October Oct Atonement (2026) $47.9K Atonement (2026)
- November Nov No reported grosses – so far No reported grosses
Biggest years
Which Years Had the Highest-Grossing War Movies?
2017 releases earned the most: $3.3B from 52 films, led by Wolf Warrior 2 (2017). The 10 biggest years, each linking to its chart.
| Year | Films | Worldwide | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 52 films | 52 | $3.3B | Wolf Warrior 2 (2017) $870.3M |
| 2014 37 films | 37 | $1.9B | American Sniper (2014) $547.7M |
| 2016 33 films | 33 | $1.6B | Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) $1.1B |
| 2008 41 films | 41 | $1B | Australia (2008) $211.8M |
| 2021 28 films | 28 | $1B | The Battle at Lake Changjin (2021) $902.5M |
| 2019 65 films | 65 | $1B | 1917 (2019) $446.1M |
| 2007 37 films | 37 | $945M | 300 (2007) $456.1M |
| 2015 38 films | 38 | $920.3M | The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015) $661.5M |
| 2001 18 films | 18 | $893.6M | Pearl Harbor (2001) $449.2M |
| 2003 20 films | 20 | $889.6M | The Last Samurai (2003) $454.6M |
By language
Which Languages Do the Biggest War Movies Speak?
English-language war films took $19.2B across 525 films, 70% of the total, ahead of Chinese-language war films ($4.2B) and Japanese-language war films ($536.6M).
- English $19.2B525 films · #1 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
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Chinese $4.2B39 films · #1 The Battle at Lake Changjin (2021) -
Japanese $536.6M42 films · #1 The Wind Rises (2013) -
Korean $510.3M18 films · #1 The Admiral: Roaring Currents (2014) -
Russian $254.4M47 films · #1 Stalingrad (2014) -
French $210.1M63 films · #1 A Very Long Engagement (2004) -
German $193.3M37 films · #1 Downfall (2005) -
Spanish $160.6M21 films · #1 Pan's Labyrinth (2006) -
Turkish $77.4M18 films · #1 Conquest 1453 (2012) -
Hindi $71.6M15 films · #1 Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019)
Archive
War Box Office Year by Year
Every year from 1921 to 2026 with its total and its biggest film. 2017 leads with $3.3B, led by Wolf Warrior 2 (2017).
2020s 7 years · $3.5B
- 2026 so far $119.7M #1 Young Washington (2026)
- 2025 $872.4M #1 Dead to Rights (2025)
- 2024 $75.6M #1 The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)
- 2023 $793.9M #1 The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023)
- 2022 $161.4M #1 Hansan: Rising Dragon (2022)
- 2021 $1B #1 The Battle at Lake Changjin (2021)
- 2020 $479M #1 The Eight Hundred (2020)
2010s 10 years · $11.4B
- 2019 $1B #1 1917 (2019)
- 2018 $755.1M #1 Operation Red Sea (2018)
- 2017 $3.3B #1 Wolf Warrior 2 (2017)
- 2016 $1.6B #1 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
- 2015 $920.3M #1 The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015)
- 2014 $1.9B #1 American Sniper (2014)
- 2013 $412.3M #1 Lone Survivor (2013)
- 2012 $760.8M #1 Battleship (2012)
- 2011 $313.2M #1 War Horse (2011)
- 2010 $309.1M #1 Dear John (2010)
2000s 10 years · $6.8B
- 2009 $651.8M #1 Inglourious Basterds (2009)
- 2008 $1B #1 Australia (2008)
- 2007 $945M #1 300 (2007)
- 2006 $358.6M #1 Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
- 2005 $446.9M #1 Jarhead (2005)
- 2004 $680.7M #1 Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
- 2003 $889.6M #1 The Last Samurai (2003)
- 2002 $463.2M #1 The Pianist (2002)
- 2001 $893.6M #1 Pearl Harbor (2001)
- 2000 $433.4M #1 The Patriot (2000)
1990s 10 years · $2.9B
- 1999 $451.1M #1 The General's Daughter (1999)
- 1998 $713.1M #1 Saving Private Ryan (1998)
- 1997 $139.5M #1 Seven Years in Tibet (1997)
- 1996 $345M #1 The English Patient (1996)
- 1995 $469.1M #1 Braveheart (1995)
- 1994 $20M #1 The War (1994)
- 1993 $494.5M #1 Schindler's List (1993)
- 1992 $122.6M #1 The Last of the Mohicans (1992)
- 1991 $48.4M #1 For the Boys (1991)
- 1990 $54.6M #1 Memphis Belle (1990)
1980s 10 years · $1.4B
- 1989 $199.1M #1 Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
- 1988 $151.6M #1 Good Morning, Vietnam (1988)
- 1987 $92.3M #1 Full Metal Jacket (1987)
- 1986 $226.5M #1 Platoon (1986)
- 1985 $351.1M #1 Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)
- 1984 $80.6M #1 Missing in Action (1984)
- 1983 $81.7M #1 Uncommon Valor (1983)
- 1982 $49.8M #1 Some Kind of Hero (1982)
- 1981 $131M #1 Stripes (1981)
- 1980 $81.3M #1 Private Benjamin (1980)
1970s 8 years · $492.9M
- 1979 $228.1M #1 Apocalypse Now (1979)
- 1978 $89M #1 The Deer Hunter (1978)
- 1977 $51.8M #1 A Bridge Too Far (1977)
- 1975 $20.4M #1 Love and Death (1975)
- 1974 $32K #1 Hearts and Minds (1974)
- 1972 $20.8K #1 Chinese Glory (1972)
- 1971 $9.4K #1 Liberation: The Last Assault (1971)
- 1970 $103.6M #1 Patton (1970)
1960s 9 years · $173.6M
- 1969 $8M #1 Where Eagles Dare (1969)
- 1968 $3.6M #1 Hell in the Pacific (1968)
- 1967 $8.1K #1 Far from Vietnam (1967)
- 1966 $1M #1 The Battle of Algiers (1966)
- 1965 $112.7M #1 Doctor Zhivago (1965)
- 1963 $230.6K #1 The Great Escape (1963)
- 1962 $46M #1 Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
- 1961 $32.8K #1 The Guns of Navarone (1961)
- 1960 $1.9M #1 Spartacus (1960)
1950s 8 years · $125.1M
- 1959 $74.4M #1 Ben-Hur (1959)
- 1958 $561.3K #1 South Pacific (1958)
- 1957 $27.3M #1 The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
- 1956 $75.5K #1 The Burmese Harp (1956)
- 1955 $789.5K #1 The Dam Busters (1955)
- 1954 $21.8M #1 The Caine Mutiny (1954)
- 1953 $36.4K #1 From Here to Eternity (1953)
- 1952 $101.2K #1 The African Queen (1952)
1940s 7 years · $446.1M
1930s 5 years · $119.7K
Other genres
Compare War With Another Genre
War has 1,074 films with a gross and $27.2B in all; each of these 20 genres has the same all-time and yearly charts to compare with.
FAQ
War Box Office: Questions & Answers
The War charts in short: the all-time #1, 2026's leader, the billion-dollar hits and the biggest year, answered from the same 1,074 films as the charts.
What is the highest-grossing war movie of all time?
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) leads with $1.1B worldwide, $533.5M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Battle at Lake Changjin (2021) ($902.5M) and Wolf Warrior 2 (2017) ($870.3M).
All-time chart What is the highest-grossing war movie of 2026 so far?
Young Washington (2026) leads 2026 with $47.2M worldwide, 39% of the $119.7M that its 11 releases report. Films of this year are still earning, so the order can change.
2026 chart How much have war movies earned at the box office?
1,074 war films report a worldwide gross, $27.2B in all, or $25.4M per film on average. $10.3B (38%) came from the US & Canada.
How many war movies have made $1 billion?
1 film crossed $1 billion worldwide, among them Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016). 69 crossed $100 million.
Which year was the biggest for war movies?
2017 releases earned the most: $3.3B from 52 films, led by Wolf Warrior 2 (2017).
2017 chart How are war box office numbers counted?
Films are ranked by lifetime worldwide gross in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation, and grouped by their release date. A gross that looks misattributed, such as one figure shared by two unrelated films, is left out rather than shown as a fact, and so are records that list seven or more genres.