Top 10 Highest Grossing R-Rated Movies of All Time
R-rated movies have long been a cornerstone of cinematic storytelling, offering filmmakers the freedom to explore mature themes, intense action, and complex narratives. An R-rated film is a film that has been assessed as having material that may be unsuitable for children under the age of 17 by the Motion Picture Association; the MPA writes “Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian”. The R-rating applies to the United States, with similar ratings given in TV-MA for television and home video releases, as well as other countries such as 14A and 18A in Canada, 15 or 18 in the United Kingdom, and MA 15+ in Australia. All lists in this article are unadjusted for inflation.
Over the years, these films have not only pushed creative boundaries but also achieved remarkable box office success, proving that adult-oriented content can resonate with global audiences. From gritty dramas like Joker (2019), which leads the pack with over $1 billion in earnings, to action-packed spectacles like Deadpool 2 and The Matrix Reloaded, R-rated movies span a wide range of genres. Notably, Warner Bros. dominates this space, holding numerous spots among the highest-grossing R-rated films of all time, underscoring its expertise in crafting compelling stories for mature audiences.
The list of top-grossing R-rated films reveals fascinating trends and milestones. Horror and superhero genres consistently perform well, with titles like It (2017) and Logan (2017) captivating audiences worldwide. Meanwhile, historical dramas such as Oppenheimer (2023) and The Passion of the Christ (2004) highlight the enduring appeal of thought-provoking narratives. Recent entries like Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) have further expanded the genre’s reach, breaking records within weeks of release. These films not only redefine what it means to succeed commercially but also showcase the evolving tastes of moviegoers who embrace bold and innovative storytelling.
List of Highest Grossing R-Rated Movies of All Time
Here is the list of highest-grossing R-rated films of all time.
| Rank | Film | Year | Worldwide Gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deadpool & Wolverine | 2024 | $1,338,073,645 |
| 2 | Joker | 2019 | $1,078,751,311 |
| 3 | Oppenheimer | 2023 | $976,968,205 |
| 4 | Deadpool 2 | 2018 | $785,896,609 |
| 5 | Deadpool | 2016 | $782,612,155 |
| 6 | The Matrix Reloaded | 2003 | $741,847,937 |
| 7 | It | 2017 | $704,242,888 |
| 8 | Detective Chinatown 3NA | 2021 | $686,257,563 |
| 9 | Logan | 2017 | $619,021,436 |
| 10 | The Passion of the Christ | 2004 | $612,054,428 |
| 11 | The Hangover Part II | 2011 | $586,764,305 |
| 12 | Fifty Shades of Grey | 2015 | $569,651,467 |
| 13 | Ted | 2012 | $549,368,315 |
| 14 | American Sniper | 2014 | $547,326,372 |
| 15 | Detective Chinatown 2NA | 2018 | $544,068,574 |
| 16 | The Revenant | 2015 | $532,938,302 |
| 17 | The MermaidNA | 2016 | $525,018,479 |
| 18 | Terminator 2: Judgment Day | 1991 | $515,390,883 |
| 19 | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Mugen Train | 2020 | $507,127,293 |
| 20 | Saving Private Ryan | 1998 | $485,035,085 |
| 21 | The IntouchablesNA | 2011 | $484,857,330 |
| 22 | Troy | 2004 | $483,152,040 |
| 23 | It Chapter Two | 2019 | $473,093,228 |
| 24 | Gladiator | 2000 | $465,516,248 |
| 25 | The Hangover | 2009 | $465,487,583 |
| 26 | The Matrix | 1999 | $465,377,200 |
| 27 | Pretty Woman | 1990 | $463,406,268 |
| 28 | Gladiator II | 2024 | $458,868,874 |
| 29 | Lucy | 2014 | $458,863,600 |
| 30 | 300 | 2007 | $456,068,181 |
| 31 | The Last Samurai | 2003 | $454,627,263 |
| 32 | The Exorcist | 1973 | $441,306,145 |
| 33 | John Wick: Chapter 4 | 2023 | $440,157,245 |
| 34 | A Star Is Born | 2018 | $434,888,866 |
| 35 | Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines | 2003 | $433,371,112 |
| 36 | The Matrix Revolutions | 2003 | $427,344,031 |
| 37 | Bad Boys for Life | 2020 | $426,505,244 |
| 38 | Django Unchained | 2012 | $425,368,238 |
| 39 | Mad Max: Fury Road | 2015 | $415,261,382 |
| 40 | Sex and the City | 2008 | $415,253,641 |
| 41 | Kingsman: The Secret Service | 2015 | $414,351,546 |
| 42 | The King’s Speech | 2010 | $414,242,458 |
| 43 | The Bodyguard | 1992 | $411,006,740 |
| 44 | Kingsman: The Golden Circle | 2017 | $410,902,662 |
| 45 | The Wolf of Wall Street | 2013 | $407,039,432 |
| 46 | Bad Boys: Ride or Die | 2024 | $404,527,051 |
| 47 | Prometheus | 2012 | $403,354,469 |
| 48 | Enter the Dragon | 1973 | $400,000,000 |
| 49 | 1917 | 2019 | $390,411,425 |
| 50 | Fifty Shades Darker | 2017 | $381,545,846 |
- Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
- Release date: July 26, 2024 (United States)
- Running time: 2hr 8min
- Country: United States
- Language: English
- Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Superhero
- Directed by: Shawn Levy
- Written by: Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Zeb Wells, Shawn Levy
- Produced by: Kevin Feige, Lauren Shuler Donner, Ryan Reynolds, Shawn Levy
- Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Aaron Stanford, Matthew Macfadyen
- Production companies: Marvel Studios, Maximum Effort, 21 Laps Entertainment
- Distributed by: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Budget: $200 million
Worldwide Collection: $1.338 billion
- Joker (2019)
- Release date: October 4, 2019 (United States)
- Running time: 2hr 2min
- Country: United States
- Language: English
- Genres: Crime, Drama, Thriller
- Directed by: Todd Phillips
- Written by: Todd Phillips, Scott Silver
- Produced by: Todd Phillips, Bradley Cooper, Emma Tillinger Koskoff
- Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy
- Production companies: Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Films, Village Roadshow Pictures, Bron Creative, Joint Effort
- Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures
Budget: $55–70 million
Worldwide Collection: $1.079 billion
- Oppenheimer (2023)
- Release date: July 21, 2023 (United States and United Kingdom)
- Running time: 3hr
- Countries: United States, United Kingdom
- Language: English
- Genres: Biographical, Thriller
- Directed by: Christopher Nolan
- Screenplay by: Christopher Nolan
- Produced by: Emma Thomas, Charles Roven, Christopher Nolan
- Starring: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, Kenneth Branagh
- Production companies: Universal Pictures, Syncopy Inc., Atlas Entertainment, Gadget Films, Breakheart Films, Peters Creek Entertainment
- Distributed by: Universal Pictures
Budget: $100 million
Worldwide Collection: $976 million
- Deadpool 2 (2018)
- Release date: May 18, 2018 (United States)
- Running time: 1hr 59min
- Country: United States
- Language: English
- Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Superhero
- Directed by: David Leitch
- Written by: Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Ryan Reynolds
- Produced by: Simon Kinberg, Ryan Reynolds, Lauren Shuler Donner
- Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Morena Baccarin, Julian Dennison, Zazie Beetz, T.J. Miller, Brianna Hildebrand, Jack Kesy
- Production companies: Marvel Entertainment, TSG Entertainment, Kinberg Genre, Maximum Effort, The Donners’ Company
- Distributed by: 20th Century Fox
Budget: $110 million
Worldwide Collection: $785.9 million
- Deadpool (2016)
- Release date: February 12, 2016 (United States)
- Running time: 1hr 48min
- Country: United States
- Language: English
- Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Superhero
- Directed by: Tim Miller
- Written by: Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick
- Produced by: Simon Kinberg, Ryan Reynolds, Lauren Shuler Donner
- Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Ed Skrein, T.J. Miller, Gina Carano, Brianna Hildebrand
- Production companies: 20th Century Fox, Marvel Entertainment, TSG Entertainment, Kinberg Genre, The Donners’ Company
- Distributed by: 20th Century Fox
Budget: $58 million
Worldwide Collection: $782 million
- The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
- Release date: May 15, 2003
- Running time: 2hr 18min
- Country: United States
- Language: English
- Genres: Action, Sci-Fi
- Directed by: The Wachowskis
- Written by: The Wachowskis
- Produced by: Joel Silver
- Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Jada Pinkett Smith, Gloria Foster
- Production companies: Warner Bros. Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures, NPV Entertainment, Silver Pictures
- Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures
Budget: $127–150 million
Worldwide Collection: $741.8 million
- It (2017)
- Release date: September 8, 2017 (United States)
- Running time: 2hr 15min
- Country: United States
- Language: English
- Genres: Supernatural, Horror
- Directed by: Andy Muschietti
- Screenplay by: Chase Palmer, Cary Fukunaga, Gary Dauberman
- Produced by: Roy Lee, Dan Lin, Seth Grahame-Smith, David Katzenberg, Barbara Muschietti
- Starring: Jaeden Lieberher, Bill Skarsgård
- Production companies: New Line Cinema, Lin Pictures, Vertigo Entertainment, KatzSmith Productions
- Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures
Budget: $35–40 million
Worldwide Collection: $704.2 million
- Detective Chinatown 3 (2021)
- Release date: 12 February 2021 (China)
- Running time: 2hr 16min
- Country: China
- Language: Mandarin
- Genres: Buddy comedy, Mystery
- Directed by: Chen Sicheng
- Written by: Chen Sicheng, Wusi Liu, Nomy Xu, Yining Yan, Chun Zhang, Lian Zhou
- Produced by: Sun Tao, Xu Jianhai
- Starring: Wang Baoqiang, Liu Haoran
- Production companies: Wanda Pictures, Beijing Yitong Legend Films, China Film Co., Ltd.
- Distributed by: Wanda Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures
Budget: $117 million
Worldwide Collection: $686 million
- Logan (2017)
- Release date: March 3, 2017 (United States)
- Running time: 2hr 17min
- Country: United States
- Language: English
- Genres: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller, Superhero
- Directed by: James Mangold
- Screenplay by: Scott Frank, James Mangold, Michael Green
- Story by: James Mangold
- Produced by: Hutch Parker, Simon Kinberg, Lauren Shuler Donner
- Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Richard E. Grant, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, Dafne Keen
- Production companies: 20th Century Fox, Marvel Entertainment, Kinberg Genre, Hutch Parker Productions, The Donners’ Company, TSG Entertainment
- Distributed by: 20th Century Fox
Budget: $97–127 million
Worldwide Collection: $619.2 million
- The Passion of the Christ (2004)
- Release date: February 25, 2004
- Running time: 2hr 7min
- Country: United States
- Language: Aramaic
- Genres: Biblical drama
- Directed by: Mel Gibson
- Screenplay by: Mel Gibson, Benedict Fitzgerald
- Produced by: Bruce Davey, Mel Gibson, Stephen McEveety
- Starring: Jim Caviezel, Monica Bellucci, Maia Morgenstern, Sergio Rubini
- Production company: Icon Productions
- Distributed by: Newmarket Films
Budget: $30 million
Worldwide Collection: $612.1 million
Top Highest Grossing R-Rated Movies by Year
Here is the list of the highest-grossing R-rated films by year.
| Year | Title italicized | Worldwide Gross | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Deadpool & Wolverine | $1,338,073,645 | $200,000,000 |
| 2023 | Oppenheimer | $976,120,348 | $100,000,000 |
| 2022 | Bullet Train | $239,141,352 | $90,000,000 |
| 2021 | Detective Chinatown 3NA | $686,257,563 | $116,630,000 |
| 2020 | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train | $506,523,013 | $15,765,750 |
| 2019 | Joker | $1,074,251,311 | $55,000,000 |
| 2018 | Deadpool 2 | $734,546,611 | $110,000,000 |
| 2017 | It | $700,381,748 | $35,000,000 |
| 2016 | Deadpool | $782,612,155 | $58,000,000 |
| 2015 | Fifty Shades of Grey | $569,651,467 | $40,000,000 |
| 2014 | American Sniper | $547,426,372 | $59,000,000 |
| 2013 | The Wolf of Wall Street | $392,000,694 | $100,000,000 |
| 2012 | Ted | $549,368,315 | $50,000,000 |
| 2011 | The Hangover Part II | $586,764,305 | $80,000,000 |
| 2010 | The King’s Speech | $410,867,243 | $15,000,000 |
| 2009 | The Hangover | $465,764,086 | $35,000,000 |
| 2008 | Sex and the City | $418,765,321 | $65,000,000 |
| 2007 | 300 | $456,068,181 | $65,000,000 |
| 2006 | The Departed | $291,465,034 | $90,000,000 |
| 2005 | Wedding Crashers | $288,467,645 | $40,000,000 |
| 2004 | The Passion of the Christ | $611,899,420 | $30,000,000 |
| 2003 | The Matrix Reloaded | $741,847,937 | $150,000,000 |
| 2002 | 8 Mile | $242,875,078 | $41,000,000 |
| 2001 | Hannibal | $351,692,268 | $87,000,000 |
| 2000 | Gladiator | $460,583,960 | $103,000,000 |
| 1999 | The Matrix | $465,343,787 | $63,000,000 |
| 1998 | Saving Private Ryan | $482,349,603 | $70,000,000 |
| 1997 | Air Force One | $315,156,409 | $85,000,000 |
| 1996 | The Rock | $335,062,621 | $75,000,000 |
| 1995 | Die Hard with a Vengeance | $366,236,538 | $90,000,000 |
| 1994 | True Lies | $378,882,411 | $115,000,000 |
| 1993 | Schindler’s List | $322,243,445 | $22,000,000 |
| 1992 | The Bodyguard | $411,006,740 | $25,000,000 |
| 1991 | Terminator 2: Judgment Day | $520,884,847 | $102,000,000 |
| 1990 | Pretty Woman | $463,406,268 | $14,000,000 |
| 1989 | Lethal Weapon 2 | $227,853,986 | $30,000,000 |
| 1988 | Rain Man | $354,825,435 | $25,000,000 |
| 1987 | Fatal Attraction | $320,145,693 | $14,000,000 |
| 1986 | Platoon | $138,545,632 | $6,000,000 |
| 1985 | Rambo: First Blood Part II | $300,400,432 | $25,500,000 |
| 1984 | Beverly Hills Cop | $316,360,478 | $15,000,000 |
| 1983 | Flashdance | $92,921,203 | $7,000,000 |
| 1982 | An Officer and a Gentleman | $129,795,554 | $6,000,000 |
| 1981 | Stripes | $85,297,000 | $10,000,000 |
| 1980 | The Blues Brothers | $115,229,890 | $30,000,000 |
| 1979 | Alien | $101,718,022 | $11,000,000 |
| 1978 | National Lampoon’s Animal House | $120,091,123 | $3,000,000 |
| 1977 | Saturday Night Fever | $237,113,184 | $3,500,000 |
| 1976 | The Omen | $60,922,980 | $2,800,000 |
| 1975 | One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest | $59,200,000 | $400,000 |
| 1974 | Blazing Saddles | $45,200,000 | $2,600,000 |
| 1973 | The Exorcist | $441,306,145 | $11,000,000 |
| 1972 | The Godfather | $86,300,000 | $7,200,000 |
| 1971 | The French Connection | $26,300,000 | $1,800,000 |
| 1970 | M*A*S*H | $30,000,000 | $3,025,000 |
| 1969 | Easy Rider | $16,900,000 | $400,000 |
Top 20 Highest Grossing R-rated Movie Franchises and Movie Series
Here is the list of highest grossing R-rated film series and franchises. Some of the listed franchises have also released films with other ratings. Only R-rated films are included here. Only franchises with at least two R-rated films are listed.
| Rank | Series | Total Worldwide Box Office | No. of Films | Average per Film | Highest-Grossing Film |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | X-Men | $3,525,828,218 | 4 | $881,457,055 | Deadpool & Wolverine ($1,338,073,382) |
| 2 | The Conjuring Universe | $2,402,537,783 | 9 | $266,948,643 | The Nun ($365,551,694) |
| 3 | Alien | $1,858,965,659 | 9 | $206,551,740 | Prometheus ($403,354,469) |
| 4 | The Matrix | $1,789,251,650 | 4 | $447,312,913 | The Matrix Reloaded ($741,847,937) |
| 5 | The Hangover | $1,416,248,289 | 3 | $472,082,763 | The Hangover Part II ($586,764,305) |
| 6 | Detective Chinatown | $1,356,285,654 | 3 | $452,095,218 | Detective Chinatown 3 ($686,257,563) |
| 7 | Fifty Shades | $1,322,263,368 | 3 | $440,754,456 | Fifty Shades of Grey ($568,810,483) |
| 8 | Terminator | $1,292,704,949 | 4 | $323,176,237 | Terminator 2: Judgment Day ($519,843,345) |
| 9 | Batman | $1,285,216,627 | 3 | $428,405,542 | Joker ($1,074,354,306) |
| 10 | Bad Boys | $1,243,628,584 | 4 | $310,907,146 | Bad Boys for Life ($425,514,702) |
| 11 | Resident Evil | $1,237,686,980 | 9 | $137,520,776 | Resident Evil: The Final Chapter ($312,257,250) |
| 12 | It | $1,173,474,976 | 2 | $586,737,488 | It ($700,381,748) |
| 13 | Saw | $1,128,720,386 | 10 | $112,872,039 | Saw III ($164,874,275) |
| 14 | Die Hard | $1,052,554,898 | 4 | $263,138,725 | Die Hard with a Vengeance ($366,101,666) |
| 15 | John Wick | $1,027,157,969 | 4 | $256,789,492 | John Wick: Chapter 4 ($440,146,694) |
| 16 | American Pie | $989,475,386 | 4 | $247,368,847 | American Pie 2 ($287,553,595) |
| 17 | Hannibal | $924,422,301 | 5 | $184,884,460 | Hannibal ($351,692,268) |
| 18 | Gladiator | $924,385,122 | 2 | $462,192,561 | Gladiator ($465,516,248) |
| 19 | Scream | $913,478,454 | 6 | $152,246,409 | Scream (1996) ($173,046,663) |
| 20 | Paranormal Activity | $890,533,646 | 6 | $148,422,274 | Paranormal Activity 3 ($207,039,844) |
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