The 20 biggest box office hits that nobody expected

When a live-action Barbie movie was first announced, nobody quite knew what exactly it was going to be. When adapting such a huge IP like Barbie , it really could have gone either way - total genius or a total disaster. Going in, most people were expecting a safe and child-friendly romp, but Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie instead delivered a camp satire with razor-sharp social commentary. It became the biggest movie of 2023 and the highest-grossing film from a female director ever. 

Weapons was director Zach Cregger’s first film post the success of Barbarian, and he delivered another bonkers horror hit. The film, which follows the search for a classroom of missing children who all ran away from their homes at 2:17 am, exponentially outgrossed its budget, which is outstanding these days for an original concept. The film’s main antagonist, Aunt Gladys, also became an internet icon, which helped boost its profile. Actress Amy Madigan even won an Oscar for her performance. 

In 1999, The Blair Witch Project was a tiny found footage horror flick before the concept of ‘found footage’ was even a thing. Made for only $60,000 and with no big names attached, the movie could have easily flopped. However, thanks to clever marketing that led viewers to believe the film was a documentary and that the footage was all real, it did huge numbers at the box office. Word of mouth played a huge part, as the internet hadn’t kicked off yet. 

Blumhouse is known for churning out horror movies, some good, some bad. When M3gan was first announced, it seemed like just another generic killer-robot movie. However, the genius was in the film’s marketing, because when the trailer came out, M3gan became an icon. Thanks to a kooky viral dance and savage one-liners, M3gan became widely celebrated within the queer community, earning it major box-office success and even a sequel in 2025.

Before 2017, the world only knew Jordan Peele as one half of the comedy duo Key & Peele. Then, he decided to direct and release a little horror movie called Get Out. The film follows Chris, an African-American man who meets his white girlfriend’s parents during a weekend getaway. The film had a huge and unexpected cultural impact, becoming a critical and financial success, winning an Oscar, and announcing Peele as the new king of horror. 

My Big Fat Greek Wedding is one of the most beloved rom-coms to come out of the 2000s, and it looks at the comedy that comes from cultures clashing. When Toula, a Greek woman, becomes engaged to a non-Greek man, she must convince her overbearing family to accept him. With no major stars in the film at the time and a budget of just $5 million, it became the highest-grossing rom-com ever, surpassing all expectations and even leading to two more sequels.  

Similar to The Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity was another found-footage horror movie made with very little money but that earned millions at the box office. The film follows a couple who believe their house is haunted, and set up a camera to find out. It was one of Jason Blum’s (of now-famous horror studio Blumhouse) first major producing credits, and was so successful that it launched an entire franchise. It just proves that everyone loves a good scare.

2020 was a difficult year for the movie industry thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, with theatres shutting down and countless films having their release delayed. However, this worked in favor of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train, which did get released internationally late in the year. A film adaptation of the popular manga series, it became the first non-American film to ever top the annual box office worldwide, thanks to the elimination of competition. 

Disney has been responsible for many animated classics, and their foray into 3D animation proved successful with 2010’s Tangled. When Frozen was released a few years later, audiences were excited, but nobody could have predicted the cultural phenomenon it turned into. It became the highest-grossing movie of 2013 and the highest-grossing animated film ever at the time. Kids all over the world had Anna and Elsa toys, and there was nowhere to escape the song ‘Let It Go’. 

Saw has become one of Hollywood’s biggest horror franchises (and is still going to this day), but there was a point where it was just an indie horror movie from the minds of two Australian filmmakers, James Wan and Leigh Whannell. However, its simple premise introduced viewers to a new kind of visual and psychological terror, popularising the splatter-horror sub-genre and a fascination with gore. Audiences were repulsed, but couldn’t look away, and the rest is history. 

The Hangover set a new golden standard for R-rated comedies at the time of its release, thanks to its outlandish premise and outrageous comedy. The 2009 film follows friends and groomsmen Phil, Stu and Alan, who awaken the morning after a crazy bachelor party with no memory of the previous night, and the groom missing. Before Bradley Cooper even became a household name, The Hangover broke all kinds of box office records, which is highly impressive and unheard of for an adult comedy.

Ryan Coogler’s Sinners was one of the biggest success stories to come out of Hollywood in 2025. The film stars Michael B. Jordan in dual roles as twins Smoke and Stack, who return to their hometown to face a supernatural threat. Sinners was highly acclaimed by critics and audiences and became known as a film to see in theaters for its impressive technical elements. As a result, it made millions and also won Jordan an Oscar. 

When The Lego Movie was announced, everyone just assumed it would be a two-hour toy commercial and didn’t expect much. However, this animated comedy surprised everyone with its wit, heart, intelligence, and humor. Following Emmett, an ordinary Lego construction worker who essentially becomes the chosen one, The Lego Movie quickly became a hit thanks to its impressive visuals and gags, memorable characters, and inspiring message. 

He’s one of cinema's most famous characters, but there was a time when Shrek was not yet synonymous with the color green. When the film was released in 2001, DreamWorks was not the powerhouse animation studio it is today, with its main successes only being The Prince of Egypt and Chicken Run. That all changed with Shrek, a movie targeted to both kids and adults alike, and kick-started one of Hollywood’s longest-running movie franchises. 

Winner of multiple Academy Awards, including Best Picture in 2023, Everything Everywhere All at Once is certainly one of the most unique and creative films in recent memory. Michelle Yeoh (in an Oscar-winning performance) plays a middle-aged Chinese immigrant who is tasked with saving the multiverse. Before all its award glory, EEAAO became an unlikely box-office hit. With its unconventional story and style, it could have easily failed with a mainstream audience, but it didn’t. 

With Pirates of the Caribbean being such a huge franchise now, it is easy to forget that it all started with a theme park attraction. Yes, the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie was based on the popular Disneyland ride, which certainly didn’t have any characters like Captain Jack Sparrow. They were all created for the film, and while adapting a ride into a movie has failed multiple times (looking at you, The Haunted Mansion), it worked wonders with Pirates. 

Any superhero movie is usually a safe bet to perform well at the box office, but just like its characters, Guardians of the Galaxy was definitely an underdog. The MCU had already brought some of its most famous heroes to life, such as Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor, but the Guardians of the Galaxy were relatively unknown to those who weren’t familiar with the original comics. People underestimated Guardians because of this, but were soon proven wrong.

When the movie was first announced, John Wick just seemed like it would be another generic action flick starring Keanu Reeves. Reeves had had a bit of a slump since the end of The Matrix films, but little did viewers know that this was about to be his big comeback. Reeves, perfectly cast, plays the titular former hitman, who returns to his profession after gangsters steal his car and kill his puppy (which is a perfectly reasonable response). Now, there is no shortage of John Wick sequels and spin-offs. 

In 1979, Mad Max was a low-budget Australian dystopian action film directed by George Miller, an unknown director at the time, and starring Mel Gibson, an even less-known actor. Made for less than one million dollars, there was no way anyone could have seen its success coming. The film has since earned $100 million worldwide, launching Mad Max into franchise territory and allowing Miller to make 2015’s highly acclaimed Mad Max: Fury Road.

Avatar, the highest-grossing movie of all time, may seem like a silly choice to include in this list of unexpected box office hits. Director James Cameron’s previous film, Titanic, was previously the highest-grossing movie ever, and Avatar was promised to be a visual spectacle. However, nobody could have possibly predicted just how big Avatar was going to be. It’s one thing to have a box office hit, but a cultural juggernaut that breaks every kind of record and changes the industry forever? That’s something else.