Domestic Box Office Revenues of Top 5 Star Wars Movies (Adjusted for Inflation)

As we edge closer to the final quarter of 2019, we can almost taste the new Star Wars movie. With The Rise of Skywalker entering cinemas on December 20th, it got us thinking about where the film will rank compared to all the classics we’ve seen before.

However, higher ticket prices these days give an unfair reading because the newer movies will rank artificially higher. Therefore, we decided to compare the eight major films on a level playing field (domestic only). Thanks to adjusted box office revenues, we can reveal the most successful Star Wars movies!

1. Star Wars ($1.3 billion)

As the only movie to surpass $1 billion, the original Star Wars movies from 1977 takes the top spot by some margin. Originally, the gross for this movie was around $307 million. After adjusting for inflation, revenues fall just short of $1.3 billion.

As we’re introduced to the characters, the original was clearly highly anticipated and caught the imagination of millions in the United States. Of course, the original trilogy would go on to find huge success in Europe and other areas of the world too.

2. The Force Awakens ($974 million)

Falling just short of the magical $1 billion mark, The Force Awakens takes second place as the franchise made its long-awaited return in 2015. Even for avid Star Wars fans, there were nerves four years ago. With the movies under the control of Disney rather than Fox, people weren’t sure whether or not they would be worth the watch. However, we turned out in our droves nonetheless and the movie earned nearly $975 million.

3. The Phantom Menace ($764 million)

To complete the theme of the first movie from a trilogy, The Phantom Menace is in third place as the franchise returned in 1999. As Darth Maul and Anakin Skywalker took to the screen for the first time, the movie earned well over $750 million ($431 million unadjusted). Although considered the worst movie of the first six by some, others love the charismatic Jar Jar Binks and are glad it was given a chance to return.

4. Return of the Jedi ($729 million)

With the first installments taking the top three spots, which trilogy earned the most repeat business? Well, it’s the original. In 1983, the original trilogy was brought to a close, and Return of the Jedi earned nearly $730 million domestically.

5. The Empire Strikes Back ($710 million)

Next up, the second movie of the original three took a similar amount as the story continued. With all three of the originals in the top five Star Wars movies, does this end the debate that the originals are always better than sequels/prequels?

After these five, we find the following;

• The Last Jedi ($610 million)
• Revenge of the Sith ($535 million)
• Attack of the Clones ($470 million)

Interestingly, Rogue One, a spin-off of the main series, performed better than both Episodes II and III. How do you think The Rise of Skywalker will slot into this list?