The 1990s stands as one of the most iconic decades in cinema history. After all, it birthed major franchises like Jurassic Park and Mission: Impossible, as well as some of the most acclaimed films ever made, including Titanic and Forrest Gump.
But which beloved 1990s flicks made the most money at the box office? Read on as we count down the highest-grossing 1990s movies, ranked by their lifetime global gross. Did your favourite film make the cut?
All dollar amounts in US dollars.
Mission: Impossible is one of the most successful film franchises of all time, with its eight entries collectively grossing a stellar $4.7 billion (£3.5bn) worldwide.
The Tom Cruise-led spy series began with the release of Mission: Impossible (1996), based on the beloved TV show of the same name that first aired in the 1960s. The inaugural film in the franchise boasts a lifetime global gross of $457.7 million (£341m).
Starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, the romantic comedy Pretty Woman (1990) follows the unlikely love story between a wealthy businessman and an escort. The movie marked a big break for Roberts, who earned a Best Actress Oscar nomination for the role.
Not only was Pretty Woman one of the top-performing films of the 1990s, but it also stands as the second highest-grossing rom-com of all time, with a lifetime global gross of $463.4 million (£345m).
The mind-bending Matrix franchise features four films, which have collectively banked $1.8 billion (£1.3bn) at the global box office.
Helmed by the Wachowski sisters and starring Keanu Reeves, the sci-fi saga began with The Matrix (1999). In addition to winning four Academy Awards, the groundbreaking film boasts a lifetime gross of $466.3 million (£347m), making it the second most successful entry in the series.
A Christmas classic, Home Alone (1990) stars Macaulay Culkin as a young boy who is forced to defend his house from burglars after his family accidentally leaves him behind while going on vacation. The movie holds a lifetime global gross of $476.7 million (£355m).
A sequel titled Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) also starred Culkin, followed by a third entry featuring a new cast after Culkin quit the franchise. These three films have collectively grossed $866.4 million (£64m) worldwide. Between 2003 and 2021, three additional spin-offs were released directly to video or streaming platforms, so their box office earnings remain unknown.
Directed by Steven Spielberg, the World War II epic Saving Private Ryan (1998) boasts an all-star cast including Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, and Vin Diesel. It ranks as the 16th top-performing film of the 1990s, with a lifetime global gross of $482.3 million (£359m).
A critical gem too, the film was nominated for an impressive 11 Academy Awards, ultimately winning five, including the prestigious Best Director gong for Spielberg.
Disaster flick Twister (1996) stars Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton as storm chasers who risk their lives to study deadly tornadoes. The Oscar-nominated film was a huge success, boasting a lifetime global gross of $494.6 million (£370m).
A long-awaited sequel titled Twisters (2024), starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell, recently hit screens. While it was a modest hit, it failed to match the power of the original, grossing $372.3 million (£278m) worldwide.
Disney-Pixar’s Toy Story is one of the most lucrative animated franchises ever. The five films have collectively grossed $3.3 billion (£2.5bn), and with a new entry in the works, this figure will soar.
The second in the series, Toy Story 2 (1999), saw Buzz, Woody, and the gang return for another fun-filled adventure. The sequel holds a lifetime global gross of $497.4 million (£372m), bolstered by several successful re-releases over the years.
After suffering years of box office flops, Disney made an epic comeback with the release of The Little Mermaid (1989). The period between 1989 and 1999 is widely known as the Disney "Renaissance Era", during which the studio delivered some of its biggest hits.
Among the most successful releases from this era is Aladdin (1992), which featured the vocal talents of Robin Williams in his scene-stealing role as the Genie. The film holds a lifetime global gross of $504 million (£377m).
Tear-jerking romance Ghost (1990) stars Patrick Swayze as a murdered man who returns as a ghost to protect his grieving girlfriend (portrayed by Demi Moore) with the help of a reluctant psychic (Whoopi Goldberg).
A defining film of the decade, Ghost boasts a lifetime global gross of $505.7 million (£378m). It was also a critical darling, earning five Oscar nominations and ultimately winning two, including Best Supporting Actress for Goldberg.
The pulse-pounding Terminator franchise is a major money-spinner, with its six films collectively earning nearly $2.1 billion (£1.6bn) worldwide.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) is the only entry in the saga released during the 1990s and sees Arnold Schwarzenegger reprise his iconic role as the unstoppable cyborg, the Terminator. The 11th highest-grossing film of the decade, it holds a lifetime global gross of $517.8 million (£388m).
The sci-fi disaster blockbuster Armageddon (1998) follows a ragtag group of deep-core drillers sent into space by NASA to save Earth from an asteroid and features an all-star cast of Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, and Liv Tyler.
A box office sensation, the movie holds a lifetime global gross of $553.7 million (£415m). It also received four Oscar nominations, including Best Original Song for the Aerosmith power ballad I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing, one of the biggest hits of the 1990s.
The sci-fi comedy flick Men in Black (1997) stars Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as secret agents who monitor alien activity on Earth.
An out-of-this-world hit, the film holds a lifetime global gross of $589.4 million (£442m). Its success spawned a money-spinning franchise, and to date, the four films have collectively banked over $1.9 billion (£1.4bn) worldwide.
Directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Jeff Goldblum and Julianne Moore, The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) is the second entry in the juggernaut franchise. The adventure saga follows a team sent to a remote island to study dinosaurs – an expedition that ultimately descends into chaos.
A blockbuster hit, the movie holds an impressive lifetime global gross of $618.6 million (£465m). However, it's not the most successful Jurassic Park film of the decade. Stay tuned…
Indie thriller The Sixth Sense (1999) became a surprise blockbuster, grossing a sensational $672.8 million (£505m) against a modest $40 million (£30m) production budget.
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, the film stars Bruce Willis as a child psychologist trying to help a young boy (played by Haley Joel Osment) who claims he can see dead people. The eerie flick was also a critical smash hit, earning six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.
Forrest Gump (1994) is not only a defining film of the 1990s but also one of the most iconic in cinema history. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, it stars Tom Hanks as a man with a low IQ but a heart of gold, who unwittingly shapes major moments of the 20th century.
The movie was a box office juggernaut and holds a lifetime global gross of $678.2 million (£509m), bolstered by many successful re-releases. It was also an awards season darling, scoring 13 Oscar nominations and winning six, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Hanks, and Best Director for Zemeckis.
Directed by Roland Emmerich and starring Will Smith, sci-fi blockbuster Independence Day (1996) follows a group of humans trying to survive an alien invasion threatening to destroy life on Earth.
The film holds a lifetime global gross of $817.4 million (£615m). A sequel, Independence Day: Resurgence (2016), hit screens 20 years later but failed to match the success of the original, earning $389.7 million (£293m) worldwide.
Another Disney Renaissance-era film on the list is The Lion King (1994). A beloved classic, the movie grossed $771 million (£580m) at the box office upon its initial release but today holds a lifetime global gross of $979.2 million (£736m) thanks to numerous re-releases.
A critical hit, the movie earned four Oscar nominations and won two, including Best Original Song for the Elton John ballad Can You Feel the Love Tonight.
After a 16-year hiatus from the silver screen, the Star Wars series made an epic return with Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999). Naturally, fans flocked to theatres, and the movie holds a spectacular lifetime gross of $1 billion (£740m).
Today, Star Wars is one of the most lucrative film franchises in the world. The 12 films have collectively grossed $10.4 billion (£8bn) and counting.
Claiming second place in our roundup is Jurassic Park (1993) with a lifetime global gross of $1.1 billion (£8.3bn), boosted by numerous re-releases. Helmed by Steven Spielberg and starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum, the film follows a group of scientists invited to a revolutionary dinosaur theme park, only for things to go horribly wrong when the creatures break free.
Overall, the seven films in the Jurassic Park franchise have grossed an impressive $6.9 billion (£5.2bn) and counting.
The highest-grossing movie of the 1990s by a long shot is Titanic (1997). Directed by James Cameron, the tear-jerking romantic drama stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet as star-crossed lovers aboard the ill-fated Titanic.
The movie grossed $1.8 billion (£1.4bn) worldwide upon its initial release, but thanks to its status as a cinematic classic, it now holds an incredible lifetime gross of almost $2.3 billion (£1.7bn). What's more, Titanic is tied with Ben-Hur (1959) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) for the most Oscars in history, with 11 wins.
Now read 13 popular films that surprisingly flopped at the box office