James Cameron is the undisputed king of the box office, as three of the four highest-grossing films in Hollywood history belong to the director. Whether it’s romance, action, or sci-fi genre, the acclaimed filmmaker has always hit the bullseye, with his work resonating well with the audience.
Cameron has directed nine films so far, starting with Piranha II: The Spawning in 1982. However, the director has largely disowned his debut film, since he was replaced from it within two weeks of production, and the movie’s box office collection remains unavailable. Here are the rest of James Cameron’s eight films, ranked on the basis of their worldwide gross.
8. The Terminator (1984)
Box Office: $78.3 Million
With The Terminator, Cameron initiated a sci-fi franchise that would last for decades. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, the film follows a cyborg assassin sent from a dystopian future to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), whose unborn son will lead a resistance against machines. The Terminator relentlessly hunts Sarah, while a soldier from the future, Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn), tries to protect her. As the two flee, Sarah learns about her critical role in humanity’s survival. Made on a budget of only $6.4 million, the film grossed $78.3 Million, including $38.3 million from the domestic market.
7. The Abyss (1989)
Box Office: $90.5 Million
The Abyss follows a team of deep-sea oil drillers and Navy SEALs sent to investigate a sunken nuclear submarine. Led by Bud Brigman (Ed Harris), the crew encounters mysterious underwater creatures while dealing with rising tensions and the dangers of the deep ocean. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio plays Bud’s estranged wife, who joins the mission. With its suspense narrative and cutting-edge special effects, The Abyss outperformed The Terminator, grossing $54.9 domestically and $90.5 Million globally; however, the film is mostly overlooked in Cameron’s filmography.
6. Aliens (1986)
Box Office: $131 Million
Cameron took over the reins from Ridley Scott to direct the sequel to 1979’s Alien, titled Aliens. The film follows Ellen Ripley, played by Sigourney Weaver, who returns to the alien-infested planet with a team of space marines to rescue colonists. As they fight the aliens, Ripley faces her past trauma and protects a young girl named Newt. Counted among the best sci-fi and action films ever made, Aliens collected $131 Million worldwide, including $85 million from the US and Canada.
5. True Lies (1994)
Box Office: $378.9 Million
True Lies was the third collaboration between Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger and marked the filmmaker’s venture into the action comedy genre. The film stars Schwarzenegger as Harry Tasker, a secret agent leading a double life. To his family, Harry is a boring computer salesman, but in reality, he’s a top spy battling international terrorists. When his wife, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, gets caught up in his dangerous world, the two must work together to stop a nuclear threat. The film earned several accolades and made $146.2 million domestically, taking its global total to $378.9 Million.
4. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Box Office: $520.9 Million
Cameron followed up on The Terminator’s success with Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The film follows Sarah Connor and her son John, who will lead humanity against machines in the future. This time, a reprogrammed Terminator, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, is sent back to protect John from a more advanced and deadly Terminator, the T-1000, portrayed by Robert Patrick. Schwarzenegger and Hamilton reprised their roles as the Terminator and Sarah Connor, respectively, in the film that became an even bigger hit than its predecessor, earning $520.9 million globally, including $205.9 million from domestic collections.
3. Titanic (1997)
Box Office: $2.26 Billion
As Titanic redefined love for a generation, its collections rewrote box office history. The film is a fictionalized account of the sinking of RMS Titanic in 1912 and follows Rose, played by Kate Winslet, a young aristocrat, and Jack, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, a poor artist. They fall in love aboard the ship despite their different social classes. As their romance blossoms, the Titanic strikes an iceberg, leading to a dramatic struggle for survival. Titanic’s heartfelt narrative and strong performances by Winslet and DiCaprio made it the first film to cross the billion-dollar mark at the box office. After multiple re-releases, the film’s worldwide gross stands at $2.26 billion with $674 million earned through domestic screenings.
2. Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
Box Office: $2.32 Billion
Avatar: The Way of Water failed to break the box office record of its predecessor, but managed to become the third highest-grossing film of all time. Set years after the events of the original, the film follows Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), as they protect their family from a new threat on Pandora. As tensions rise, they seek refuge with the oceanic Metkayina clan and must unite to defend their home. With its stunning visual effects, the film made $684 million at the domestic and $2.32 Billion at the global box office.
1. Avatar (2009)
Box Office: $2.92 Billion
Cameron broke the box office record of his own film, Titanic, when he came up with the sci-fi blockbuster, Avatar, in 2009. The film follows Jake Sully, a paraplegic Marine, who controls an avatar body to interact with the Na’vi, a native species on the planet Pandora. As he falls in love with a Na’vi woman named Neytiri, Jake gets torn between his mission and protecting Pandora. Avatar revolutionized special effects by using advanced motion capture technology and 3D cinematography, setting new standards for visual storytelling. The film raked in $785 million in the US and Canada, and earned $2.92 Billion globally, becoming the highest-grossing film in Hollywood history.
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