# 2020s in film

The decade of the 2020s in film directly dealt with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cinema. This witnessed a profound transformation in how movies are produced, distributed, and consumed globally. The pandemic led to widespread theater closures, delays in releases, and a rapid acceleration in the shift towards streaming services as a primary means of distribution.

## Highest-grossing films

    † Indicates films playing in theatres in the week commencing 7 March 2025.
List of worldwide highest-grossing films :
| Rank | Title | Distributor(s) | Worldwide gross | Year |
| 1 | Avatar: The Way of Water | 20th Century | $2,320,250,281 | 2022 |
| 2 | Ne Zha 2 † | Beijing Enlight Pictures | $2,060,648,781 | 2025 |
| 3 | Spider-Man: No Way Home | Sony | $1,922,598,800 | 2021 |
| 4 | Inside Out 2 | Disney | $1,698,863,816 | 2024 |
| 5 | Top Gun: Maverick | Paramount | $1,495,696,292 | 2022 |
| 6 | Barbie | Warner Bros. | $1,445,638,421 | 2023 |
| 7 | The Super Mario Bros. Movie | Universal | $1,362,027,222 | 2023 |
| 8 | Deadpool & Wolverine | Disney | $1,338,073,645 | 2024 |
| 9 | Moana 2 † | Disney | $1,056,253,787 | 2024 |
| 10 | Jurassic World: Dominion | Universal | $1,003,700,604 | 2022 |
| 11 | Despicable Me 4 | Universal | $971,028,338 | 2024 |
| 12 | Oppenheimer | Universal | $970,506,816 | 2023 |
| 13 | Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness | Disney | $955,775,805 | 2022 |
| 14 | Minions: The Rise of Gru | Universal | $939,628,210 | 2022 |
| 15 | The Battle at Lake Changjin | Huaxia Film Distribution | $902,540,935 | 2021 |
| 16 | Black Panther: Wakanda Forever | Disney | $859,208,836 | 2022 |
| 17 | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 | Disney | $845,555,777 | 2023 |
| 18 | Hi, Mom | Lian Ray Pictures | $841,674,419 | 2021 |
| 19 | No Time to Die | MGM / Universal | $774,153,007 | 2021 |
| 20 | The Batman | Warner Bros. | $770,962,583 | 2022 |
| 21 | Thor: Love and Thunder | Disney | $760,928,081 | 2022 |
| 22 | Wicked † | Universal | $729,650,888 | 2024 |
| 23 | F9 | Universal | $726,229,501 | 2021 |
| 24 | Dune: Part Two | Warner Bros. | $714,711,520 | 2024 |
| 25 | Fast X | Universal | $714,566,116 | 2023 |
| 26 | Mufasa: The Lion King † | Disney | $708,043,456 | 2024 |
| 27 | Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse | Sony | $690,615,475 | 2023 |
| 28 | Detective Chinatown 3 | Wanda Pictures | $686,257,563 | 2021 |
| 29 | Full River Red | Beijing Joyful Premiere Culture | $634,631,282 | 2023 |
| 30 | Wonka | Warner Bros. | $632,302,312 | 2023 |
| 31 | The Battle at Lake Changjin II | Huaxia Film Distribution | $626,571,697 | 2022 |
| 32 | The Wandering Earth 2 | China Film Group Corporation | $604,460,538 | 2023 |
| 33 | Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire | Warner Bros. / Toho | $572,305,338 | 2024 |
| 34 | The Little Mermaid | Disney | $569,626,289 | 2023 |
| 35 | Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One | Paramount | $567,535,383 | 2023 |
| 36 | Kung Fu Panda 4 | Universal | $547,835,016 | 2024 |
| 37 | No More Bets | Mega Films Distribution | $528,487,347 | 2023 |
| 38 | Venom: Let There Be Carnage | Sony | $506,863,592 | 2021 |
| 39 | Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train | Toho / Aniplex | $504,311,383 | 2020 |
| 40 | Elemental | Disney | $495,851,987 | 2023 |
| 41 | Lost in the Stars | One Pictures (Beijing) | $486,153,324 | 2023 |
| 42 | Sonic the Hedgehog 3 † | Paramount | $486,138,861 | 2024 |
| 43 | Puss in Boots: The Last Wish | Universal | $484,675,943 | 2022 |
| 44 | The Eight Hundred | CMC Pictures Holdings | $484,210,000 | 2020 |
| 45 | YOLO | China Film Group Corporation | $479,597,304 | 2024 |
| 46 | Venom: The Last Dance | Sony | $478,896,999 | 2024 |
| 47 | Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania | Disney | $476,071,180 | 2023 |
| 48 | Godzilla vs. Kong | Warner Bros. / Toho | $470,116,094 | 2021 |
| 49 | Successor | Wanda Pictures | $469,612,890 | 2024 |
| 50 | Pegasus 2 | China Film Group Corporation | $466,930,272 | 2024 |

### Highest-grossing film per year

The beginning of the decade marked the first time ever in history that a non-Hollywood production topped the annual global box office.
| Year | Title | Studio(s) | Worldwide Gross |
| 2020 | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train | Toho / Aniplex | $507,127,293 |
| 2021 | Spider-Man: No Way Home | Sony | $1,912,233,593 |
| 2022 | Avatar: The Way of Water | 20th Century | $2,320,250,281 |
| 2023 | Barbie | Warner Bros. | $1,445,638,421 |
| 2024 | Inside Out 2 | Disney | $1,698,863,816 |
| 2025 | Ne Zha 2 † | Beijing Enlight Pictures | $1,804,120,952 |

## Accolades

The following films received the most acclaim at the Academy Awards during the 2020s.
| Year | Ceremony | Most nominations | Most awards | Best Picture |
| 2020/21 | 93rd | Mank (10) | Nomadland (3) | Nomadland |
| 2021 | 94th | The Power of the Dog (12) | Dune (6) | CODA |
| 2022 | 95th | Everything Everywhere All at Once (11) | Everything Everywhere All at Once (7) | Everything Everywhere All at Once |
| 2023 | 96th | Oppenheimer (13) | Oppenheimer (7) | Oppenheimer |
| 2024 | 97th | Emilia Pérez (13) | Anora (5) | Anora |

## List of films

* 2020 in film
* 2021 in film
* 2022 in film
* 2023 in film
* 2024 in film
* 2025 in film