2022 in film

2022 in film is an overview of events, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies, critics' lists of the best films of 2022, festivals, a list of country-specific lists of films released, and notable deaths.
Evaluation of the year
In his article highlighting the best movies of 2022, Richard Brody of The New Yorker said, "This year, it’s all the more important to offer a widely inclusive list, because a wide range of American filmmakers have caught up with the inescapable phenomenon of the recent past: the resurgence of openly anti-democratic forces and brazenly hate-driven ideologies, the crisis of illegitimate rule, the menace of authoritarianism, the potential end of even our current debilitated American democracy. The phenomenon is certainly not limited to the United States, and filmmakers from around the world have long been confronting it in their own countries bravely, insightfully, and ingeniously. For years, many of the best American filmmakers have been making films of political outrage, with the unsurprising likes of Spike Lee, Jim Jarmusch, and Frederick Wiseman at the forefront, and such younger filmmakers as Jordan Peele, Garrett Bradley, and Eliza Hittman joining them. This year offers a shift in the cinematic paradigm by way of a host of memorable movies; there’s something new and extraordinary in the air, and it has precisely to do with history and memory—and, most powerfully, their intersection."
Highest-grossing films
2022 box office records
The Jurassic Park franchise became the tenth film franchise to gross $6 billion with the release of Jurassic World Dominion.
Additionally, Jurassic World Dominion became the 50th film to gross $1 billion worldwide.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe became the first film franchise to gross $26 billion, $27 billion, and $28 billion with the releases of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
The Despicable Me and Shrek franchises became the first animated film franchises and the 15th and 17th overall film franchises to gross $4 billion with the release of Minions: The Rise of Gru and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
Studio records
With the release of Avatar: The Way of Water, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures led over other film distributors in worldwide box office grosses and crossed the $4.9 billion mark for the eighth year. Disney's cumulative gross was generated from 16 film releases across its various studio divisions.
Top Gun: Maverick became the highest-grossing film distributed solely by Paramount Pictures worldwide, surpassing Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011), and also Paramount's highest-grossing film in the United States and Canada, surpassing Titanic (1997).
Film records
Avatar: The Way of Water became the 51st film to gross $1 billion worldwide, the sixth film to gross $2 billion worldwide, the sixth-fastest film to cross the billion-dollar mark at 14 days, the second-fastest to gross the $2 billion mark, the highest-grossing film of 2022, and the highest-grossing film of the COVID-19 pandemic era.
It had the 11th-biggest global opening of all time and the third-biggest global opening for a film in the pandemic era behind Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, earning $441.7 million in its first weekend.
It also achieved the second-highest global opening weekend ever for a film released in IMAX cinemas with $48.8 million.
Top Gun: Maverick became the 49th film to gross $1 billion worldwide.
Additionally, the film surpassed Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) to become Tom Cruise's highest-grossing film of all time at the worldwide box office and also surpassed War of the Worlds (2005) to become Cruise's highest-grossing film at the domestic box office.
It also passed The Mummy (2017) as Cruise's biggest opening weekend at the worldwide box office and also passed War of the Worlds (2005) as Cruise's biggest opening at the domestic box office and his first film to open to over $100million in the US.
It also passed Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007), another Jerry Bruckheimer produced movie, to have the highest Memorial Day opening weekend and passed Shrek 2 (2004) to have the lowest second-weekend drop for a movie that made over $100M in its opening weekend.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness surpassed Spider-Man 3 (2007) to become director Sam Raimi's highest-grossing film.
Minions: The Rise of Gru became the highest-grossing animated film released since the COVID-19 pandemic, surpassing the 2020 anime film Demon Slayer: Mugen Train.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever attained the biggest opening weekend ever for a film released in the month of November in the US and Canada with $181.3 million.
It was also the third-biggest opening weekend for a film in the US and Canada during the pandemic era, behind Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Disney Africa reported that the film set an all-time box office record in West Africa and had the biggest opening of 2022 in East Africa, as well as the second-highest box office gross ever in Southern Africa.
In Nigeria, it achieved the highest opening weekend ever for a film.
Avatar became the first movie to gross more than $2.9 billion worldwide, following a worldwide re-release.
Events
April 8 – AT&T sells WarnerMedia, the parent company of Warner Bros., to Discovery, Inc., which then reorganizes to form the new media company Warner Bros. Discovery.
Award ceremonies
Film festivals
List of some of the film festivals for 2022 that have been accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF).
Awards
2022 films
By country/region
List of American films of 2022
List of Australian films of 2022
List of British films of 2022
List of Bangladeshi films of 2022
List of Canadian films of 2022
List of Chinese films of 2022
List of French films of 2022
List of Hong Kong films of 2022
List of Indian films of 2022
List of Italian films of 2022
List of Japanese films of 2022
List of Nigerian films of 2022
List of Pakistani films of 2022
List of Portuguese films of 2022
List of Philippine films of 2022
List of Russian films of 2022
List of South Korean films of 2022
List of Spanish films of 2022
By genre/medium
List of action films of 2022
List of animated feature films of 2022
List of avant-garde films of 2022
List of crime films of 2022
List of comedy films of 2022
List of drama films of 2022
List of horror films of 2022
List of science fiction films of 2022
List of thriller films of 2022
Deaths
Film debuts
Carla Díaz – Tomorrow Is Today
Clara Galle – Through My Window
Anson Kong – Love Suddenly
Edan Lui – Chilli Laugh Story
Jer Lau – Mama's Affair
Julio Peña – Through My Window
Dora Postigo – Rainbow
Claudia Salas – Piggy
Keung To – Mama's Affair
Cloud Wan – Life Must Go On
Notes
References
External links
List of 2022 films at IMDb
2022 Domestic Grosses at Box Office Mojo
List of 2022 deaths at IMDb
List of 2022 births at IMDb
2022
Film by year