What Were Sci-Fi Fans Watching In 2011? These Were The Top Grossing Science Fiction Films
Number one should come as no surprise.
We’ve already told you what we thought were the best sci-fi movies of 2011, but they weren’t necessarily the movies people saw. Instead, the box office numbers say these were the most-watched science fiction films in 2011.
Number one should come as no surprise. It is, of course, Transformers: Dark of the Moon. The film grossed more than $380 million in the United States alone, and in addition to being the top-grossing sci-fi film of that year, it was the second-biggest-earning movie overall (behind only the last Harry Potter).
Science fiction movies accounted for six out of the top 20 highest-grossing movies of 2011 in the full yearly list over at Box Office Mojo. Here’s the complete list of 2011’s top sci-fi earners worldwide:
- 1. Transformers: Dark of the Moon | $1,123,700,000
- 2. Rise of the Planet of the Apes | $481,200,000
- 3. Thor | $449,300,000
- 4. Captain America: The First Avenger | $368,600,000
- 5. X-Men: First Class | $353,600,000
- 6. Real Steel | $277,300,000
- 7. Super 8 | $259,900,000
- 8. Green Lantern | $219,900,000
- 9. Battle: Los Angeles | $211,800,000
- 10. Cowboys & Aliens | $174,800,00
It’s worth noting that a lot of these movies made far more money overseas than they did in the United States. In America, for instance, Thor, not Rise of the Planet of the Apes is the second-place sci-fi earner. Real Steel and Battle: Los Angeles also made the bulk of their money in international markets.
Two of the movies we listed as the best sci-fi of 2011 made it into the top ten (Thor and Rise of the Planet of the Apes). Not far outside the top ten was Source Code, which earned $123,278,618 worldwide. A little further out, but still with a strong showing, was Paul, earning $97,984,015. Unfortunately, the movie we pegged as the best of the year, Attack the Block, never got a marketing campaign or a wide release and thus earned only $5,824,175. Hopefully, Block will achieve the cult status it deserves through On-demand viewings and DVDs.
