Surprise box office bump for Phantom Menace, but where does it rank overall?

All the money in the galaxy...

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Having earned over $10 billion (£8.3bn) at the box office, the Star Wars film franchise is the second-highest grossing in the world, defeated only by the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The lasting popularity of the movies was recently showcased by the re-release of the much-maligned The Phantom Menace, which returned to screens in May to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Despite the film's mixed reception upon its initial release, the reissue has been a surprise box office hit, pulling in over $14 million (£11m) globally in its opening weekend. But what spot does it occupy overall when it comes to Star Wars box office hits and misses?

We've taken the global box office gross for every movie in the series and adjusted it for inflation to give you an idea of what each one made in today's money.

Read on to find out where your favourite ranks and discover which instalment of the epic space opera is the highest-grossing of all time.

All dollar values are in US dollars.

11th: Solo: A Star Wars Story: $495 million (£396m)

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With Disney and Lucasfilm powering it, it seemed a foregone conclusion that a Han Solo spin-off story would be a hit. On the contrary, 2018's Solo: A Star Wars Story became the first Star Wars flop, grossing just $393 million at the global box office. That's $495 million (£396m) in 2024 money.

The ill-fated flick was plagued with problems from the get-go, with directing duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller eventually fired and replaced by acclaimed director Ron Howard. But this wasn't enough to save the movie...

Factoring in its $275 million (£220m) production budget and astronomical marketing costs, the film reportedly lost a painful $76.9 million (£61.5m).

10th: Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones: $1.2 billion (£960m)

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Released in 2002, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones grossed $656 million at the global box office. That’s almost $1.2 billion (£960m) in today’s money. Yet, despite making an incredible amount of cash, the film is the second-lowest grossing in the franchise.

Star Wars fans were famously outraged when the film’s predecessor, 1999’s The Phantom Menace, was released, with the script and acting performances attracting much criticism. It appears that the film left a lasting bitter taste, with many fans opting to skip Attack of the Clones in the cinema as a result.

Joint 8th: Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker: $1.4 billion (£1.1bn)

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Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker is the final part of the third Star Wars trilogy. The movie grossed almost $1.1 billion at the global box office, or $1.4 billion (£1.1bn) in today's money.

The film received a generally warm reception from audiences, though the main point of criticism was that the plot felt too safe. That said, fans were thrilled with the return of an old foe, while the ever-reliable Adam Driver's performance as Kylo Ren was widely praised.

Joint 8th: Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith: $1.4 billion (£1.1bn)

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Although its predecessors were panned by fans and critics alike, the final chapter of the second trilogy, 2005’s Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, fared better. The movie pulled in a hefty $849 million at the box office, or $1.4 billion (£1.1bn) in today’s money.

Star Wars diehards are notoriously tricky to please, and the film was met with a mixed critical response. The dialogue, in particular, came under fire, while some criticised the "wooden" acting of star Hayden Christensen.

7th: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story: $1.5 billion (£1.2bn)

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Solo might have flopped, but Lucasfilm succeeded with the Star Wars prequel Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in 2016. The plot follows a band of rebels endeavouring to steal the Death Star plans, and the film grossed $1.1 billion worldwide, a cool $1.5 billion (£1.2bn) in 2024 money.

While the movie was technically a hit, it received a mixed response from fans. Some felt it was the best Star Wars film since the original trilogy, while others complained that the plot was too congested and the characters too underdeveloped. The fact that the story was, once again, centred on the Death Star was also a source of contention.

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6th: Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi: $1.6 billion (£1.3bn)

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Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi was the final chapter of George Lucas' original trilogy. The movie made $482 million at the box office, almost $1.6 billion (£1.3bn) in today's money. The space epic was also 1983's highest-grossing film.

While Return of the Jedi was the lowest-grossing film of the original trilogy and is widely regarded as the weakest in plot terms, it was undoubtedly still a massive money-spinner for the studio. In fact, the space epic was 1983's highest-grossing film.

5th: Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi: $1.7 billion (£1.4bn)

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The second entry of the third trilogy, 2017's Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, grossed a whopping $1.3 billion at the box office. In today's money, that's a tidy $1.7 billion (£1.4bn). With these impressive numbers, it's no surprise that The Last Jedi was the highest-grossing film of 2017.

With a reported budget of up to $317 million (£254m), The Last Jedi is likely the most expensive Star Wars production ever. The lavish spending certainly won over film critics, who praised the movie’s stunning visual effects. However, Star Wars fans were less impressed, widely slamming the film for its unoriginal plot.

4th: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace: $1.9 billion (£1.5bn)

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After a 16-year wait, fans were thrilled when Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace hit cinemas in 1999.  The picture grossed an extraordinary $1 billion at the global box office, which works out at $1.9 billion (£1.5bn) in today's money (not including the surprise box office bump it's enjoyed recently). The Phantom Menace was the highest-grossing film of the year too.

Despite a then-record-breaking budget and an all-star cast that included Natalie Portman, Keira Knightley, Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, and Samuel L. Jackson, the movie is notoriously disliked by fans who criticised everything, from the editing and the pacing to the script and the acting.

3rd: Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back: $2.2 billion (£1.8bn)

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Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back grossed $549 million globally, or a whopping $2.2 billion (£1.8bn) in 2024 money. The cinema darling was also the highest-grossing picture of 1980.

Widely regarded as the best Star Wars film by fans and critics alike, The Empire Strikes Back also gave us one of the most famous scenes in cinematic history between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker.

 

2nd: Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens: $2.8 billion (£2.2bn)

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The first film in the latest trilogy, Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, boasted a mammoth budget and a fresh new cast, including the likes of Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, and John Boyega, while the original golden trio – Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, and Harrison Ford – all reprised their roles too.

Fans flocked to see the 2015 flick, hoping filmmakers had learned from past mistakes in the controversial prequels. The picture opened to generally positive reviews and grossed nearly $2.1 billion, becoming the year's highest-grossing movie. That’s $2.8 billion (£2.2bn) in today's money.

1st: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope: $4.1 billion (£3.3bn)

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In the 1970s, the then-unknown George Lucas wrote and directed Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, and the movie was produced on a shoestring budget of just $11 million (£8.2m). Lucas’s space opera went on to become the highest-grossing film of 1977, making $775 million at the worldwide box office, a staggering $4.1 billion (£3.3bn) in today’s money.

A New Hope became the highest-grossing film of all time until E.T. came along in 1982 and knocked it off the top spot. The movie that started it all, A New Hope, quite literally spawned an empire. And it made George Lucas, who had agreed to take a pay cut in return for the merchandising rights to this and any other future films, very rich.

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