The 25 Highest-Grossing Movie Remakes of All Time

While the announcement of yet another remake might elicit an exasperated sigh from a film buff or two, it’s hard to deny the excitement of seeing a beloved movie updated with breathtaking special effects, a buzzy new cast, and all the other trappings of a modern-day do-over.

Not every remake is able to withstand the claims of “the original was better,” but, regardless of what the critics say, many of them still end up with impressive performances at the domestic box office. Based on The Numbers’ data, Disney is the undisputed reigning champion of the remake—their recent live-action versions of animated classics The Lion King (1994), Beauty and the Beast (1991), and Aladdin (1992), are the top three highest-grossing films on the list.

Apparently, primates are especially popular at the box office. Three Planet of the Apes remakes crack the top 25, and so does 2005’s King Kong, directed by Peter Jackson and starring Naomi Watts, Jack Black, and Adrien Brody. On the subject of giant monsters known to traipse all over New York City, Godzilla also appears twice on the list—the 2011 film is in 11th place with more than $200 million in box office earnings, and the 1998 version came in at #24, with a little over $136 million.

According to the numbers, people were especially keen on watching remakes in 2005. In addition to King Kong, theaters saw great turnout for the science fiction flick War of the Worlds starring Tom Cruise, Tim Burton’s take on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and The Longest Yard, an Adam Sandler-led version of Burt Reynolds’s 1974 film of the same name.

See if your favorite remake made the top 25 list:

1. The Lion King (2019) // $543,638,043

1. Beauty and the Beast (2017) // $504,014,165

1. Aladdin (2019) // $355,559,216

1. It (2017) // $328,828,874

1. War of the Worlds (2005) // $234,280,354

1. King Kong (2005) // $218,080,025

1. A Star Is Born (2018) // $215,288,866

1. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) // $208,545,589

1. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) // $206,459,076

1. The Mummy Returns (2001) // $202,007,640

1. Godzilla (2014) // $200,676,069

1. Ocean’s Eleven (2001) // $183,417,150

1. Planet of the Apes (2001) // $180,011,740

1. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) // $176,760,185

1. The Karate Kid (2010) // $176,591,618

1. Three Men and a Baby (1987) // $167,780,960

1. Clash of the Titans (2010) // $163,214,888

1. The Longest Yard (2005) // $158,119,460

1. The Mummy (1999) // $155,385,488

1. True Lies (1994) // $146,282,411

1. Doctor Dolittle (1998) // $144,156,605

1. Cheaper by the Dozen (2003) // $138,614,544

1. A Christmas Carol (2009) // $137,855,863

1. Godzilla (1998) // $136,314,294

1. The Departed (2006) // $132,384,315

[h/t The Numbers]