A Legendary Decade
For the first time, global box office receipts for films Legendary produced crossed the $2 billion mark in 2015. Jurassic World, the fourth highest grossing film in history, accounted for 77% of 2015 worldwide receipts.
Legendary is behind some of the decade’s biggest hits including, Jurassic World, the Dark Knight trilogy, Interstellar, the Hangover trilogy, and the last two Superman films.
Worldwide Box Office Receipts
| Year | Gross Receipts | Top Release | Gross / % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | $583 | Superman Returns | $391(67%) |
| 2007 | $456 | 300 | $456(100%) |
| 2008 | $1274 | The Dark Knight | $1004(79%) |
| 2009 | $841 | The Hangover | $467(56%) |
| 2010 | $1696 | Inception | $825(49%) |
| 2011 | $676 | The Hangover II | $587(87%) |
| 2012 | $1390 | The Dark Knight Rises | $1085(78%) |
| 2013 | $1734 | Man of Steel | $668(39%) |
| 2014 | $1964 | Interstellar | $675(34%) |
| 2015 | $2167 | Jurassic World | $1669(77%) |
| in millions |
Behind the Numbers
The Los Angeles-based production company increased their output in 2015 to a record seven films after signing an output deal with Universal. Under this deal, they have completed thirteen films over the last two years. Previously, they completed twenty-seven films in eight years under their output deal with Warner Brothers, a little over three per year.
In addition to mega-hits provided by Christopher Nolan, Legendary excels at producing effects-driven fantasy films that are more successful abroad than in North America.
Films including, Dracula Untold, 10,000 BC, Clash of the Titans, and Jack the Giant Slayer all managed to collect twice the amount in receipts abroad. On the low-end, Jack the Giant Slayer, only managed $65 million in North America, but grossed $133 million outside North America.
A review of forty-one films shows that twelve films made by three directors, Christopher Nolan, Todd Phillips, and Zack Snyder accounted for 50% of worldwide receipts. Amazingly, the five films directed by Christopher Nolan account for 30% of worldwide box office receipts.