The 20 highest grossing films of the 2000s to stream

By Megan Riedlinger 6:02am PDT, Aug 11, 2020

Looking for a surefire hit film to watch? Wonderwall.com has rounded up the 20 highest grossing movies of the '00s for your perusal and found where they're currently streaming. "Shrek the Third" tops the chart — coming in at No. 20 with an impressive $813 million worldwide box office gross. Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas and Julie Andrews all reprised their roles for this fun family-friendly film, which you can stream on TNT and TBS. But this third installment in the popular animated franchise isn't the only "Shrek" movie on the list! Keep reading to see which other film in the DreamWorks series earned more, plus see which other '00s movies raked in the big bucks…

19. "Spider-Man"

Tobey Maguire's first turn as Spider-Man in 2002's "Spider-Man" takes spot 19. The superhero flick isn't the only Spider-Man movie on the list, but this one picked up $821 million worldwide and became the third highest grossing film of that year, paving the way for two more Spidey movies to follow in the decade. You can currently catch this one streaming on Starz.

RELATED: "Spider-Man" movies ranked

18. "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen"

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" debuted in 2009 and earned more than its predecessor, 2007's "Transformers." The Michael Bay flick starring Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox might have been panned by critics and earned three dreaded Golden Raspberry Awards, but it earned $836 million worldwide. Watch this one tonight on HBO Max.

17. "Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith"

The only "Star Wars" film to make the list is 2005's "Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith." This installment in the iconic series starred Hayden Christensen, Ewan McGregor and Natalie Portman and rounded out the prequel trilogy that debuted in 1999. Its $868 million worldwide box office take also made it the second highest grossing film worldwide in 2005 — though it was the highest grossing film in America that year. Stream it on Disney+, TNT or TBS.

16. "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs"

No. 16 might come as a surprise to some, but 2009's "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" — the third installment in the in the "Ice Age" series — takes this spot. The animated comedy wasn't a hit with critics but it got the last laugh with an $886 million worldwide gross. Ray Romano, John Leguizamo and Denis Leary are among the stars who lent their voices to this family-friendly flick. Starz has this one available to stream anytime.

15. "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring"

"The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" is the first installment in this franchise and the first of the three to grace this list (don't worry, they all nabbed a spot!). The fantasy flick with a robust and impressive ensemble cast including the likes of Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Cate Blanchett and Orlando Bloom earned $887 million worldwide, becoming the second highest grossing film of 2001. It also picked up 13 Academy Award nominations and won four — best cinematography, best makeup, best visual effects and best original Score. Stream it on HBO Max.

14. "Spider-Man 3"

Another Spider-Man movie makes the list! "Spider-Man 3" — the 2007 film with Tobey Maguire playing the titular character — earns spot No. 12 thanks to its worldwide gross of $894 million. Kirsten Dunst and James Franco also starred in this superhero action film, the final installment and highest grossing film of this trilogy. It could claim the distinction of being the highest grossing Spidey film of them all until it was surpassed by "Spider-Man: Far From Home" in 2019. Want to re-watch this one? It's currently streaming on Hulu.

"Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" is the first of several "Harry Potter" films to make this list. The second movie in the franchise hit theaters in 2002 and ended up accruing an impressive $895 million worldwide, solidifying itself as the second highest grossing film that year behind another big franchise film we'll see later on — "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers." Despite being a commercial hit, "Chamber of Secrets" is one of only two of the eight "Harry Potter" movies that didn't earn at least one Academy Award nomination. Catch up with the gang and stream this one on HBO Max.

12. "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"

"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" hit theaters in the middle of the decade and did so well that it takes a spot in the middle of the list at No. 11. The 2005 flick — the fourth movie in the book-based film franchise — earned $896 million worldwide. It also earned a nomination at the Academy Awards for best art direction. If you want to check this one out again, it's streaming on HBO Max.

11. "Shrek 2"

"Shrek 2" comes in 10th place. Yep, the second installment of the wildly popular DreamWorks Animation movie beat out its predecessor, "Shrek," when it hit theaters three years later in 2004. The film featured voices from Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas and Cameron Diaz and ended up taking home more than $436 million domestically and more than $928 million worldwide. This one's available to stream via TNT and TBS.

10. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"

The third "Harry Potter" film on this list is actually the sixth installment in the series — "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." This flick debuted in 2009 and made some serious bank at the box office: $934 million worldwide. If not for "Avatar" — which we'll see later on this list — it would have been the highest grossing film of 2009. Instead, it came in second that year. Like the rest of the "Harry Potter" movies, this one — which scored an Oscar nod for best cinematography — is currently streaming on HBO Max.

9. "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"

2007's "Harry Potter" offering, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," is the fifth film in the franchise but comes in second in terms of box office take. The flick grossed $292 million domestically, which helped it reach $942 million worldwide. HBO Max has this one to stream tonight.

8. "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers"

In 2002, the second installment in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy came out — "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers." The flick starred the same ensemble cast as the first and amassed $951 million worldwide to become the highest grossing film of that year. Aside from being a commercial success, it was also a critical darling that picked up six Academy Award nominations and won two (for best sound editing and best visual effects). See what all the fuss was about and stream it on HBO Max now.

7. "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End"

"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" hit theaters in 2007 and grossed $960 million worldwide. The film — the third installment in the Disney franchise — starred Johnny Depp and Keira Knightley, who helped it become the highest earning film of that entire year. Catch this one on Disney+ anytime.

6. "Finding Nemo"

Disney's "Finding Nemo" snags the next spot with its $962 million worldwide gross. The animated flick featuring voices from the likes of Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres and Willem Dafoe became the highest grossing animated film ever after it was released in 2003. Aside from accruing impressive financial stats, the sweet story also won the Academy Award for best animated feature. Disney+ has this classic to stream anytime.

5. "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"

Coming in at No. 5? "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" — the very first installment in the mega-popular "Harry Potter" film franchise based on J.K. Rowling's book series. The film gave Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint their starts as the iconic characters Harry, Hermione and Ron and picked up an impressive $1 billion worldwide — making it the highest grossing film of 2001 (and the second highest grossing film of all time at that point). The inaugural flick also earned three Academy Award nominations — best art direction, best costume design and best original score. Start from the beginning and stream this one on HBO Max.

4. "The Dark Knight"

"The Dark Knight" takes fourth place in the 2000s box office race. The superhero flick — which starred Christian Bale as Batman and the late Heath Ledger as the Joker — was released in July 2008 and eventually grossed over a billion dollars at the global box office. Domestically, it took in $533 million, with $158 million of that coming in during its wildly successful opening weekend. Watch this one on Hulu.

3. "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"

"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," the second installation in the "Pirates" series, hit theaters in 2006 and ended up besting its predecessor at the box office. The Johnny Depp-led fantasy film, which also starred Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, was one of five films to earn over a billion dollars at the box office worldwide, solidifying it as the third highest grossing film of the '00s. It also became the highest grossing Disney film — until it was beat in 2010 by "Toy Story 3." Join the wild ride and watch this one on Disney+.

2. "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"

The runner-up to the top spot? 2003's "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," the third and final installment in the "Lord of the Rings" franchise. The ensemble cast returned for this much anticipated last film in the trilogy, which earned $377 million domestically and $1.1 billion worldwide. It easily scored the title of highest grossing film of 2003 while also accomplishing another impressive feat — winning all 11 Academy Awards for which it was nominated, setting a record. Stream this one on HBO Max tonight.

1. "Avatar"

"Avatar" takes the top spot at the 2000s box office, sneaking in with a December 2009 release. James Cameron wrote, produced, directed and edited the sci-fi film starring Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana, which ended up being a smash hit with audiences much like his wildly successful 1997 film, "Titanic." The movie earned more than $760 million at the box office domestically and a whopping $2.7 billion worldwide — which made it the first movie ever to earn more than $2 billion. It also received recognition at the Academy Awards, collecting nine nominations and winning three — best cinematography, best visual effects and best art direction. This smash hit can be streamed on Disney+.