Box Office Star Records > Domestic > Lifetime Specific Technical Role > Top Domestic Screenwriters

Top Grossing Screenwriter at the Domestic Box OfficeBETA


See also: Top Domestic Art Directors - Top Domestic Assistant Directors - Top Domestic Assistant Editors - Top Domestic Associate Producers - Top Domestic Casting Directors - Top Domestic Cinematographers - Top Domestic Co-Producers - Top Domestic Composers - Top Domestic Costume Designers - Top Domestic Costume Supervisors - Top Domestic Dialogue Editors - Top Domestic Directors - Top Domestic Editors - Top Domestic Executive Producers - Top Domestic Make-up and Hair Designers - Top Domestic Music Editors - Top Domestic Music Supervisors - Top Domestic Producers - Top Domestic Production Designers - Top Domestic Re-recording Mixers - Top Domestic Second Unit Directors - Top Domestic Set Decorators - Top Domestic Set Designers - Top Domestic Sound Designers - Top Domestic Sound Editors - Top Domestic Sound Effects Editors - Top Domestic Sound Mixers - Top Domestic Story Creators - Top Domestic Stunt Coordinators - Top Domestic Supervising Sound Editors - Top Domestic Unit Production Managers - Top Domestic Visual Effects Supervisors - Top International Screenwriters - Top Worldwide Screenwriters

This list shows the highest grossing Screenwriters based on the domestic box office of the movies they worked on.

Since we are still actively researching technical roles, we consider this chart to be in beta mode. The table includes data for movies in The Numbers database. While we make every effort to collect all available data, there are inevitably omissions and errors. Please help us by sending corrections to corrections@the-numbers.com.

  1
Christopher Markus
Best known as a Screenwriter based on credits in that role in 12 films.
Top films contributed to this record: Avengers: Endgame ($858,373,000 in 2019), Avengers: Infinity War ($678,815,482 in 2018), Captain America: Civil War ($408,084,349 in 2016), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ($291,710,957 in 2005), Captain America: The Winter Soldier ($259,746,958 in 2014), Thor: The Dark World ($206,362,140 in 2013), Captain America: The First Avenger ($176,654,505 in 2011), The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian ($141,621,490 in 2008), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader ($104,386,950 in 2010), Pain & Gain ($49,875,291 in 2013)

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  2
Stephen McFeely
Best known as a Screenwriter based on credits in that role in 12 films.
Top films contributed to this record: Avengers: Endgame ($858,373,000 in 2019), Avengers: Infinity War ($678,815,482 in 2018), Captain America: Civil War ($408,084,349 in 2016), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ($291,710,957 in 2005), Captain America: The Winter Soldier ($259,746,958 in 2014), Thor: The Dark World ($206,362,140 in 2013), Captain America: The First Avenger ($176,654,505 in 2011), The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian ($141,621,490 in 2008), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader ($104,386,950 in 2010), Pain & Gain ($49,875,291 in 2013)

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  3
James Cameron photo
James Cameron
Best known as a Director based on credits in that role in 14 films.
Top films contributed to this record: Avatar ($785,221,649 in 2009), Avatar: The Way of Water ($684,075,767 in 2022), Titanic ($674,460,013 in 1997), Terminator 2: Judgment Day ($203,464,105 in 1991), Rambo: First Blood Part II ($150,415,432 in 1985), True Lies ($146,282,411 in 1994), Alita: Battle Angel ($85,838,210 in 2019), Aliens ($85,160,248 in 1986), The Abyss ($54,763,229 in 1989), The Terminator ($38,019,031 in 1984)

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Complete List

Rank Name Domestic
Box Office
Movies Average
1 Christopher Markus $3,175,631,122 12 $264,635,927
2 Stephen McFeely $3,175,631,122 12 $264,635,927
3 James Cameron $2,915,618,657 13 $224,278,358
4 David Koepp $2,602,517,862 32 $81,328,683
5 Steve Kloves $2,510,465,598 13 $193,112,738
6 Andrew Stanton $2,489,053,184 9 $276,561,465
7 Chris McKenna $2,355,284,937 8 $294,410,617
8 Erik Sommers $2,335,756,335 7 $333,679,476
9 Christopher Nolan $2,325,222,596 10 $232,522,260
10 Lawrence Kasdan $2,241,078,209 12 $186,756,517
11 Ehren Kruger $2,174,360,386 17 $127,903,552
12 Peter Jackson $2,151,225,620 11 $195,565,965
13 Fran Walsh $2,151,225,620 11 $195,565,965
14 Terry Rossio $2,128,276,253 17 $125,192,721
15 Ted Elliott $2,062,797,637 12 $171,899,803
16 George Lucas $2,058,512,839 6 $343,085,473
17 J.J. Abrams $1,955,927,093 7 $279,418,156
18 Philippa Boyens $1,913,545,874 9 $212,616,208
19 Chris Morgan $1,792,106,570 13 $137,854,352
20 Christopher McQuarrie $1,788,927,844 11 $162,629,804
21 Ken Daurio $1,776,917,939 9 $197,435,327
22 Cinco Paul $1,776,917,939 8 $222,114,742
23 Akiva Goldsman $1,759,922,053 19 $92,627,476
24 Amanda Silver $1,755,644,774 8 $219,455,597
25 Michael Arndt $1,752,248,971 6 $292,041,495
26 Roberto Orci $1,738,416,625 10 $173,841,663
27 Alex Kurtzman $1,738,416,625 10 $173,841,663
28 M. Night Shyamalan $1,567,844,449 15 $104,522,963
29 Rick Jaffa $1,547,099,185 7 $221,014,169
30 Tony Gilroy $1,522,275,937 16 $95,142,246
31 Jonathan Aibel $1,504,690,711 12 $125,390,893
32 Glenn Berger $1,504,690,711 12 $125,390,893
33 Colin Trevorrow $1,446,877,465 3 $482,292,488
34 John Logan $1,444,559,766 19 $76,029,461
35 Linda Woolverton $1,436,522,196 8 $179,565,275
36 Ryan Coogler $1,436,003,820 5 $287,200,764
37 Melissa Rosenberg $1,431,250,467 7 $204,464,352
38 Jeff Nathanson $1,404,266,319 11 $127,660,574
39 James Gunn $1,402,957,443 12 $116,913,120
40 Joss Whedon $1,383,787,303 8 $172,973,413
41 Peter Craig $1,330,629,200 9 $147,847,689
42 Robert Wade $1,322,357,364 9 $146,928,596
43 Neal Purvis $1,317,945,194 8 $164,743,149
44 Guillermo del Toro $1,317,561,132 18 $73,197,841
45 David S. Goyer $1,281,471,419 14 $91,533,673
46 Scott Rosenberg $1,259,643,670 11 $114,513,061
47 Derek Connolly $1,251,512,854 6 $208,585,476
48 Simon Kinberg $1,237,260,143 12 $103,105,012
49 Jennifer Lee $1,232,191,693 6 $205,365,282
50 Brad Bird $1,226,009,914 6 $204,334,986
51 Jonathan Nolan $1,223,482,375 4 $305,870,594
52 Jeff Pinkner $1,223,319,810 7 $174,759,973
53 Chris Terrio $1,211,770,939 5 $242,354,188
54 Eric Roth $1,207,088,465 17 $71,005,204
55 John Hughes $1,194,190,087 19 $62,852,110
56 Sylvester Stallone $1,161,323,704 18 $64,517,984
57 Joe Robert Cole $1,153,888,626 4 $288,472,157
58 Roland Emmerich $1,083,891,331 8 $135,486,416
59 Phil Lord $1,060,228,450 5 $212,045,690
60 Christopher Miller $1,060,228,450 6 $176,704,742
61 Adam Sandler $1,054,738,788 14 $75,338,485
62 J. David Stem $1,045,886,270 9 $116,209,586
63 Todd Phillips $1,026,852,048 10 $102,685,205
64 Alvin Sargent $1,021,884,003 8 $127,735,500
65 Chris Weitz $1,007,483,169 9 $111,942,574
66 Rhett Reese $989,127,942 11 $89,920,722
67 Paul Wernick $989,127,942 11 $89,920,722
68 Matthew Fogel $983,120,509 3 $327,706,836
69 Brian Lynch $972,440,325 4 $243,110,081
70 John August $966,033,075 11 $87,821,189
71 John Hamburg $965,601,591 10 $96,560,159
72 Michael McCullers $937,235,764 7 $133,890,823
73 Noah Baumbach $919,449,928 14 $65,674,995
74 Gary Dauberman $918,390,826 9 $102,043,425
75 Tim Herlihy $918,131,039 11 $83,466,458
76 Eric Warren Singer $912,621,855 6 $152,103,643
77 Billy Ray $911,989,085 15 $60,799,272
78 David N. Weiss $906,918,635 8 $113,364,829
79 Luc Besson $906,501,693 29 $31,258,679
80 Robert Mark Kamen $896,084,354 15 $59,738,957
81 Steven Zaillian $895,093,623 16 $55,943,351
82 Nicholas Stoller $887,829,110 16 $55,489,319
83 Andrew Adamson $887,273,830 5 $177,454,766
84 Zak Penn $880,891,694 8 $110,111,462
85 Adam McKay $877,750,548 10 $87,775,055
86 William Broyles Jr. $871,709,420 6 $145,284,903
87 David Callaham $871,450,767 7 $124,492,967
88 Irene Mecchi $870,748,000 5 $174,149,600
89 Rian Johnson $869,107,390 5 $173,821,478
90 Scott Frank $866,938,989 12 $72,244,916
91 Mark Bomback $861,126,836 11 $78,284,258
92 Joe Stillman $857,547,165 5 $171,509,433
93 Peter S. Seaman $856,881,953 5 $171,376,391
94 Jeffrey Price $856,881,953 5 $171,376,391
95 Gary Ross $855,163,212 7 $122,166,173
96 Quentin Tarantino $834,282,181 14 $59,591,584
97 Bob Peterson $826,434,649 4 $206,608,662
98 Dan Fogelman $826,097,350 10 $82,609,735
99 Tyler Perry $815,018,870 19 $42,895,730
100 Lowell Ganz $807,934,269 14 $57,709,591

The Domestic Market is defined as the North American movie territory (consisting of the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and Guam).

This table is updated daily to reflect the latest studio reports.

Note: This chart is not adjusted for inflation.

Image attributions

James Cameron: Angela George [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons