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

Top Grossing Screenwriter at the Worldwide Box OfficeBETA


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

This list shows the highest grossing Screenwriters based on the worldwide 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
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 ($2,923,706,026 in 2009), Avatar: The Way of Water ($2,317,514,386 in 2022), Titanic ($2,223,048,786 in 1997), Terminator 2: Judgment Day ($515,361,524 in 1991), Alita: Battle Angel ($401,900,040 in 2019), True Lies ($365,300,000 in 1994), Rambo: First Blood Part II ($300,400,000 in 1985), Aliens ($183,291,893 in 1986), The Terminator ($78,019,031 in 1984), The Abyss ($54,793,434 in 1989)

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  2
Christopher Markus
Best known as a Screenwriter based on credits in that role in 12 films.
Top films contributed to this record: Avengers: Endgame ($2,788,912,285 in 2019), Avengers: Infinity War ($2,048,359,754 in 2018), Captain America: Civil War ($1,151,899,586 in 2016), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ($720,539,572 in 2005), Captain America: The Winter Soldier ($714,401,889 in 2014), Thor: The Dark World ($644,602,516 in 2013), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader ($418,186,950 in 2010), The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian ($417,341,288 in 2008), Captain America: The First Avenger ($370,569,776 in 2011), Pain & Gain ($81,275,291 in 2013)

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  3
Stephen McFeely
Best known as a Screenwriter based on credits in that role in 12 films.
Top films contributed to this record: Avengers: Endgame ($2,788,912,285 in 2019), Avengers: Infinity War ($2,048,359,754 in 2018), Captain America: Civil War ($1,151,899,586 in 2016), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ($720,539,572 in 2005), Captain America: The Winter Soldier ($714,401,889 in 2014), Thor: The Dark World ($644,602,516 in 2013), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader ($418,186,950 in 2010), The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian ($417,341,288 in 2008), Captain America: The First Avenger ($370,569,776 in 2011), Pain & Gain ($81,275,291 in 2013)

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Complete List

Rank Name Worldwide
Box Office
Movies Average
1 James Cameron $9,371,253,682 13 $720,865,668
2 Christopher Markus $9,358,628,734 12 $779,885,728
3 Stephen McFeely $9,358,628,734 12 $779,885,728
4 Steve Kloves $7,929,531,793 13 $609,963,984
5 Chris Morgan $6,694,100,859 13 $514,930,835
6 Peter Jackson $6,599,252,055 11 $599,932,005
7 Fran Walsh $6,599,252,055 11 $599,932,005
8 David Koepp $6,585,123,692 32 $205,785,115
9 Philippa Boyens $6,026,742,156 9 $669,638,017
10 Christopher Nolan $5,889,234,446 10 $588,923,445
11 Chris McKenna $5,844,568,979 8 $730,571,122
12 Erik Sommers $5,813,555,630 7 $830,507,947
13 Andrew Stanton $5,649,413,331 9 $627,712,592
14 Ehren Kruger $5,631,653,094 17 $331,273,711
15 Terry Rossio $5,557,159,924 17 $326,891,760
16 Ted Elliott $5,363,705,994 12 $446,975,500
17 Amanda Silver $5,273,038,941 8 $659,129,868
18 Christopher McQuarrie $5,198,338,501 11 $472,576,227
19 Robert Wade $5,049,424,258 9 $561,047,140
20 Neal Purvis $4,890,054,980 8 $611,256,873
21 Rick Jaffa $4,562,394,375 7 $651,770,625
22 Lawrence Kasdan $4,444,750,949 12 $370,395,912
23 J.J. Abrams $4,391,554,629 7 $627,364,947
24 Ken Daurio $4,328,690,479 9 $480,965,609
25 Cinco Paul $4,328,690,479 8 $541,086,310
26 John Logan $4,291,345,679 19 $225,860,299
27 Akiva Goldsman $4,182,591,522 19 $220,136,396
28 Guillermo del Toro $4,171,388,472 18 $231,743,804
29 Linda Woolverton $4,016,821,264 8 $502,102,658
30 Roberto Orci $4,000,547,615 10 $400,054,762
31 Alex Kurtzman $4,000,547,615 10 $400,054,762
32 Michael Arndt $3,990,731,794 6 $665,121,966
33 Colin Trevorrow $3,982,291,535 3 $1,327,430,512
34 George Lucas $3,931,060,295 6 $655,176,716
35 Jonathan Aibel $3,876,199,106 12 $323,016,592
36 Glenn Berger $3,876,199,106 12 $323,016,592
37 Jeff Nathanson $3,779,878,273 11 $343,625,298
38 Jennifer Lee $3,594,992,199 6 $599,165,367
39 Jeff Pinkner $3,546,865,033 7 $506,695,005
40 Derek Connolly $3,473,271,885 6 $578,878,648
41 M. Night Shyamalan $3,461,370,951 15 $230,758,063
42 Joss Whedon $3,442,003,213 8 $430,250,402
43 Melissa Rosenberg $3,423,475,002 7 $489,067,857
44 Roland Emmerich $3,415,772,709 8 $426,971,589
45 Simon Kinberg $3,395,380,938 12 $282,948,412
46 Scott Rosenberg $3,237,809,716 11 $294,346,338
47 Tony Gilroy $3,206,000,585 16 $200,375,037
48 James Gunn $3,166,169,964 12 $263,847,497
49 David S. Goyer $3,005,449,047 14 $214,674,932
50 Peter Craig $2,833,735,509 9 $314,859,501
51 Jonathan Nolan $2,832,949,647 4 $708,237,412
52 Chris Terrio $2,829,417,459 5 $565,883,492
53 Brad Bird $2,771,703,378 6 $461,950,563
54 Eric Roth $2,709,339,720 17 $159,372,925
55 Brian Lynch $2,678,228,582 4 $669,557,146
56 Luc Besson $2,667,514,501 29 $91,983,259
57 Sylvester Stallone $2,657,934,921 18 $147,663,051
58 Ryan Coogler $2,656,045,707 5 $531,209,141
59 Todd Phillips $2,585,568,427 10 $258,556,843
60 Mark Bomback $2,529,289,489 11 $229,935,408
61 Alvin Sargent $2,497,246,606 8 $312,155,826
62 David Leslie Johnson $2,473,525,339 7 $353,360,763
63 Chris Weitz $2,414,804,704 9 $268,311,634
64 Matthew Fogel $2,386,485,335 3 $795,495,112
65 John August $2,366,003,269 11 $215,091,206
66 J. David Stem $2,350,036,589 9 $261,115,177
67 Gary Dauberman $2,324,495,952 9 $258,277,328
68 Noah Baumbach $2,307,601,462 14 $164,828,676
69 Rhett Reese $2,273,316,040 11 $206,665,095
70 Paul Wernick $2,273,316,040 11 $206,665,095
71 Lana Wachowski $2,204,110,594 8 $275,513,824
72 Joe Robert Cole $2,190,479,866 4 $547,619,967
73 David N. Weiss $2,168,597,972 8 $271,074,747
74 Andy Wachowski $2,168,115,684 7 $309,730,812
75 Irene Mecchi $2,130,741,658 5 $426,148,332
76 Michael McCullers $2,109,451,705 7 $301,350,244
77 Andrew Adamson $2,108,412,934 5 $421,682,587
78 Zak Penn $2,103,594,682 8 $262,949,335
79 Phil Johnston $2,064,847,530 5 $412,969,506
80 Bob Peterson $2,051,099,598 4 $512,774,900
81 Scott Frank $2,050,313,507 12 $170,859,459
82 Kelly Marcel $2,043,385,450 6 $340,564,242
83 Jez Butterworth $2,040,460,339 10 $204,046,034
84 Erich Hoeber $2,030,265,261 11 $184,569,569
85 Jon Hoeber $2,030,265,261 11 $184,569,569
86 Darren Lemke $2,022,949,795 9 $224,772,199
87 Art Marcum $2,015,981,775 8 $251,997,722
88 Matt Holloway $2,015,981,775 8 $251,997,722
89 Evan Spiliotopoulos $2,011,229,257 10 $201,122,926
90 Quentin Tarantino $2,009,367,694 14 $143,526,264
91 Michael Green $2,005,226,134 9 $222,802,904
92 Dean Devlin $1,994,931,980 5 $398,986,396
93 Drew Pearce $1,989,441,825 3 $663,147,275
94 Steven Zaillian $1,977,325,407 16 $123,582,838
95 Robert Mark Kamen $1,955,853,931 15 $130,390,262
96 Christopher Miller $1,951,692,875 6 $325,282,146
97 Phil Lord $1,951,611,537 5 $390,322,307
98 Daniel Gerson $1,951,202,534 3 $650,400,845
99 Jason Fuchs $1,945,892,458 6 $324,315,410
100 Jared Bush $1,920,653,755 3 $640,217,918

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