Most Popular Movies 2022

This chart shows the 2022 movie releases that have attracted the most interest on The Numbers web site over the past 24 hours. A share of 100 corresponds to 1 percent of the total views for all 2022 releases.

See also: Domestic Release Schedule for 2022 - Top 2022 Worldwide

← 2021 Most Popular Overall 2023 →
  1
Avatar: The Way of Water
Domestic BO:
$684,075,767
International BO:
$1,633,438,619

Synopsis

Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, “Avatar: The Way of Water” begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.

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  2
Everything Everywhere All At Once
Domestic BO:
$77,169,474
International BO:
$34,249,959

Synopsis

A sci-fi action adventure about an exhausted Chinese American woman who can’t seem to finish her taxes.

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  3
Top Gun: Maverick
Top Gun: Maverick
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Lead Roles: Tom Cruise as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, Miles Teller as Rooster, Glen Powell as Hangman, Lewis James Pullman as Bob, Monica Barbaro as Phoenix, Danny Ramirez as Fanboy, Jay Ellis as Payback, Greg Tarzan Davis as Coyote, Jon Hamm as Cyclone
Initial Theatrical Release: May 20, 2022 (Wide) by Paramount Pictures (Finland)
Keywords: IMAX: DMR, Action Thriller, In a Plane, Delayed Sequel, 2023 Oscars Best Picture Nominee, Filmed in California, United States
Classification: Original Screenplay, Action, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction
Domestic BO:
$718,732,821
International BO:
$746,858,459

Synopsis

After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. When he finds himself training a detachment of Top Gun graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw, call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose.” Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it.

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  4
Suzume no tojimari (すずめの戸締まり)
Suzume (すずめの戸締まり)
Director: Makoto Shinkai
Lead Roles: Nanoka Hara as Suzume Iwato
Initial Theatrical Release: November 11, 2022 (Wide) by Toho-Towa, released as Suzume no tojimari (すずめの戸締まり) (Japan)
Keywords: Coming of Age, Action Adventure, Anime, Disaster, Life in a Small Town, Supernatural
Classification: Original Screenplay, Adventure, Digital Animation, Contemporary Fiction
Domestic BO:
$10,932,037
International BO:
$305,916,208

Synopsis

A coming-of-age story for the 17-year-old protagonist, Suzume, set in various disaster-stricken locations across Japan, where she must close the doors causing devastation. Suzume’s journey begins in a quiet town in Kyushu (located in southwestern Japan) when she encounters a young man who tells her, “I’m looking for a door.” What Suzume finds is a single weathered door standing upright in the midst of ruins as though it was shielded from whatever catastrophe struck. Seemingly drawn by its power, Suzume reaches for the knob… Doors begin to open one after another all across Japan, unleashing destruction upon any who are near. Suzume must close these portals to prevent further disaster. The stars, then sunset, and the morning sky. Within that realm, it was as though all time had melted together in the sky…

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  5
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Director: Joel Crawford
Lead Roles: Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots, Salma Hayek as Kitty Softpaws
Initial Theatrical Release: December 2, 2022 (Wide) (Cyprus)
Keywords: Family Adventure, Talking Animals, Animal Lead, Development Hell, Delayed Sequel
Classification: Spin-Off, Adventure, Digital Animation, Kids Fiction
Domestic BO:
$186,090,535
International BO:
$299,171,104

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  6
The Batman
The Batman
Director: Matt Reeves
Lead Roles: Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne / Batman, Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle / Catwoman, Colin Farrell as Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot / Penguin, Paul Dano as Edward Nashton / Riddler
Initial Theatrical Release: March 1, 2022 (Wide), released as 더 배트맨 (South Korea)
Keywords: Reboot, Action Thriller, Crime, Serial Killer
Classification: Based on Comic/Graphic Novel, Action, Live Action, Super Hero
Domestic BO:
$369,345,583
International BO:
$396,604,896

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  7
The Menu
The Menu
Director: Mark Mylod
Lead Roles: Ralph Fiennes as Chef Slowik, Anya Taylor-Joy as Margot, Nicholas Hoult as Tyler
Initial Theatrical Release: November 16, 2022 (Wide) (Philippines)
Keywords: Restaurants, Black Comedy, Food, Surprise Twist
Classification: Original Screenplay, Black Comedy, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction
Domestic BO:
$41,280,699
International BO:
$34,539,679

Synopsis

Set in the world of high-end culinary culture, a young couple visits an exclusive destination restaurant on a remote island where the acclaimed chef has prepared a lavish tasting menu, along with some shocking surprises.

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  8
The Whale
Domestic BO:
$17,453,440
International BO:
$36,591,041

Synopsis

A 600-pound man who can’t leave his apartment and is estranged from his teenage daughter, wants to reconnect.

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  9
Eiga Slam Dunk
Eiga Slam Dunk
Director: Takehiko Inoue
Initial Theatrical Release: December 3, 2022 (Limited) by Toei Company, released as The First Slam Dunk (ザ・ファーストスラムダンク) (Japan)
Keywords: Sports Comedy, Anime, Basketball, High School, High School Sports, Romance, First Love, Novel or Other Work Adapted by Author
Classification: Based on Comic/Graphic Novel, Comedy, Digital Animation, Contemporary Fiction
Domestic BO:
$1,291,869
International BO:
$277,307,868

Synopsis

Shohoku's “speedster” and point guard, Ryota Miyagi, always plays with brains and lightning speed, running circles around his opponents while feigning composure. Born and raised in Okinawa, Ryota had a brother who was three years older. Following in the footsteps of his older brother, who was a famous local player from a young age, Ryota also became addicted to basketball. In his second year of high school, Ryota plays with the Shohoku High School basketball team along with Sakuragi, Rukawa, Akagi, and Mitsui as they take the stage at the Inter-High School National Championship. And now, they are on the brink of challenging the reigning champions, Sannoh Kogyo High School.

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10
Close
Close
Director: Lukas Dhont
Initial Theatrical Release: November 1, 2022 (Limited) by Diaphana Films (France)
Keywords: Coming-of-Age Drama, Coming of Age, LGBTQ+, Death of a Best Friend, Death of a Son or Daughter, Missing Person
Classification: Original Screenplay, Drama, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction
Domestic BO:
$1,100,114
International BO:
$2,387,615

Synopsis

Leo and Remi are two thirteen-year-old best friends, whose seemingly unbreakable bond is suddenly, tragically torn apart. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, Lukas Dhont’s second film is an emotionally transformative and unforgettable portrait of the intersection of friendship and love, identity and independence, and heartbreak and healing.

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11
Strange World
Strange World
Director: Don Hall
Initial Theatrical Release: November 22, 2022 (Wide) by Walt Disney, released as Strange World (Странный мир) (Russia (CIS))
Keywords: Family Adventure, Missing Person, Father’s Footsteps, Explorer, Dysfunctional Family
Classification: Original Screenplay, Adventure, Digital Animation, Kids Fiction
Domestic BO:
$39,089,002
International BO:
$31,610,726

Synopsis

The film follows a legendary family of explorers, the Clades, as they attempt to navigate an uncharted, treacherous land alongside a motley crew that includes a mischievous blob, a three-legged dog and a slew of ravenous creatures.

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12
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Director: Sam Raimi
Lead Roles: Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange, Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlett Witch, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Karl Mordo, Benedict Wong as Wong, Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez, Michael Stuhlbarg as Nicodemus West, Rachel McAdams as Dr. Christine Palmer
Initial Theatrical Release: May 4, 2022 (Wide) by Walt Disney (Germany)
Keywords: Action Adventure, Alternative Dimensions / Parallel universe, Filmed in London, England, Filmed in Los Angeles, CA
Classification: Based on Comic/Graphic Novel, Action, Animation/Live Action, Super Hero
Domestic BO:
$411,331,607
International BO:
$540,893,379

Synopsis

Marvel Studios' “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”—a thrilling ride through the Multiverse with Doctor Strange, his trusted friend Wong and Wanda Maximoff, aka Scarlet Witch.

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13
Retour à Séoul
Retour à Séoul
Director: Davy Chou
Lead Roles: Ji-Min Park as Frédérique Benoît
Initial Theatrical Release: August 4, 2022 (Limited), released as Return to Seoul (New Zealand)
Keywords: Life Drama, Adopted Family Seeking Reunion, Set in South Korea
Classification: Original Screenplay, Drama, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction
Domestic BO:
$798,774
International BO:
$856,378

Synopsis

After an impulsive travel decision to visit friends, Freddie, 25, returns to South Korea for the first time, where she was born before being adopted and raised in France. Freddie suddenly finds herself embarking on (an unexpected) journey in a country she knows so little about, taking her life in new and unexpected directions.

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14
Triangle of Sadness
Domestic BO:
$4,608,096
International BO:
$28,282,887

Synopsis

Celebrity model couple, Carl and Yaya, are invited on a luxury cruise for the uber-rich, helmed by an unhinged boat captain. What first appeared instagrammable ends catastrophically, leaving the survivors stranded on a desert island and fighting for survival.

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15
Living
Living
Director: Oliver Hermanus
Lead Roles: Bill Nighy as Mr. Williams
Initial Theatrical Release: November 4, 2022 (Limited) by Lionsgate (United Kingdom)
Keywords: Sundance Film Festival 2022, Life Drama, Terminal Illness, 1950s, Set in London, Remake, Foreign-Language Remake
Classification: Based on Movie, Drama, Live Action, Historical Fiction
Domestic BO:
$3,037,858
International BO:
$9,381,182

Synopsis

LIVING is the story of an ordinary man, reduced by years of oppressive office routine to a shadow existence, who at the eleventh hour makes a supreme effort to turn his dull life into something wonderful.

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16
Minions: The Rise of Gru
Minions: The Rise of Gru
Director: Kyle Balda
Lead Roles: Steve Carell as Gru
Initial Theatrical Release: June 16, 2022 (Wide) by Universal Pictures (Australia)
Keywords: Disrupted by 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Prequel, Inbetwequel, Origin Story, Super Villains, Family Adventure
Classification: Spin-Off, Adventure, Digital Animation, Kids Fiction
Domestic BO:
$370,270,765
International BO:
$569,138,132

Synopsis

In the heart of the 1970s, amid a flurry of feathered hair and flared jeans, Gru is growing up in the suburbs. A fanboy of a supervillain supergroup known as the Vicious 6, Gru hatches a plan to become evil enough to join them. Luckily, he gets some mayhem-making backup from his loyal followers, the Minions. Together, Kevin, Stuart, Bob, and Otto—a new Minion sporting braces and a desperate need to please—deploy their skills as they and Gru build their first lair, experiment with their first weapons and pull off their first missions. When the Vicious 6 oust their leader, legendary fighter Wild Knuckles, Gru interviews to become their newest member. It doesn’t go well (to say the least), and only gets worse after Gru outsmarts them and suddenly finds himself the mortal enemy of the apex of evil. On the run, Gru will turn to an unlikely source for guidance, Wild Knuckles himself, and discover that even bad guys need a little help from their friends.

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17
Turning Red
Turning Red
Director: Domee Shi
Lead Roles: Rosalie Chiang as Mei Lee
Initial Theatrical Release: March 10, 2022 (Wide) (Philippines)
Keywords: Family Adventure, Human Animal Transformation, Curses, Dysfunctional Family
Classification: Original Screenplay, Adventure, Digital Animation, Science Fiction
Domestic BO:
$1,399,001
International BO:
$10,872,141

Synopsis

Mei Lee is a 13-year-old who suddenly “poofs” into a giant red panda when she gets too excited (which is practically ALWAYS). Mei Lee’s protective, if not slightly overbearing mother Ming, who is never far from her daughter—an unfortunate reality for the teenager.

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18
Aftersun
Aftersun
Director: Charlotte Wells
Lead Roles: Paul Mescal as Calum, Francesca Corio as Sophie, Celia Rowlson-Hall as Adult Sophie
Initial Theatrical Release: August 11, 2022 (Limited) (New Zealand)
Keywords: Family Drama, Faulty Memory, Dysfunctional Family, Family Vacations, Non-Chronological, Same Role, Multiple Actors, F-Rated
Classification: Original Screenplay, Drama, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction
Domestic BO:
$1,658,791
International BO:
$8,092,203

Synopsis

Sophie reflects on the shared joy and private melancholy of a holiday she took with her father twenty years earlier. Memories real and imagined fill the gaps between miniDV footage as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn’t.

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19
I Wanna Dance With Somebody
Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody
Director: Kasi Lemmons
Lead Roles: Naomi Ackie as Whitney Houston
Initial Theatrical Release: December 21, 2022 (Wide) by Sony Pictures, released as Whitney Houston I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Spain)
Keywords: Biography, Pop Music, Biographical Drama, African Americans, Addiction, Musicians
Classification: Based on Real Life Events, Drama, Live Action, Dramatization
Domestic BO:
$23,708,080
International BO:
$35,677,104

Synopsis

A portrait of the complex and multifaceted woman behind The Voice. From New Jersey choir girl to one of the best-selling and most awarded recording artists of all time, a journey through Houston’s trailblazing life and career.

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20
The Fabelmans
The Fabelmans
Director: Steven Spielberg
Lead Roles: Michelle Williams as Mitzi Fabelman, Paul Dano as Burt Fabelman, Seth Rogen as Bennie Loewy, Gabriel LaBelle as Sammy Fabelman, Julia Butters as Reggie Fabelman
Initial Theatrical Release: November 11, 2022 (Limited) by Universal
Keywords: Biographical Drama, Biography, Autobiographical, 1940s, 1950s, Coming of Age, Set in Arizona, Filmed in California, United States, 2023 Oscars Best Picture Nominee, Filmed in Los Angeles, CA
Classification: Based on Real Life Events, Drama, Live Action, Dramatization
Domestic BO:
$17,348,945
International BO:
$25,932,195

Synopsis

A deeply personal portrait of 20th Century American childhood, Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans is a coming-of-age story about a young man’s discovery of a shattering family secret and an exploration of the power of movies to help us see the truth about each other and ourselves.

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21
Women Talking
Women Talking
Director: Sarah Polley
Lead Roles: Rooney Mara as Ona, Claire Foy as Salome, Jessie Buckley as Mariche, Judith Ivey as Agata, Frances McDormand as Scarface Janz
Initial Theatrical Release: December 23, 2022 (Limited) by United Artists
Keywords: Crime Drama, Sex Crimes, Sexism, Inspired by a True Story, Mennonites, 2010s, Orthodox Religion, Religious, 2023 Oscars Best Picture Nominee
Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Drama, Live Action, Historical Fiction
Domestic BO:
$5,456,531
International BO:
$3,719,329

Synopsis

Do nothing. Stay and fight. Or leave. In 2010, the women of an isolated religious community grapple with reconciling a brutal reality with their faith.

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22
An Cailín Ciúin
An Cailín Ciúin
Director: Colm Bairéad
Lead Roles: Catherine Clinch as Cáit
Initial Theatrical Release: May 13, 2022 (Limited) by Curzon Artificial Eye, released as The Quiet Girl (United Kingdom)
Keywords: 1980s, Set in Ireland, Foster Family, Family Secrets, Coming of Age, Coming-of-Age Drama
Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Drama, Live Action, Historical Fiction
Domestic BO:
$1,500,014
International BO:
$4,761,581

Synopsis

Rural Ireland. 1981. Nine-year-old Cait is sent away from her overcrowded, dysfunctional family to live with foster parents for the summer. Quietly struggling at school and at home, she has learned to hide in plain sight from those around her. She blossoms in their care, but in this house where there are meant to be no secrets, she discovers one painful truth.

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23
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Director: Ryan Coogler
Lead Roles: Letitia Wright as Shuri, Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia, Danai Gurira as Okoye, Winston Duke as M’Baku, Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams/Ironheart, Florence Kasumba as Ayo, Michaela Coel as Aneka, Tenoch Huerta as Namor, Martin Freeman as Everett K. Ross, Angela Bassett as Ramonda
Initial Theatrical Release: November 9, 2022 (Wide) by Walt Disney (Germany)
Keywords: Action Adventure, Sequels Without Their Original Stars, Set in Africa, Underwater, Death of a Son or Daughter, Death of a Sibling
Classification: Based on Comic/Graphic Novel, Action, Animation/Live Action, Super Hero
Domestic BO:
$453,829,060
International BO:
$400,156,486

Synopsis

Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M’Baku, Okoye and the Dora Milaje fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia and Everett Ross and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda.

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24
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Director: Jeff Fowler
Lead Roles: Ben Schwartz as Sonic the Hedgehog, Jim Carrey as Dr. Ivo Robotnik, Idris Elba as Knuckles the Echidna, Colleen O Shaughnessey as Miles “Tails” Prower, James Marsden as Tom Wachowski, Tika Sumpter as Maddie Wachowski, Lee Majdoub as Stone, Natasha Rothwell as Rachel, Shemar Moore as Randall
Initial Theatrical Release: March 30, 2022 (Wide) (Netherlands)
Keywords: Family Adventure, Talking Animals, Animal Lead, Underwater, Undercover, Wedding Day Disasters
Classification: Based on Game, Adventure, Animation/Live Action, Kids Fiction
Domestic BO:
$190,872,904
International BO:
$214,281,522

Synopsis

Once settled in Green Hills, Sonic is determined to prove that he has the temperament of a hero. He is put to the test as Dr. Robotnik reappears, this time with a new partner, Knuckles, looking for an emerald that would have the power to destroy entire civilizations. And here’s Sonic alongside his own sidekick, Tails, who venture on a globetrotter mission to find the emerald before it falls into the wrong hands.

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25
Emily
Emily
Director: Frances O’Connor
Lead Roles: Emma Mackey as Emily Brontë
Initial Theatrical Release: October 14, 2022 (Limited) by Warner Bros. (United Kingdom)
Keywords: Biographical Drama, Biography, 1800s, Writing and Writers, Romance
Classification: Based on Real Life Events, Drama, Live Action, Dramatization
Domestic BO:
$1,097,067
International BO:
$2,413,177

Synopsis

Haunted by the death of her mother, Emily struggles within the confines of her family life and yearns for artistic and personal freedom, and so begins a journey to channel her creative potential into one of the greatest novels of all time.

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