Tim Burton might not be the first director people think of when discussing box office success, and he doesn’t have as many films as directors like Steven Spielberg or James Cameron. However, his movies have earned a lot of money over his career, with hits like Alice in Wonderland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and Batman. What’s remarkable is that Burton’s films have been successful over many years – he’s created blockbusters across different decades and continues to do so.
Tim Burton is set to direct a new version of the classic sci-fi film Attack of the 50-Foot Woman, with Margot Robbie starring. The film is already generating buzz thanks to the talented team behind it – the script is being written by Danya Jimenez and Hannah McMechan, known for Kpop Demon Hunters. If the movie is a success, it could be a major achievement for Burton, placing him among a select group of directors with significant box office earnings.
Tim Burton Can Join a Rare Box Office Club With Attack of the 50-Foot Woman
As a huge movie fan, I was looking at box office numbers, and it’s amazing how much money Tim Burton’s films have made! According to The Numbers, his movies have collectively earned nearly $4.9 billion worldwide. Alice in Wonderland is a massive part of that – over a billion dollars on its own! That puts him in the top 10 highest-grossing directors of all time. Interestingly, all the directors above him have each earned at least $5 billion. He’s right behind Ridley Scott, who’s currently at $5.043 billion. I’ve included a list of the top 10 below if you’re curious!
| Director | Box Office Gross (Billions) |
| Steven Spielberg | $10.723 |
| James Cameron | $10.123 |
| Anthony Russo | $6.762 |
| Joe Russo | $6.762 |
| Peter Jackson | $6.568 |
| Michael Bay | $6.495 |
| David Yates | $6.355 |
| Christopher Nolan | $6.048 |
| Ridley Scott | $5.043 |
| Tim Burton | $4.877 |
Tim Burton is close to reaching a major milestone – joining the exclusive group of directors whose films have grossed over $5 billion worldwide, needing just $123 million more. His new movie, Attack of the 50-Foot Woman, could be the one to push him over the edge. Burton’s popularity has recently bounced back after a slower period in the 2010s. Thanks to the success of Netflix’s Wednesday and this year’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (which has already earned $451.9 million), fans are excited about his work again and have confidence he’ll continue to deliver great films.
Margot Robbie’s involvement is expected to significantly help the film Attack of the 50-Foot Woman succeed. Since her breakout role in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street – his most commercially successful film to date, earning $389.8 million globally – Robbie has become a major star. She’s starred in huge hits like Barbie ($1.447 billion), Suicide Squad ($749.2 million), and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood ($377.4 million). While not every film she’s been in has been a success, her overall track record is strong, keeping her among Hollywood’s leading actresses. Disney is clearly interested in her for the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean reboot. The pairing of Robbie and director Tim Burton is likely to attract audiences, especially considering her past successes when working with acclaimed directors like Scorsese, Greta Gerwig, and Quentin Tarantino.
If Tim Burton’s latest film, Attack of the 50-Foot Woman, performs well, it’s expected to earn him the $123 million needed to reach a career total of $5 billion in box office revenue. Looking back to 2005, only three of his directed films haven’t reached that $123 million mark: Corpse Bride ($115.8 million), Frankenweenie ($81.1 million), and Big Eyes ($27.3 million). Two of those were stop-motion animated films, which generally don’t attract as large an audience as other animated movies, and the third was a smaller-scale biographical film intended for award consideration rather than big commercial success. Barring a complete failure, Attack of the 50-Foot Woman should easily help Burton reach this impressive milestone.
Another Director Could Hit the $5 Billion Mark Before Burton
As of today, there’s no release date for Tim Burton’s Attack of the 50-Foot Woman, meaning he’ll have to wait before his films reach a combined $5 billion in box office earnings. It likely won’t be released until 2027, if not later. However, J.J. Abrams might reach that $5 billion milestone first. His new film, The Great Beyond, is scheduled for release this November.
J.J. Abrams is a hugely successful director, with his films earning over $4.6 billion worldwide. However, much of his success comes from working with well-known franchises like Star Trek ($386.8 million) and Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($2.056 billion), which already had a large and dedicated fanbase. While his fast-paced and exciting directing style certainly made these films enjoyable, they likely would have been hits no matter who directed them. This isn’t to diminish Abrams’ talent, but in these cases, the power of the franchise was the primary reason for their success.
J.J. Abrams only directed one truly original film, 2011’s Super 8, a surprisingly good movie that pays tribute to classic Spielberg films. It earned $260.1 million worldwide, which is a solid return on its $50 million budget. However, it showed that Abrams’s reputation isn’t quite as powerful at the box office as some other directors, like Christopher Nolan. His new film, The Great Beyond, needs to make around $363 million to bring Abrams’s total box office earnings to $5 billion, which might be difficult. As an original film – always a risk – and with an untested cast, its success isn’t guaranteed.
Glen Powell and Jenna Ortega, both up-and-coming actors with dedicated fans, are starring in The Great Beyond, but haven’t consistently proven they can guarantee big box office numbers. While Powell had success with the rom-com Anyone But You ($218.9 million), his other major hits have been sequels to established franchises (Top Gun: Maverick, Twisters), and his recent film with Edgar Wright didn’t perform as well ($68.8 million). Ortega’s biggest films, like Scream and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, are also part of ongoing series. For The Great Beyond to reach $360 million, it will need a lot of positive word-of-mouth and create a sense of urgency – something like the movie Sinners. J.J. Abrams might eventually reach $5 billion in total box office revenue, but Tim Burton is likely to get there first.
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2026-02-08 21:45