With “Finding Dory” and “Independence Day: Resurgence” projected to be the highest grossing summer movies of 2016, TheWrap take a look back at the films that won each summer movie for the past 10 years.
“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” (Release date: July 7, 2006)
The sequel to the 2003 Disney action adventure was even more commercially successful than its predecessor. Though it didn’t receive the same amount of positive reviews, “Dead Man’s Chest” grossed about $423.3 million domestically and $1.06 billion worldwide, which helped spawn three more sequels for the franchise.
“Spider-Man 3” (Release date: May 4, 2007)
“Spider-Man 3” may not have lived up to the hype of the first two critically acclaimed “Spider-Man” films, but it certainly made an impression financially. The third and final entry into the Sam Raimi-directed saga earned $336.5 million in domestic gross revenue and $890 million worldwide.
“The Dark Knight” (Release date: July 18, 2008)
Christopher Nolan‘s masterful sequel to his “Batman” franchise garnered $534.8 million domestically and opened to critical acclaim. Due to its lucrative commercial success and Heath Ledger‘s captivating posthumous performance as the Joker, “The Dark Knight” was re-released in January 2009 for Oscar consideration. It not only received 8 Oscar nominations and winning Best Supporting Actor for Ledger, but “The Dark Knight” was able to pass the $1.004 billion mark in total gross.
“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” (Release date: June 24, 2009)
Poor critical reviews didn’t stop “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” from becoming the highest grossing film of the summer of 2009 (and the second highest that year). After the first “Transformers” movie in 2007 ushered in a new franchise, its sequel “Revenge of the Fallen” became a massive box office success, earning $402.1 million domestically and $836 million worldwide.
“Toy Story 3” (Release date: June 18, 2010)
Fifteen years after Pixar’s beloved classic “Toy Story,” the film’s triquel exceeded expectations, both critically and commercially. Receiving overwhelming critical praise and several Oscar nominations, “Toy Story 3” skyrocketed at the box office, making $415 million domestically and roughly over $1 billion in total (the first animated film to do so).