Biggest summer blockbusters from the past 40 years
On June 20, the night before the summer of 1975 began, "Jaws" chomped through movie screens around the world, giving theatergoers a frightening adventure that would soon become a cultural phenomenon. Thus, the summer blockbuster was born.
Here are many of the notable summer blockbusters that followed, in order of release date.
All box office grosses per boxofficemojo.com.
Grease: June 1, 1978
Credit: Paramount Pictures
All of the actors in "Grease" -- including Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta -- were well past high school age, but that didn't stop the summer romance classic from becoming the highest-grossing film of 1978.
Raiders of the Lost Ark: June 1, 1981
Credit: LucasFilms
The first in the Indiana Jones series, "Raiders of the Lost Ark," directed by Steven Spielberg, has grossed more than $248 million to date.
Ghostbusters: June 8, 1984
Credit: Columbia Pictures
"If there's something strange in your neighborhood, who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!" The catchy theme song by Ray Parker Jr. was No. 1 on Billboard's singles chart for three weeks.
Batman Forever: June 9, 1995
Credit: Warner Bros. Studios.
"Batman Forever," directed by Joel Schumacher, was the sixth-highest-grossing film worldwide of 1995. Pictured is Val Kilmer in the batsuit.
ET: The Extra-Terrestrial: June 11, 1982
Credit: Universal Studios
Steven Spielberg's "ET: The Extra Terrestrial" was the highest-grossing film of all time -- until the director broke his own record with "Jurassic Park" in 1993.
Jurassic Park: June 11, 1993
Credit: Universal Pictures
Steven Spielberg's sci-fi horror film "Jurassic Park" was the highest-grossing movie of all time only until James Cameron's "Titanic" came out four years later.
The Lion King: June 15, 1994
Credit: Disney
Disney's "The Lion King" was the highest-grossing film of 1994 worldwide, with a box office total of $312.9 million that year in the U.S. alone. It remains the third-highest-grossing animated film of all time.
Toy Story 3: June 18, 2010
Credit: MCT
"Toy Story 3" was the highest-grossing film of 2010 ($415 million), and holds the record for the first animated film to produce $1 billion in ticket sales.
Batman Returns: June 19, 1992
Credit: IMDB
Michelle Pfeiffer crawled into the vinyl catsuit for "Batman Returns," which has pulled in nearly $163 million to date.
Jaws: June 20, 1975
Credit: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
"Duuun dun duuun dun." Composer John Williams' minimalistic theme to portray giant man-eating great white shark "Jaws" certainly scared people out of the water in 1975. The first modern-day blockbuster, "Jaws" celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2015.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit: June 22, 1988
Credit: The Walt Disney Co.
"Who Framed Roger Rabbit" garnered more than $11 million at the box office its opening weekend. The highest-grossing movie of 1988, "Rain Man," got just $7 million its first weekend.
Batman: June 23, 1989
Credit: Warner Bros.
"Batman," starring Michael Keaton, was the highest-grossing film based on a DC comic book until "The Dark Knight" was released in 2008.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: June 24, 2009
Credit: Paramount Pictures
"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" was the second-highest-grossing film of 2009, in the U.S. ($402.1 million domestic), only behind "Avatar."
Independence Day: June 25, 1996
Credit: 20th Century Fox / Claudette Barius
The Will Smith-driven "Independence Day," about an alien invasion, scared up $306 million at the box office to date. Look for a second "I.D." film in 2016.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon: June 29, 2011
Credit: Paramount Pictures
Sci-fi action flick "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" (2011) is currently the ninth-highest-grossing film of all time, worldwide.
Spider-Man 2: June 30, 2004
Credit: Columbia Pictures / John Bramley
Along came a Spidey, played for a second time by Tobey Maguire, in 2004's "Spider-Man 2." Some of the movie's biggest action scenes were filmed right in Bethpage.
Men in Black: July 2, 1997
Credit: Columbia Pictures / Melinda Sue Gordon
The 1997 film "Men in Black" was a smash hit at the box office, grossing over $589 million worldwide.
Back to the Future: July 3, 1985
"Back to the Future" was the highest-grossing film of 1985 ($210.6 million domestic). The film's script was rejected over 40 times, co-creator Bob Gale told CNN in 2010.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day: July 3, 1991
"Terminator 2" was the most expensive film ever made in 1991, with a budget of about $102 million.
Despicable Me 2: July 3, 2013
Credit: IMDB
"Despicable Me 2" is Universal Films' most profitable movie ever, grossing more than $970 million worldwide.
Transformers: July 3, 2007
The first installment of the "Transformers" live-action film series -- which debuted Fourth of July weekend 2007 -- grossed more than $709 million worldwide.
Forrest Gump: July 6, 1994
Credit: Paramount Pictures / Phillip Caruso
It's been more than 20 years since "Forrest Gump" (Tom Hanks) sat on that bench in Savannah, Georgia, but his lines, including, "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get," are still quoted.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: July 7, 2006
Credit: IMDB
"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" is the 14th-highest-grossing film of all time. When it premiered in 2006, it was the only movie ever to gross more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office.
Ghost: July 13, 1990
Credit: Paramount Pictures
Since its 1990 release, "Ghost" -- with Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze as lovers living in different dimensions -- has dropped down the box office ranks to its current spot as the 91st-highest-grossing film of all time.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: July 15, 2011
Credit: Warner Bros.
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" (the final film in the series) remains the sixth highest-grossing film of all time, and only the ninth film ever to gross more than $1 billion worldwide.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: July 16, 2005
Credit: Warner Bros.
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" -- the sixth installment in the series -- was the second highest-grossing film of 2009, worldwide, behind the highest grossing film of all time, "Avatar."
The Dark Knight: July 18, 2008
Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" was the top-grossing movie of 2008, earning more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office. Heath Ledger posthumously won an Academy Award for best supporting actor in his role as The Joker.
The Dark Knight Rises: July 20, 2012
Credit: MCT
Christopher Nolan's third Batman film, "The Dark Knight Rises," grossed more than $1 billion worldwide.
Saving Private Ryan: July 24, 1998
Credit: Dreamworks
Steven Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan," released in1998, was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry in 2014.
The Amityville Horror: July 27, 1979
Credit: MGM PIctures
This blockbuster is based on the supernatural experiences the Lutz family encountered after buying the horror house on 112 Ocean Ave. in Amityville just a year after Ronald DeFeo Jr. murdered his six family members. Spooooooky.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Aug. 1, 2014
Credit: Marvel
Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" was the highest-grossing superhero film of 2014. A sequel is scheduled for release on May 5, 2017.
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