As we enter the July 4th weekend, I am excited to see how movies like Jurassic Park: Rebirth do and all the other big ticket items releasing this weekend.

I am also rooting for the box office. When movies do well, all of Hollywood rejoices, there are more jobs, and I do think the prosperity trickles down.

The summer, particularly this weekend, is a historic time for these huge wins. I know I have plans to go see a couple of movies over the long weekend, and I hope you do, too.

Today, I want to review some movies that dominated the July 4th Box Office and were highly lucrative.

Let’s dive in.

1. Independence Day (1996)

No list of July 4th blockbusters would be complete without the film that literally wears the holiday’s name. Released on July 3, 1996, this sci-fi disaster epic from director Roland Emmerich became a watershed moment in event filmmaking.

It was THE July 4th release, inventing the weekend as a marketing tool and really capitalizing on people being off and wanting to see something big and boisterous.

The movie had everything going for it. It had groundbreaking special effects, a star-making turn from Will Smith, and excellent marketing. It opened to a then-unprecedented $50.2 million over the holiday weekend and went on to gross over $817 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1996.

2. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

Marvel movies are expected to do well, but Spider-Man movies are always gangbusters at the box office, and the sequel to a very popular Marvel entry already had a ton of anticipation.

Swinging into theaters on July 2, 2019, this Marvel Cinematic Universe entry capitalized on all of it. The film grossed a massive $185.06 million in its first six days of domestic release, setting a new record for a Tuesday opening and cementing its status as a July 4th powerhouse.

3. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)

The third installment in the Transformers franchise, released on June 29, 2011, was a visual effects extravaganza that had an epic trailer.

People were excited for the third installment. The movie earned over $97.8 million in its opening weekend and went on to become the second-highest-grossing film of the year with a worldwide total exceeding $1.12 billion.

4. Men in Black (1997)

Once Will Smith proved himself with Independence Day, he became the king of July 4th in the 90s. He came back the very next year with Men in Black.

The movie came out on July 2nd and scored a $51.1 million opening weekend. It went on to earn over $589 million globally and to spawn a few sequels.

5. Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022)

A four-quadrant family film now always opens on July 4th, and this movie is indicative of why.

The animated prequel captured the attention of audiences of all ages, raking in a record-breaking $125.1 million over the four-day holiday frame, the highest ever for an Independence Day weekend. That staggering amount got a lot of kids’ movies greenlit every year to come.

6. Armageddon (1998)

When I think about summer movies, I think about these gigantic blockbusters that have special effects and make everyone excited.

And the guy who delivers those movies is Michael Bay. His work on this high-octane disaster film premiered on July 1, 1998.

To me, this is a bona fide summer blockbuster. It earned over $553 million worldwide and lit the weekend on fire. It even had an Aerosmith song written for it!

7. Forrest Gump (1994)

This is one of those movies I find myself defending, like I did in our American movies post. It’s not a summer blockbuster by any means, it was an awards movie.

But it was released on July 6, 1994, and became an unexpected box office juggernaut, ultimately becoming the top-grossing film in the U.S. for 1994 and earning over $678 million worldwide.

8. War of the Worlds (2005)

Steven Spielberg’s modern-day adaptation of the H.G. Wells classic, starring Tom Cruise, had everything going for it. The biggest director in the world, the biggest star, and an opening on June 29th…leading right into the holidays.

The film’s suspense and thrilling action sequences captivated audiences, leading to a powerful opening and a global box office total of over $603 million.

9. Despicable Me 2 (2013)

The minions rule July 4th. The sequel to the animated hit was a massive success, earning over $143 million in its first five days and going on to gross over $970 million worldwide, solidifying the franchise’s status as a box office giant.

10. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)

Capitalizing on the immense popularity of the “Twilight” book series, the third film in the franchise, Eclipse, was strategically released on June 30, 2010, just ahead of the holiday weekend.

It’s hard to explain to people how big hits all these movies were. They were part of the cultural lexicon and allowed their stars to go on and do whatever movies they wanted afterward. This movie had a massive opening and a worldwide gross of over $698 million.

Summing It All Up 

The holiday weekend is a great time to go to the movies. Go get into the air conditioning and watch stuff blow up, heroes be made, and fireworks to blast off.

Which of these movies are your favorites?

Let me know what you think in the comments.