There are hundreds of movie production companies out there – some of which we hear of regularly, and we can picture the logo in our head when someone says the name. But others are small, independent production companies that we will never know exist. To give us an idea of who’s at the very top, BizVibe created a graphic to show us which movie production companies were doing the best at the box office in 2020.
1. Universal Pictures
At the top of the list sits Universal Pictures. Founded in 1912, Universal is over 100 years old. It is home to fan-favorite classics, such as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Back To The Future Franchise, The Breakfast Club, Mamma Mia! The Movie, and more. In 2020, Universal Pictures brought in a total of $43,913,150,146 worldwide.
2. Warner Bros.
Not far behind Universal, Warner Bros.’ worldwide box office total from 2020 came out as $43,895,933,593. Warner Bros. was founded in 1923 by four brothers, with, of course, the last name Warner. It has endured a series of name changes and today is formally known as Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
3. Columbia Pictures
Founded in 1920, Columbia Pictures is third on the list, with a worldwide box office income of $41,490,771,945. Columbia Pictures Enterntainment Inc., the motion-picture studio, resides in Hollywood. You can thank Columbia for Ghostbusters, The Goonies, Stand By Me, Almost Famous, and over 5,000 other films. Today Columbia Pictures is a part of the Sony Pictures Entertainment Company.
4. Walt Disney Pictures
Fourth in line is Walt Disney Pictures. Walt Disney grossed $38,420,360,892 in 2020. Walt Disney Pictures’ founding year is the same as Warner Bros., 1923. It originated in Burbank, California, and is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios.
5. Marvel Studios
Marvel Studios, another subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, is fifth on this chart, for its gross income of $33,686,093,642 . Marvel Studios, founded in 1993, is based on Marvel Comics.
6. Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures earned $30,207,013,009 in 2020. Paramount dates back to 1912 and is responsible for the first and only silent film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture — that film is Wings.
7. 20th Century Fox
In 2020, 20th Century earned $25,232,413,752. Since its founding in 1935, the 20th Century has undergone several names and ownership changes. As of 2020, the company is known as 20th Century Studios and is owned by Disney.
8. RatPac-Dune Entertainment
RatPac-Dune Entertainment, founded by James Packer and Brett Ratner, earned $16,498,034,609. A few films you may have heard of from RatPac-Dune included It, Inherent Vice, and The Lego Movie.
9. Legendary Entertainment
Legendary Entertainment was not founded until 2000, making it relatively newer. In 2020, Legendary’s box office total came out to $16,280,673,534. Burbank, California is home to this entertainment company. Dune, The Hangover movies, A Christmas Story Christmas, Interstellar, and The Dark Knight, are some of Legendary’s biggest hits.
10. Relativity Media
Last on this list is Relativity Media, earning $15,349,403,396 in 2020. Relativity is also the newest company to make this top 10 list, dating back only to 2004. Relativity operates as an independent entertainment company.
The graph displays the entertainment companies that are on top and how they separate from one another. While I do not have the reasoning for why these companies are on top, I do know that many of those listed have built a reputation for themselves in the film industry, and I will always argue that these reputations stem from strong PR.