The quality of a film always depends on its director. If we take the financial success of their works as a measure, these are the most successful directors.
The production of a film is not a solitary effort. In addition to the actors, it also requires a screenwriter, cinematographers, and much more. The most important person on set is the director. They set the direction and take on the most responsibility. For this, they can earn a lot of money with their film and win awards like the Oscar.
With four Oscars, John Ford is the most successful director among the Academy Award winners. However, he does not appear in the ranking of the top 10 commercially successful directors. This is partly because films nowadays make significantly more money. But who are the most successful directors, measured by box office revenue?
10. Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott is considered one of the most prestigious and influential directors. His most famous films include Alien (1979), Blade Runner (1982), Gladiator (2000), Black Hawk Down (2001), and The Martian (2015). The latter is his most successful film with a box office revenue of $635 million. Overall, Scott has brought in $4.36 billion to the film industry.
9. Tim Burton
Dark and quirky films are his trademark: Tim Burton is known for films like Beetlejuice (1988), Edward Scissorhands (1990), and Sleepy Hollow (1999). He was also responsible for Batman (1989) and Planet of the Apes (2001). A total of 19 of his films were shown in cinemas, earning a total of $4.41 billion worldwide.
8. J.J. Abrams
J.J. Abrams became known as a series creator, but soon also made a name for himself as a blockbuster director. Abrams stood behind the camera for Mission: Impossible III (2006) and Star Trek (2009), among others. He also directed the last two Star Wars films. In total, Abrams’ films have a box office revenue of $4.64 billion.
7. Christopher Nolan
Christopher Nolan is celebrated by fans and critics for his complex storylines, such as in Memento (2000), Inception (2010), and Tenet (2020). The total box office revenue of his entire filmography is $4.96 billion. His most successful work, The Dark Knight Rises (2012), alone brought in $1.08 billion.
Also interesting: Movie history: Which film was the first?
6. David Yates
David Yates’ name is not so well known to the public. Yet Yates directed the last four Harry Potter films as well as the prequel series Fantastic Beasts. Together with Legend of Tarzan (2016), Yates has directed 10 feature films that have grossed a total of $6.35 billion.
5. Michael Bay
Explosions and impressive action are Michael Bay’s trademark. His place among the most successful filmmakers of all time was secured by his work on the Transformers franchise. Bay directed five films in this franchise. The most successful part, Transformers 3, grossed $1.12 billion. In total, the director can claim a box office revenue of $6.49 billion.
4. Peter Jackson
Peter Jackson is not only a three-time Oscar winner, but also one of the most commercially successful directors of all time. He owes this primarily to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, each of which grossed around a billion dollars. In total, he has generated $6.54 billion with his work.
3. Anthony and Joe Russo
Brothers Anthony and Joe Russo are best known for directing several films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Their latest superhero project, Avengers: Endgame (2019), was the highest-grossing film of all time with over $2.79 billion in revenue for a long time. Overall, their films have a box office revenue of $6.84 billion.
2. James Cameron
James Cameron directed two of the highest-grossing films of all time: Titanic ($2.19 billion) and Avatar ($2.79 billion). Despite a total box office revenue of $8.64 billion, he does not occupy the first place in our ranking.
1. Steven Spielberg
Jaws (1975), Jurassic Park (1993), Schindler’s List (1993)… – Steven Spielberg’s filmography is long and includes many classics of film history. Spielberg has been nominated for the Oscar 22 times. With his films, he has grossed over $10.60 billion and is thus considered the most commercially successful director in film history.