erik lundegaard

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Saturday September 27, 2014

What's the Highest-Grossing Denzel Washington Movie of All Time?

Via Box Office Mojo, here are the top five:

Rank Movie Lifetime Gross Release
1 American Gangster $130,164,645 Nov '07
2 Safe House $126,373,434 Feb '12
3 Remember the Titans $115,654,751 Sept '00
4 The Pelican Brief $100,768,056 Dec '93
5 The Book of Eli $94,835,059 Jan '10

Is there someone as well-known as Denzel, with as long a career as Denzel, whose movies have never grossed more than $150 domestically? 

George Clooney? “Gravity” ($274), “Ocean's Eleven” ($183), “The Perfect Storm” ($182).

Brad Pitt? “World War Z” ($202) “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” ($186) “Ocean's Eleven” ($183).

Leo? Right, “Titanic.”

Russell Crowe? Close. But “Gladiator” and “A Beautiful Mind” both topped $150.

How about Daniel Day-Lewis? Nope. “Lincoln” grossed $182.

The nearest example I could find is Matthew McConaughey, whose highest-grossing movie (“Wolf of Wall Street,” $116) isn't his, nor is his second-highest movie (“Magic Mike,” $113). Maybe a comparison is instructive. McConaughey made middling, forgettable rom-coms that grossed in the middling, forgettable range ($50 to $70 million) before shirking it recently to do good, serious work that doesn't make much money. Denzel started out doing a lot of good, serious work that didn't make much money, but he's shirked that recently to do middling, forgettable actioners that make middling, forgettable money ($60- $90 million). Well, he's reliable, I guess. 

Here are his top 10, adjusted for inflation:

Rank Movie Adjusted Gross Unadjusted Gross Release
1 The Pelican Brief $197,376,500 $100,768,056 Dec '93
2 Remember the Titans $174,704,700 $115,654,751 Sept '00
3 Crimson Tide $171,219,700 $91,387,195 May '95
4 American Gangster $154,120,800 $130,164,645 Nov '07
5 Philadelphia $151,009,600 $77,446,440 Dec '93
6 Safe House $129,960,400 $126,373,434 Feb '12
7 Training Day $110,344,500 $76,631,907 Oct '01
8 Inside Man $110,135,100 $88,513,495 March '06
9 Courage Under Fire $108,846,900 $59,031,057 July '96
10 The Bone Collector $106,428,800 $66,518,655 Nov '99

FURTHER READING:

Denzel Washington

Denzel, midflight.

Posted at 10:38 AM on Saturday September 27, 2014 in category Movies - Box Office