Top 10 Highest Grossing R Rated Movies
#10: “Fifty Shades of Grey” (2015)
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$570 Million This spicy romance tied the knot in more ways than one. And apparently, that’s exactly what audiences were looking for during Valentine’s Day, 2015. Whether out of morbid curiosity or lascivious indulgence, viewers propelled “Fifty Shades” to a steamy $85 million domestic opening. At the time, it was the largest debut ever for a film in February. Unfortunately, not even Christian Grey’s knots could keep this audience coming back, and it experienced a major drop-off. It's a testament to how big “Fifty Shades” opened that it still managed to end its run with over half a billion dollars in the bank. It’s no wonder they adapted the other books.
#9: “The Hangover Part II” (2011)
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$587 Million The first “Hangover” film is often regarded as one of, if not the greatest R-Rated comedy ever made. This sequel wasn’t dealt quite the same hand, but you wouldn’t be able to tell based on the box-office. The goodwill from the original ensured “The Hangover Part II” hit the proverbial jackpot. It broke several box-office records for both live-action comedies and R-rated films overall - and that was just on its opening weekend. Within a few more weeks, “The Hangover Part II” officially passed the original to become the biggest grosser of the franchise. Since its final number is in spitting distance of $600 million, the odds are that nothing will be taking its crown any time soon.
#8: “The Passion of the Christ” (2004)
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$612 Million As far as book-to-movie adaptations go, you’ll be hard-pressed to find any source material more recognizable than the Bible. As such, “The Passion of the Christ” presented an incredibly faithful retelling of Jesus’ last 12 hours. While that also necessitated a whole lot of graphic violence, the very deserved R-rating didn’t keep viewers away. Instead, the devoted pushed “The Passion of the Christ” to one of the largest opening weekends ever for a mature film. The flick’s controversial success only fed into the craze, eventually bringing in over $600 million dollars in theaters. Keep in mind, this was an independent film budgeted at just $30 million. Those profit margins really are heavenly.
#7: “Logan” (2017)
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$619 Million The comic-book movie landscape has changed a lot since Hugh Jackman first showed off the adamantium claws in 2000’s “X-Men.” Thankfully, viewers remembered the character when it came time to say goodbye. “Logan’s” marketing campaign made it clear that this was the end for Jackman’s Wolverine (or at least, that was the plan before Ryan Reynolds convinced his friend to return for “Deadpool 3”). Despite lofty expectations, “Logan” totally delivered. Both critics and audiences agreed it was a thrilling and poignant sendoff for the character. And they said as much with their wallets. Raking in north of $600 million, the R-Rated solo film actually outgrossed many of the mainline “X-Men” movies.
#6: “Detective Chinatown 3” (2021)
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$686 Million Within just a few days of its release, this Chinese comedy mystery buddy film had already broken records. For example, it had the biggest opening day for a film in a single territory, ever. In case you’re wondering, “Detective Chinatown 3,” holds the crown for the weekend overall, too. That feat is even more impressive when you realize that less than 3% of the movie’s box-office came from the United States and Canada. That’s right, the near-700$ million dollar gross you see is almost entirely from its native China. Clearly, “Detective Chinatown 3” didn’t need the help from international markets, anyways!
#5: “It” (2017)
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$702 Million Stephen King novels are kind of a big deal, and this is arguably his most famous work. But, not even the most zealous horror fans could have predicted just how high Pennywise’s balloon would float. Let’s put it this way: the former-record for an opening weekend of an R-rated horror film was around $58 million dollars. “It” nearly grossed that in its first day alone! By the time the weekend was over, it had doubled the previous record. Thanks to good word of mouth, the movie hung around in theaters for weeks, eventually going down as the highest-grossing horror film of all time. The Loser’s Club won big at the box-office!
#4: “Oppenheimer” (2023)
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$728 million Most of the time, you won't see two, big-budget blockbusters open in the same weekend. But, ironically, that competition probably helped make “Oppenheimer” a bonafide smash-hit. Its box-office showdown with the light and whimsical “Barbie” turned into a bizarre double-feature that was the must-see event of the summer. Of course, none of that would have mattered if the movie wasn’t up to snuff. Thankfully, acclaimed director Christopher Nolan always delivers. In this case, that meant producing a film that really had to be seen on the big screen. The box office figures show that audiences were more than willing to do so.
#3: “The Matrix Reloaded” (2003)
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$742 Million Red pill, blue pill, whatever. The bottom line was that audiences wanted more of Neo’s slo-mo action sequences, and in 2003, they got their wish with “The Matrix Reloaded.” To say it exceeded the original at the box office would be an understatement. The sci-fi sequel zipped past its predecessor to take the throne as the then-highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time. But, even without that rating asterisk, “The Matrix Reloaded” also boasted the biggest six-day opening for any film, period. That kind of explosive success turned the already industry-shaking franchise into a full-blown cultural phenomenon.
#2: “Deadpool” (2016) & “Deadpool 2” (2018)
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$783 Million & $786 Million A live-action “Deadpool” movie had been in some form of development since 2004. Any time the project picked up momentum, it was halted by concerns over its supposed lack of broad appeal. But, in 2016, the Merc with a Mouth finally got his solo film - and he laughed all the way to the bank and back. The film’s unabashedly irreverent humor earned it a legion of fan support, and in the end, “Deadpool” went down as one of the most profitable movies of the year. Even more impressive, its sequel did just as well, sporting a final tally a hair’s breadth from the original. It’s no wonder we’re getting a threequel! Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
“The Revenant” (2015), $533 Million
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“Detective Chinatown 2” (2018), $544 Million
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“American Sniper” (2014), $547 Million
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“Ted” (2012), $549 Million
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“The Mermaid” (2016), $554 Million
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#1: “Joker” (2019)
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$1.07 Billion You heard that right. That’s “billion,” with a “B”. To put that insane number into perspective, “Joker” is the only R-rated movie to ever cross the billion-dollar threshold. In fact, it’s the only one to gross more than $800 million at all. While the Batman rogue is an undeniably iconic villain, it was Joaquin Phoenix’s once-in-a-lifetime performance that really put this movie on the map. Well, that, and the vitriolic culture war that surrounded its portrayal of violence and mental illness. “Joker” was simply the kind of movie you had to see for yourself, and clearly, a lot of people did just that. No one’s laughing at Arthur now, that’s for sure.
