Top 10 Largest Movie Studios in the World

Top 10 Largest Movie Studios in the World
Top 10 Largest Film Studios in the World

Movies are continually smashing box office records, with Avatar at the top of the list. The average person goes to the movies around once a month, and consumer expenditure on movies in theatres has increased by 30% in the previous decade. The best movie production firms in the world are driving this expansion to fulfill market demand by innovating with films that break box office records. Universal Pictures is the largest movie studio globally in terms of box office receipts, followed by Warner Bros and The Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, which complete out the top three movie production corporations.

The top 10 largest film studios in the world:

Top 10 Movie Studio Companies
Top 10 Movie Studios

Top 10 Movie Studios in the World

  1. Universal Pictures
  2. Warner Bros
  3. The Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group
  4. Walt Disney Pictures
  5. Paramount
  6. Lionsgate
  7. 20th Century Fox
  8. Weinstein Company
  9. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios
  10. DreamWorks Studios

Top 10 Movie Studio Companies in the World

Here are some of the biggest movie companies in the world.

1. Universal Pictures

Revenue $1.6 billion (2023)
Movies 400+
Popular Movies Despicable Me, Jurassic Park, King Kong, Fast & Furious movie series
Headquarters Universal City, California
Owner Comcast
Founded 1912
Universal Pictures - Biggest movie studios
Universal Pictures - Top Movie Studio Company
Movies to Look Forward to: Jurassic World Rebirth, How TO Train Your Dragon, Shrek 5, Wolf Man, Nobody 2

The US's oldest surviving movie production company, Universal Pictures, tops our list with the highest global box-office performance of the year, generating $1.62 billion in 2023, and is one of the richest studios or production houses in the world. Universal Pictures, founded in 1912, is a movie studio in the United States owned by Comcast's NBC Universal F&E division. Universal Pictures is based in California, United States. Despicable Me, Jurassic Park, King Kong, the Fast & Furious movie series, and others are among the company's most well-known movie projects.

Universal Pictures generated a domestic box office revenue of 1.94 billion U.S. dollars in 2023.

2. Warner Bros

Revenue $39.57 billion (2024)
Movies 12,500
Popular Movies The Harry Potter series, The Matrix, and Joker
Headquarters Burbank, California
Owner Warner Bros. Discover
Founded 1923
Warner Bros - Top Movie Studio Company
Warner Bros - Top Movie Studio Company
Movies to Look Forward in 2023: Superman, The Batman Part 2, The Conjuring: Last Rites, A Minecraft Movie

Warner Bros. is an American diversified global mass media and entertainment corporation based in Burbank, California.

Other divisions and companies owned by Warner Bros. include DC Movies, Castle Rock Entertainment, Turner Entertainment, New Line Cinema, and Warner Bros. Animation. Warner Bros. is credited for 11 of the top 50 highest-grossing movies of all time. It is one of the top film studios in the world. Warner Bros. has produced around 5000 television episodes and 7000 movies since its inception. The Harry Potter series, The Matrix, Joker, and others are among them. It is one of the biggest and richest movie studios in the world.

Warner Bros. which is one of the well-known Hollywood studios, grossed $39.57 billion at the box office in 2024, making it the second-largest movie production business on our list. The domestic Box Office in 2022 surpassed $935.9 million.

3. The Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group

Revenue $3.74 billion (2024)
Movies 3500+
Popular Movies Resident Evil, Spiderman, and Jumanji
Headquarters Culver City, California
Owner Sony
Founded 1998
The Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group - Top Movie Studio Company
The Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group - Top Movie Studio Company
Movies to Look Forward to in 2023: Saturday Night, The Room Next Door, Here, The Outrun

The Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a component of Sony Entertainment, was created in 1998. Columbia Pictures, which was purchased for $3.4 billion from Coca-Cola in 1989, is the company's largest subsidiary. TriStar Pictures and Screen Game are two of the company's other subsidiaries. Resident Evil, Spiderman, and Jumanji are just a few of the excellent movies and franchises created by Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group making it one of the biggest production house in world.

Sony has two movies among the top 50 highest-grossing movies of all time. It made $3.74 billion in 2024. The domestic Box Office performance for Sony Pictures Movies in 2023 was $808 million.


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4. Walt Disney Pictures

Revenue $34.1 billion (2024)
Movies 748
Popular Movies Avengers: Endgame, Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, and The Lion King
Headquarters Burbank, California
Owner The Walt Disney Company
Founded 1923
Walt Disney Pictures - richest production house in the world
Walt Disney Pictures - Top Movie Studio Company
Movies to Look Forward to: Snow White, Thunderbolts, Lilo & Stitch, Elio, Freakier Friday

Walt Disney Pictures is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Studios. Avengers: Endgame, the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, and The Lion King are among the highest-grossing and most lucrative movies ever released by Walt Disney Pictures.

The movie production firm subsidiary is situated at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. Avengers: Endgame, the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, and The Lion King are among the highest-grossing and most lucrative movies ever released by Walt Disney Pictures. Disney has produced 21 of the top 50 highest-grossing movies of all time making it one of the biggest film studio in the world.

This movie production company grossed $34.1 billion in 2024, making it one of the largest movie studio companies. The domestic Box Office performance for Walt Disney Pictures in 2024 was $2 billion.


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5. Paramount

Revenue $39.19 billion (2024)
Movies 841
Popular Movies Titanic, The Transformers series, Shrek, and The Mission Impossible
Headquarters Los Angeles, California
Owner Gulf and Western Industries
Founded 1912
Paramount - biggest studio in the world
Paramount - Top Movie Studio Company
Movies to Look Forward to: Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning, Smurfs, The Naked Gun, The Spongebob Movie, The Running Man, Paw Patrol 3

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has recognized Paramount Pictures as a subsidiary of ViacomCBS (MPA). Titanic, The Transformers series, Shrek, and The Mission Impossible movie are among the highest-grossing films ever made by Paramount Pictures.

Paramount Animation, founded in 2011, when DreamWorks Animation left the company, is one of the studio's departments. It was revealed that Paramount Animation would be a subsidiary committed to producing animated feature pictures that could compete with DreamWorks, Walt Disney, and Pixar.

Titanic, The Transformers series, Shrek, and The Mission Impossible movie are among the highest-grossing films ever made by Paramount Pictures which makes it one of the biggest movie production companies in the world.

Paramount Animation, founded in 2011, when DreamWorks Animation left the company, is one of the studio's departments. It was revealed that Paramount Animation would be a subsidiary committed to producing animated feature pictures that could compete with DreamWorks, Walt Disney, and Pixar.

It produced $39.19 billion in revenue in 2024. Paramount generated a domestic box office revenue of $1.29 billion in 2022.

Biggest Movie Studios

6. Lionsgate

Revenue $4.02 billion (2024)
Movies 540
Popular Movies Now You See Me, Twilight, and Knowing
Headquarters Santa Monica, California
Owner Canadian American Entertainment Company
Founded 1997
Lionsgate - richest movie company
Lionsgate - Top Movie Studio Company
Movies to Look Forward to: Ballerina, Now You See Me 3, In the Grey, Michael, Good Fortune

Lionsgate Films is one of the most lucrative film production companies in North America and the most commercially successful mini-major film and television distribution firm.

Cinepix was formed in Montreal in 1962 and was purchased by the Lion Gate Entertainment Group in 1997, resulting in the studio we know today.

The Hunger Games, Kick-Ass, and The Expendables are just a few of the amazing film series created by Lionsgate. Summit Entertainment is one of the studio's subsidiaries, and it is perhaps their most successful at the present, having produced successes such as Now You See Me, Twilight, and Knowing. It is one of the biggest movie studios in the world.

It made over $4.02 billion in 2024 an increase over the revenue in the year 2023 which was $3.08 billion.

7. 20th Century Fox

Revenue $14 million (2024)
Movies 737
Popular Movies Robots, Rio, and Ice Age
Headquarters Los Angeles, California
Owner The Walt Disney Company
Founded 1935
20th Century Studios - hollywood production companies
20th Century Studios - Top Movie Studio Company
Movies to Look Forward to: Avatar 3, Predator, The Amateur, Ella McCay.

On this list, 20th Century Studios is ranked seventh. 20th Century Studios is an American film company that is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Studios, a branch of The Walt Disney Company, formed in 1935 in Los Angeles, California. It is recognized for blockbusters like Avatar, Star Wars, Bohemian Rhapsody, and others and is one of the biggest movie companies. Avatar presently holds the record for the most earning film of all time, generating over $2.7 billion.

From 1984 to 2013, it was owned by New Corporation. News Corporation and 21st Century Fox broke up to become News Corporation and 21st Century Fox, which now controls the studio.

20th Century Fox has created some incredible and profitable properties. Ice Age and X-Men are two of them. Fox Animation Studios was their major production unit. In 1997, they had considerable success with Anastasia. It received positive reviews. However, it was frequently mistaken for a Disney film. It is one of the biggest movie company in the world.

Titan AE was the studio's next project. On a $75 million budget, the picture grossed around $37 million. Blue Sky Studios, which concentrates on computer animation movies such as Robots, Rio, and Ice Age, acquired in 1997, has had much greater success for 20th Century Fox.

20th Century Fox made $14 billion in revenue in 2024. This movie production company made $1.08 billion in gross profit on sales for its fourth fiscal quarter of 2022.


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8. Weinstein Company

Revenue $75 million (2024)
Movies 145
Popular Movies Scary Movie 4 and 5, Scream 4, and Spy Kids
Headquarters New York, New York
Founders Harvey Weinstein, Bob Weinstein
Founded 2005
The Weinstein Company - Top movie Studio Company
The Weinstein Company - Top Movie Studio Company

After leaving Miramax in 2005, brothers Harvey and Bob Weinstein founded The Weinstein Company.

At one point, this studio was Hollywood's largest mini-major studio. Derailed, Scream 4, and 1408 are among their popular flicks. They immediately established a reputation for producing high-quality pictures that turned a profit.

Django Unchained is their highest-grossing picture, with nearly $425 million in worldwide box office receipts.

Dimension Films, which was purchased from Disney, who owned Miramax, is owned by the studio. They've made some fantastic sequels to some of the label's previous films, including Scary Movie 4 and 5, Scream 4, and Spy Kids: All the Time in the World.

In late 2017, the studio was rocked by allegations of sexual misconduct against Harvey Weinstein. On March 19, 2018, he was sacked from the corporation, and the studio filed for bankruptcy. Lantern Capital, a private equity group, won the studio's assets at an auction. Following the auction the company was completely shut down.

9. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios

Revenue $13.1 billion (2024)
Movies 4000+
Popular Movies The Dirty Dozen, GoldenEye, and Ben-Hur
Headquarters Beverly Hills, California
Owner MGM Studios
Founded 1924
Metro Goldwyn Pictures - Top movie Studio Company
Metro Goldwyn Pictures - Best Film Studios
Movies to Look Forward to: Mercy, Project Hail Mary, and many more.

MGM, Metro Goldwyn Pictures, and Metro Goldwyn Mayer are all trademarks of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, an American media business that mostly produces films and television shows. It was established in 1924 and was the largest and most prestigious film production company in the world. Throughout the years, it was acquired and sold several times before it filed for bankruptcy in 2010.

It has recovered its losses and is now classified as a mini-major studio. Over the years, MGM Film Company has produced timeless masterpieces such as The Dirty Dozen, GoldenEye, and Ben-Hur. MGM's later success stemmed from its ownership of the James Bond franchise. MGM is one of the biggest movie companies in the world.

The gross revenue of this movie production company was $13.1 billion.

10. DreamWorks Studios

Revenue $915.9 million (2023)
Movies 48
Popular Movies Shrek, Madagascar, and Kung Fu Panda
Headquarters Universal City, California
Owner Amblin Partners
Founded 1994
DreamWorks - Top Film Companies
DreamWorks - Top Movie Studio Company
Movies to Look Forward: Shrek 5, Madagascar 4, Orion and the Dark, Kung Fu Panda 4

Jeffrey Katzenberg, Steven Spielberg, and David Geffen formed DreamWorks Pictures in 1994. Amblin Partners presently owns the company. Transformer and Gladiator are two of their finest flicks. Around the turn of 2000, the firm was doing well, winning three Academy Awards for Best Picture. However, owing to over $400 million in debt, the company was sold to Viacom in 2005 and is one of the best movie studios in the world.

DreamWorks Animation is one of their most significant and most successful companies. With films like Shrek, Madagascar, and Kung Fu Panda, it became a great commercial success. NBCUniversal now owns the division, which was split off in 2004. It made $915.9 million in revenue in 2023.


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Conclusion

New movies are being made every single day and with the release of every film, the competition between these studios is increasing. We have yet to see which movie studio comes out on top.

FAQs

What are the top Movie Studio Companies in the world?

Some of the top movie studio companies in the world are:

  • Universal Pictures
  • Warner Bros
  • The Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group
  • Walt Disney Pictures
  • Paramount
  • Lionsgate
  • 20th Century Fox
  • Weinstein Company
  • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios
  • DreamWorks Studios

What do movie studios do?

A movie studio is a major entertainment company or motion picture company that has its own privately owned studio facilities. Movie studios are used to shoot and make movies.

Which is the highest-grossing film?

Avengers: Endgame is the highest-grossing film of all time, grossing over $2 billion.

Which are the top-grossing films?

Top-grossing films are:

  • Avengers: Endgame
  • Avatar
  • Titanic
  • Star Wars: The Force Awakens
  • Avengers: Infinity War

Which are the major movie studios with top-grossing films?

Major film studios with top-grossing films are:

  • Universal Pictures
  • Warner Bros
  • Columbia Pictures
  • Walt Disney Pictures
  • Marvel Studios

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