Since 2022 came to an end, movie goers have been eager to know which movies were the biggest hitters. TechTrends, therefore, made a list of the top highest-grossing and most popular movies of 2022.
It is not a surprise that most of the top movies listed here are sequels and big tentpole blockbusters, which have been safe bets for cinemas and studios to get as much money as they can from filled seats following the existential threat the Covid-19 pandemic posed to the movie industry. We want to take a look at the full global box office most popular movies of 2022. Without further ado, let’s jump into the list of the most-watched movies that came out last year.
Most Popular Movies of 2022
2022 was an amazing year for movies, considering the previous Covid-hit years. With the year ending, there came a perfect time to look back at the most popular movies in 2022. Look no further as you have found the article that provides you with the detailed guide on the top films of 2022.
1. Avatar: The Way of Water ($2,314,931,233)
- Genre: Sci-fi/Action
- Director: James Cameron
- Stars: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 76%, IMDb 7.7
After about 13 years of waiting since the first Avatar movie came out in 2009, the sequel is on the verge of being released. Fans assume that the late release of Avatar 2 is due to the fact that James Cameron had high expectations for its production. He needed time to run technological research and prepare cast members with months of training. Without a doubt, Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana continue their roles as Jake and Neytiri. Moreover, Stephen Lang, coming back as the dead Colonel Miles Quaritch, will join them. He is expected to be the key villain, but there have yet to be explanations regarding his resurrection. According to the producer Jon Landau, there will also be a new character called Spider, Jack Champion.
An interesting aspect of the movie is its exploration of the Pandora oceans, with a lot of underwater motion capture technology used. The two main characters are a family, doing their best to stay together. However, they are forced to depart their home when a threat comes their way. Therefore, Jake has to go to war against the humans. This is one of the most popular movies of 2022.
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2. Top Gun: Maverick ($1,493,491,858)
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Director: Joseph Kosinski (2022)
- Stars: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Monica Barbaro
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 97%, IMDb 8.7
In one of the best Tom Cruise movies of all time, Cruise played the role of Lt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. He is indeed a gifted actor at portraying total dickheads you can’t help but root for. He does that extraordinarily well in Top Gun. His role is a top US Navy aviator who has a knack for pulling off impossible mid-air maneuvers and is thrown into the program to compete with the best of the best. Cruise gives this action movie the spark of greatness. The sequel of the movie, which took 36 years to be made, dealt with release date delays due to the pandemic.
However, the movie came out a few days ago on May 27, 2022. There is a new writer and director on board. Nobody knew that the movie would soar higher, faster, and more full-throttle than predicted. Cruise pushed the boundaries of action filmmaking over the years and returned to the movie more prepared than ever. The director and the actors deliver aerial acrobatics, actually in the planes, that will have the audience aw-struck and heart in their mouth as watching. It is obvious why this is one of the most popular movies of 2022.
3. Jurassic World: Dominion ($1,001,978,080)
- Genre: Action/Sci-fi
- Director: Colin Trevorrow
- Stars: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 29%, IMDb 5.6
Another one of the most popular movies of 2022 is Jurassic World Dominion. It is the sixth Jurassic Park film scheduled to come out as well as the third season of the remarkable Jurassic World trilogy. For the first time after the original blockbuster in 1993, Laura Dern, Sam Neill, and Jeff Goldblum will reunite. There is a lot to be excited about when waiting for the movie to come out. So, without further ado, let’s dive into some of them. The creators of the movie wanted to release it in June 2021; however, due to the coronavirus pandemic, there was a postponement. Therefore, it will be released in June 2022.
Although the trailer showed dinosaurs running amok and causing chaos and destruction, the footage premiered at CinemaCon provides a better sign of what to expect. Aside from the reuniting of Laura Dern, Sam Neill, and Jeff Goldblum, the trailer shows Pratt riding a dinosaur.
Colin Trevorrow also revealed something about the themes of the film during the conference. “The film will explore the issue, ‘Would you be safe if dinosaurs lived among us?’” he said. “And the answer is no,” says the narrator. The director also said that the film would weave all Jurassic films together during his most recent interview with Entertainment Weekly. “To me, [Dominion] is the climax of one tale,” he said. The producers revealed that this film will try to show whether humans and dinosaurs are able to coexist and who the apex predator will be. There are going to be a lot of action scenes, eye-catching visual effects, and extraordinary dinosaurs.
4. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ($955,775,804)
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Director: Sam Raimi
- Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Patrick Stewart, benedict Wong
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 74%, IMDb 6.9
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is one of the most popular movies of 2022. Many MCU fans have keenly anticipated this next Marvel movie. It is scheduled to arrive on Thursday, May 6, 2022, in UK theaters. The filming started in late 2020 in London and was done in April 2021. However, Marvel executive Victoria Alonso revealed that it was undergoing reshoots. The release date has been changed twice due to the coronavirus pandemic. Aside from Benedict Cumberbatch leading the cast as Doctor Strange, the sorcerer, Elizabeth Olsen featuring as Scarlet Witch has attracted a lot of attention. Doctor Strange’s reliable friend and new sorcerer supreme Wong, portrayed by Benedict Wong, will also come back.
Scarlet Witch and Doctor Strange are going to team up to encounter many dangers since the multiverse is breaking down. The journey brings them to a new adversary and it turns out to be Wanda/Scarlet Witch. The Darkhold possesses her as she wishes to be with Billy and Tommy. Therefore, she goes on a killing spree, based on the trailer. However, this doesn’t indicate her character being killed off as she may redeem herself.
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5. Minions: The Rise of Gru ($939,628,210)
- Genre: Comedy/Adventure
- Director: Kyle Balda
- Stars: Steve Carell, Julie Andrews, Michelle Yeoh, Alan Arkin
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 70%, IMDb 6.5
Young Gru attempts to be part of a supervillain group named the Vicious 6 once they oust their leader, Wild Knuckles, the legendary leader. With the interview turning into a disaster, Gru and his Minions escape but the Vicious 6 go after them. Fortunately, he comes across and unlikely source of guidance, the legendary fighter Knuckles himself. He then realizes that sometimes, even bad guys need some help from their friends. Minions: The Rise of Gru is among the highest-grossing movies of 2022. This cinematic masterpiece has a lot of goofs, laughs and most importantly hope, hope that a community can overlook the differences in order to show one another love. In addition, the plot twist that comes at the end of the movie is incredible.
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6. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ($859,103,923)
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Director: Ryan Coogler
- Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong’o, Michael B. Jordan, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 96%, IMDb 7.3
It is not surprising that Black Panther is so high on the list as it made serious waves in the movie world. Chadwick Boseman played his most well-known character Black Panther in this movie and starred opposite Michael B. Jordan’s villain. People will remember Boseman for his role in this movie. Black Panther is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, one of the most popular movies of 2022. Chadwick became an icon, and the director of the movie paid his tribute to the late actor saying that Boseman wanted Wakandans to speak the native African language of Xhosa, and he was keen on playing his role with an African accent. Boseman was able to carry the weight of a kingdom with grace.
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7. The Batman ($770,945,583)
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Director: Matt Reeves
- Stars: Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Andy Serkis, Colin Farrell
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 85%, IMDb 7.8
If you didn’t know or haven’t heard already, Robert Pattinson played the role of Bruce Wayne in the new Batman movie. Zoe Kravitz features as Catwoman, while Paul Dano and Colin Farrell are Riddler and Penguin, respectively. This is one of the most popular movies of 2022 as the DC hero has returned grittier than before in the movie directed by Matt Reeves. The movie shows Robert Pattinson as a young, emo Wayne starting to go around in Gotham city. In this nearly three-hour movie, Batman revs his incredible Batmobile, becomes friends with Catwoman, and faces baddies like Penguin and Riddler.
Many people were wondering what kind of a Batman movie it would be as soon as they heard Pattinson would be featuring the Caped Crusader. Based on the trailer, the story is dark and brutal with many famous DC villains, who make the movie exciting.
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8. Thor: Love and Thunder ($760,928,081)
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Director: Taika Waititi
- Stars: Christian Bale, Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Taika Waititi, Tessa Thompson, Matt Damon
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 63%, IMDb 6.2
The Thor sequel is definitely getting a lot of love and a lot of thunder this summer after a long wait. Thor: Love and Thunder is one of the most-watched movies 2022 that you might want to watch it. The film has Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, and Tessa Thompson going back to their roles.
The last time Thor was on screen, he was with the Guardians of the Galaxy, going off to adventure. Although the Guardians might come back in this movie, the plot doesn’t revolve around them. The film might happen around New Asgard, with Valkyrie taking her throne. It seems that a villain, portrayed by Chrisitan Bale, will attack New Asgard, aiming to destroy it out of his hatred of all gods. Thor and Jane Foster will gather together with the remainder of the Asgardians to defend their world.