Mel Gibsonis an actor that sells himself. Not down a seedy alley in Amsterdam’s Red-Light District, but as a self-marketing virtuoso, whose profound acting talents and attentive directorial eye, have seen him become a self-made modern great and multi-Academy Award winner.
As one of the most sought-after action stars of the ’80s and ’90s, the New Yorker was understandably a massive box office draw. With his top ten, highest-grossing movies cashing in a collective $3.5 billion, it’s hardly surprising that when studios look at theBraveheartstar with the dodgy Scottish accent, they see dollar signs. Let’s take a look at Mel Gibson’s highest-grossing movies of all time that don’t factor in inflation.
10The Patriot - $215,300,000
Mel Gibson is the walking, talking, and singing embodiment of the red, white, and blue of the star-spangled banner in the 2000 epic,The Patriot,one of Mel Gibson’s best performances. A film about vengeance, duty, and national pride, Roland Emmerich’s historical action drama, follows farmer-turned-soldier, Benjamin Martin (Gibson) who joins the Civil War effort after his son is murdered by a British soldier. With a stellar ensemble cast and some sublime performances,The Patriotbanked a tidy $215,300,000.
9Lethal Weapon 2 - $227,300,000
There is no getting away from the factLethal Weapon 2was a direct beneficiary of the rampant commercial and critical success of its predecessor, 1987’sLethal Weapon. Nevertheless, with Mel Gibson and Danny Glover back to reprise their roles in the loved buddy-cop-flick, as Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh, the second installment of the franchise had all the makings of another memorable blockbuster. Richard Donner’s film banked over $227,300,00 at the box office, almost doubling the money made by its precursor.
Related:Every Lethal Weapon Movie, Ranked
8Chicken Run - $227,793,915
Chicken Runis irrefutably one of thebest stop-motion animation picturesof all time. With such a rich history in the field of stop-motion, it comes as little surprise that Aardman Animations were behind such a meticulous, perfectly executed, and unmistakable creation. Mel Gibson voices the titular character, Rocky who teams up with his fellow farmyard fodder to stage a rebellion against their evil farmers. The iconic animation bagged a healthy $227,793, 915 in box office revenue.
7Lethal Weapon 4 - $285,400,000
The final episode of theLethal Weaponseries was a perfect way to round off a decorated quartet of films, and bidding farewell to Riggs and Murtaugh was always going to be a notable occasion. The memo certainly wasn’t lost on the audiences whose box-office dependability had earned the franchise over a billion dollars, withLethal Weapon 4pulling in $285,400,000.
6Ransom - $308,700,000
Bartering with kidnappers is a risky business when time isn’t on your side. When multi-millionaire, Tom Cullen’s (Mel Gibson) son is kidnapped, he initially agrees to pay the ransom, yet soon converts the ransom money into a bounty on the kidnapper’s head. Ron Howard’s 1996 thrillerRansomraked in $308,700,000.
5Lethal Weapon 3 - $319,700,000
Thirty percent of Mel Gibson’s highest-grossing features are under theLethal Weaponumbrella, with the film series’ highest earner being the third edition. On the brink of retirement, Roger Murtaugh is enticed by the promise of another big case, this timein the form of a bomb threatand corrupt ex-LAPD officer.Lethal Weapon 3went onto pocket $319,700,000 at the ticket office.
4Pocahontas - $347,100,000
Mel Gibson sports his finest English accent, which arguably, sounds more Australian in Disney’s 1995 title,Pocahontas. TheBraveheartstar lends his voice again, this time to John Smith, an English soldier in this true-story-inspired, animated tale. The dramatic musical benefited from a summer release date in the United States and reaped the rewards with a $347,100,000 return.
3What Women Want - $374,105,123
A rom-com that speaks to the lesson of author John Gray’s novel,Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, as Mel Gibson features as shady misogynist, Nick Marshall who miraculously develops the power of hearing the thoughts of women. Taking advantage of his newfound, mind-reading superpower, Nick utilizes the acquired supernatural skill, and his boss, Darcy swoons over him. While by no means a critical success story,What Women Wantexcelled commercially printing a check in the region of $374,105,123.
Related:How Knock at the Cabin and Signs Are About Nearly the Same Thing
2Signs - $408,250,578
Following up from the barnstorming brilliance of his supernatural thrillerThe Sixth Sense, M. Night Shyamalan returned with 2000’sUnbreakableand 2002’sSigns. The latter involves Mel Gibson as Graham Hess, a widower and former priest, who discovers potentially extraterrestrial activity on his farmland. The $408,250,578 recouped certainly symbolized success, although it was shy, by some margin of the $600,000,000 grossed byThe Sixth Sense.
1The Passion of the Christ - $622,313,635
It’s a testament (no pun intended) to Mel Gibson’s directorial attributes that his record-breaking box-office earner is for a movie he didn’t appear in. 2004’sThe Passion of Christwas the year’s fifth highest-grossing film with a haul of $622,313,635. An impressive feat considering the polarizing nature of its reviews, with several critics labeling it antisemitic. The deeply moving,thought-provoking biblical epiclingers on long after the final scenes of Jesus’ crucifixion.
