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% over 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 the top three movie production corporations.
The top 10 largest film studios in the world:
| Sr. No. | Studio | Founded | Notable Films |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Universal Pictures | 1912 | Jurassic Park, Fast & Furious, Despicable Me |
| 2 | Warner Bros | 1923 | Harry Potter, The Dark Knight, The Matrix |
| 3 | The Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group | 1987 (as Sony) | Spider-Man, Jumanji, Men in Black |
| 4 | Walt Disney Pictures | 1923 | The Lion King, Frozen, Pirates of the Caribbean |
| 5 | Paramount | 1912 | Top Gun, Mission: Impossible, Transformers |
| 6 | Lionsgate | 1997 | The Hunger Games, John Wick, La La Land |
| 7 | 20th Century Fox | 1935 | Avatar, X-Men, Titanic |
| 8 | Weinstein Company | 2005 | The King’s Speech, Django Unchained, Silver Linings Playbook |
| 9 | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios | 1924 | James Bond, Rocky, The Pink Panther |
| 10 | DreamWorks Studios | 1994 | Gladiator, Saving Private Ryan, Lincoln |
| 11 | Amazon MGM Studios | 2022 (merger) | Creed, Saltburn, Road House (2025) |
Top Movie Studio Companies in the World
Here are some of the biggest movie companies in the world.
1. Universal Pictures
| Revenue | $1.88 billion (2024) |
|---|---|
| Movies | 400+ |
| Popular Movies | Despicable Me, Jurassic Park, King Kong, Fast & Furious movie series |
| Headquarters | Universal City, California |
| Owner | Comcast |
| Founded | 1912 |
The US’s oldest surviving movie production company, Universal Pictures, tops our list with the highest global box-office performance of the year, generating $1.88 billion in 2024, 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, making it one of the biggest production house in world.
Universal Pictures generated a box office revenue of 1.88 billion U.S. dollars in 2024.
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. 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 with 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.
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, 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 Gems are two of the company’s other subsidiaries. Resident Evil, Spider-Man, 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 houses in the 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.
Ipsita Acharya
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 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 studios in the world. It is one of the biggest film companies 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.
Avantika Bhardwaj
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 |
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, one of the biggest production house in world, 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.
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 |
I Can Only Imagine 2, The Housemaid, 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 its most successful at 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.
Lakshya Singh
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 |
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.
Lakshya Singh
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 |
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, which 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 |
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 |
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, making it one of the biggest movie company in the world.
11. Amazon MGM Studios
| Revenue | Not publicly disclosed (part of Amazon’s overall media revenue) |
|---|---|
| Movies | Over 4,000 film titles (MGM library) |
| Popular Movies | James Bond, Rocky, Legally Blonde, Creed |
| Headquarters | Culver City, California |
| Owner | Amazon (acquired MGM in 2022) |
| Founded | 1924 (as MGM), merged under Amazon in 2022 |
Amazon MGM Studios is one of the biggest names in entertainment today. Originally founded as MGM in 1924, it became famous for classics like James Bond, Rocky, and Legally Blonde. In 2022, Amazon bought MGM for $8.5 billion, adding over 4,000 movies and 17,000 TV episodes to its streaming library.
Now part of Amazon Prime Video, the studio continues to grow with hit franchises like Creed and The Addams Family. While Amazon doesn’t share exact earnings for MGM, the deal helped boost its streaming power. With a rich legacy and Amazon’s tech muscle, MGM remains a major force in the film and TV world.
Sushree Sangeeta Behera
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 biggest film production 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
Which is the richest production house in the world?
The richest production house in the world is Walt Disney Studios (part of The Walt Disney Company).
Which is the biggest film studio in the world?
The largest film studio in the world by physical size is Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad, India. While Ramoji Film City is the largest by area, the most powerful/wealthy studios globally in terms of content and revenue include Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros., and Universal Pictures.
