Bruce Almighty: These Are The Highest-Grossing Bruce Willis Movies

Quick Links

• The Fifth Element (1997)

• Look Who's Talking (1989)

• A Good Day To Die Hard (2013)

• The Expendables 2 (2012)

• Over The Hedge (2006)

• Die Hard With A Vengeance (1995)

• G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)

• Live Free Or Die Hard (2007)

• Armageddon (1998)

• The Sixth Sense (1999)

Highlights

• Bruce Willis' movies have grossed over $8.4 billion globally, with hits like Pulp Fiction, Armageddon, and The Expendables.
• Bruce Willis rose to fame in the 1980s in Moonlighting, but became an action hero as John McClane in Die Hard.
• Willis has sadly retired for medical reasons, but built a legacy as an action hero and a diverse actor in pop culture.

He has blown up asteroids, battled terrorists, and even seen dead people – Bruce Willis' blockbuster career has been nothing short of epic.

Generally known for his sardonic wit and tough-guy persona, Bruce Willis rose to fame in the 1980s with his breakout role in the television series Moonlighting.

Then, Willis gained recognition as an action hero for his portrayal of John McClane in the Die Hard franchise. Thanks to his iconic role, the series has raked in over $1.4 billion at the box office.

Willis has appeared in several box office hits, such as Pulp Fiction, Armageddon, Tears of the Sun, The Expendables, and Red.

Films featuring Willis have grossed over $8.4 billion at the global box office, making him one of the highest-grossing leading actors. As of 2024, Bruce Willis has an estimated net worth of $250 million.

Sadly, Willis made the difficult decision to retire from acting due to aphasia, a condition that affects a person's ability to communicate. In 2023, his diagnosis was further clarified as frontotemporal dementia.

Despite this setback, the legacy of Bruce Willis, the action hero with a knack for sharp dialogue and diverse roles, remains firmly etched in the minds of moviegoers and the annals of pop culture worldwide.

Let's look at the films that garnered the highest box office results throughout his illustrious career.

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10 The Fifth Element (1997)

Global Box Office, The Fifth Element - $263,920,180

Blending sci-fi action with a touch of quirky humor, The Fifth Element features Bruce Willis in a role quite different from his usual tough-guy persona.

Here, Willis portrays Korben Dallas, a former special forces soldier turned reluctant cab driver in the vibrant, chaotic 23rd century.

The fate of humanity rests on his shoulders when a mysterious young woman, Leeloo (Milla Jovovich), crashes into his taxi.

Together, they must retrieve four elemental stones to defend Earth from a looming supernatural evil. It debuted at the top spot in the United States, grossing a strong $17 million on its opening weekend.

The Fifth Element continued to perform well throughout its theatrical run, ultimately amassing a global box office total of over $263 million, nearly tripling its production budget of around $90 million.

9 Look Who's Talking (1989)

Global Box Office, Look Who's Talking - $296,999,813

While Bruce Willis is best known for his action-hero roles, he also dabbled in the world of romantic comedies with surprising success.

Look Who's Talking features Willis in a unique role, the voice of Mikey, a precocious infant who narrates the film's events from his perspective.

The story revolves around Mikey's single mother, Mollie (Kirstie Alley), and her relationship with her new babysitter, James (John Travolta).

The comedic twist comes from the audience being the only ones who can hear Mikey's witty and often cynical commentary on the situations unfolding around him.

Look Who's Talking was made on a shoestring budget of just $7.5 million, and raked in a global total of over $296 million.

This unexpected success spawned a franchise with two sequels - Look Who's Talking Too and Look Who's Talking Now – and even a television series spin-off titled Baby Talk.

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8 A Good Day To Die Hard (2013)

Global Box Office, A Good Day To Die Hard - $304,654,182

Marking the final chapter for Bruce Willis in the Die Hard franchise, A Good Day To Die Hard reunited audiences with John McClane.

This time around, McClane ventures deep into Russia to extract his estranged son Jack (Jai Courtney), an undercover CIA operative, from prison.

However, their reunion is short-lived as they become entangled in a complex global terrorist plot.

A Good Day To Die Hard received scathing reviews from critics, who found the action sequences over-the-top and the plot uninspired.

While Willis' performance garnered some praise, the film overall was considered a disappointment compared to its predecessors.

However, commercially, the film managed to find success. It debuted at the top spot in North America, grossing over $24 million in its opening weekend.

The film ultimately reached a global total of over $304 million, with the international market contributing over $237 million compared to the domestic total of $67 million.

7 The Expendables 2 (2012)

Global Box Office, The Expendables 2 - $314,975,955

Flexing his action muscles alongside an all-star cast, Bruce Willis joined the testosterone-fueled mayhem of The Expendables 2.

The sequel reunites the Expendables, a group of aging mercenaries, for another high-octane mission.

Willis reprises his role as Mr. Church, the handler who sends the Expendables on their deadly assignments.

This time, the team faces a ruthless arms dealer, Jean Vilain (Jean-Claude Van Damme), who not only murders one of their own but also possesses a weapon of mass destruction.

Reviews were mixed, with some praising the amped-up action sequences and increased humor compared to the first film. The film debuted with a strong $28 million opening weekend in North America.

Ultimately, Expendables 2 earned $85 million in North America and $230 million in markets elsewhere, for a worldwide total of $315 million on an estimated $100 million budget.

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6 Over The Hedge (2006)

Global Box Office, Over The Hedge - $339,795,890

Taking a break from explosions and gunfire, Bruce Willis stepped into the sound booth this time, lending his voice to RJ, a cunning raccoon, in the animated adventure Over The Hedge.

This family-friendly film follows RJ's misadventures after he destroys a bear's winter food stash.

To avoid becoming bear food himself, RJ hatches a plan to enlist a family of recently awakened woodland creatures to steal junk food from a nearby suburban neighborhood.

Over The Hedge garnered generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for its humor and animation. The film also performed exceptionally well commercially.

Over The Hedge debuted in second place at the US box office, earning $38.5 million in its opening weekend.

The film went on to earn $155 million in the United States and Canada, along with $181 million overseas for a worldwide total of $336 million, against a production budget of $80 million.

5 Die Hard With A Vengeance (1995)

Global Box Office, Die Hard With A Vengeance - $366,101,666

John McClane was back, and this time, it was personal.

Die Hard With A Vengeance upped the ante for the action hero, throwing him into a twisted game orchestrated by a mysterious bomber.

While navigating deadly explosions and cryptic messages, McClane finds himself partnered with Zeus Carver (Samuel L. Jackson), a Harlem shop owner reluctantly pulled into the chaos.

Die Hard With A Vengeance carried a budget estimated at around $90 million, a significant sum for 1995. However, considering the success of the first two films, the investment was a calculated risk.

The gamble paid off handsomely. The film grossed $100 million in the United States and Canada and $266 million in other markets, giving it a total worldwide gross of $366 million and making it the highest-grossing film of 1995.

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4 G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)

Global Box Office, G.I. Joe: Retaliation - $375,740,705

Suiting up alongside Dwayne Johnson, Bruce Willis returned to the action genre in G.I. Joe: Retaliation.

Retaliation throws the elite military unit, the G.I. Joes, into a global conflict against the villainous Cobra organization.

Willis reprises his role as General Joe Colton, a seasoned military leader who guides the remaining Joes after they are framed for treason.

Although the film received mixed reviews – with some finding it an improvement over its predecessor – it performed well at the box office.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation debuted at the top of the North American box office, pulling in over $10 million on its opening day.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation grossed $122.5 million in North America, $253.2 million internationally, and $375.7 million worldwide total, on a budget of $130 million.

3 Live Free Or Die Hard (2007)

Global Box Office, Live Free Or Die Hard - $388,156,011

John McClane returned with a vengeance in Live Free Or Die Hard, the only installment of the franchise to be rated PG-13.

This broader appeal likely contributed to the film's box office success. In the movie, John McClane (Bruce Willis) faces a high-tech cyber-terrorism threat on American soil.

While some fans felt the PG-13 rating toned down the action and grit of the previous films, Live Free Or Die Hard still delivered a thrilling adventure.

Coming at a time when Bruce Willis was still a major box office draw, the film secured a budget of $110 million.

This investment proved worthwhile, with the film exceeding expectations. It grossed over $134.5 million in North America and a staggering $249 million overseas.

By the end of its theatrical run, the film had amassed a global total exceeding $383 million, making it the most successful film in the series.

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2 Armageddon (1998)

Global Box Office, Armageddon - $553,712,773

Michael Bay's signature blend of high-octane action and over-the-top drama reached an epic scale in Armageddon.

Bruce Willis takes the lead as Harry Stamper, the leader of a ragtag crew of deep-core drillers, tasked with the seemingly impossible mission of drilling into a Texas-sized asteroid hurtling toward Earth.

With its signature bombastic visuals and explosive special effects, Armageddon became a summer blockbuster sensation.

Critics may have panned the film for its scientific liberties and overblown sentimentality, but audiences did not care.

Armageddon debuted at number one at the box office, pulling in a strong $36 million in its opening weekend.

Armageddon grossed $201.6 million in the United States and Canada and $352.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $553.7 million.

1 The Sixth Sense (1999)

Global Box Office, The Sixth Sense - $672,806,432

M. Night Shyamalan's supernatural thriller The Sixth Sense became a theatrical phenomenon, and its surprise ending left audiences reeling.

Bruce Willis stars as Malcolm Crowe, a dedicated child psychologist trying to help a troubled young boy named Cole (Haley Joel Osment), who claims to see dead people.

Willis delivers a nuanced performance, grounding the film with a sense of vulnerability and empathy.

The film's chilling atmosphere, its exploration of grief and connection, and that now-legendary twist ending all contributed to its critical and commercial success.

Widely regarded as a modern classic, The Sixth Sense established Willis's status as a versatile actor capable of leading both action blockbusters and gripping dramas.

During its opening weekend, it grossed $26.6 million, and held the number-one spot at the box office for five consecutive weekends.

The Sixth Sense eventually earned $293.5 million in the United States and Canada, and a worldwide gross of $673 million.

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