Science fiction, colloquially referred to as sci-fi, is an extensive and broad genre that consists of several sub-genres, all of which, at the end of the day, deal with the concept of yet to exist scientific technologies and how they may affect the future and everyday life. It may be something like Star Wars that combines science with fantasy elements, or it may be a dystopian story like Hunger Games about an unpromising future.
It is as fascinating as fictional literature gets, which is proved by its popularity in all kinds of media from books to films to video games. A look at any chart showing the highest-grossing films of any given year will probably show that a significant portion of it is made up of sci-fi films. Many sci-fi franchises have been established in the last 50 years or so, and the list below looks at the most financially successful.
The Matrix - $1.6 Billion
The role that made Keanu Reeves the household name he is today, The Matrix adopted the peculiar concept of humanity living inside a simulation and turned it into a blockbuster action franchise. With a premise as unique as it comes, the films introduced many themes and elements that are considered iconic now such as the whole red pill blue pill motif and the CGI-heavy action scenes, specifically the slow-mo sequences.
The second and third films were produced back to back and released in the same year and grossed over a billion dollars, while a much anticipated fourth film is in development.
The Terminator - $2 Billion
The genre-defining quintessential action flick, and one of the very few films with a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, The Terminator put both its director James Cameron and lead star Arnold Schwarzenegger on the proverbial map. If the feedback from the general audience and critics say something, it's that the recent films leave something to be desired.
Box office revenue for the series peaked with the second film, arguably one of the greatest sequels ever, earning over $500 million, which is nothing short of incredible for a film from 1991.
Planet Of The Apes - $2.1 Billion
Based on the novel La Planète des singes from French author Pierre Boulle, the first Planet Of The Apes film was released in 1968 and was a critical and commercial success that launched an entire series of films and other related media. Four sequels followed, and although they weren't nearly as successful as the original they kept the series running.
In 2001, a remake of the original film was directed by Alice in Wonderland director Tim Burton, and the series was rebooted in 2011 with Rise of the Planet of the Apes forming a new trilogy.
Star Trek - $2.3 Billion
Although the two vary greatly in nature, Star Trek and Star Wars together represent the entire genre of space-based sci-fi. The first films of the respective franchise came out around the same time, and although Star Wars has now gone far ahead in terms of nearly everything, Star Trek is still very much a cornerstone of pop culture.
What the Star Trek films lack in individual success they make-up in sheer numbers, as a total of 13 films have been released so far, all of which have brought in a decent amount of revenue.
Avatar - $2.8 Billion
Multiple sequels are in development, but as of right now Avatar doesn't technically count as a "franchise", but its box-office gross puts many other long-running and revered franchises to shame. Although it is highly unlikely the sequels will reach the same insane height as the original film it can still be expected that they'll bring in a pretty penny.
An industry landmark in terms of visual effects, James Cameron's Avatar took audiences on a CGI fueled ride through the planet of Pandora and its blue residents, and became the first film to gross more than $2 billion.
The Hunger Games - $2.9 Billion
Young adult literature has never been more popular, and one of the biggest drives behind its popularity in recent years was the success of the Hunger Games books from author Suzanne Collins. Set in a dystopian future, it told the story of the corrupt country of Panem and its young residents who are forced to participate in a battle-royale-style death game.
The success of the films took its lead star Jennifer Lawrence all the way to the Guinness World Records as the highest-grossing action movie heroine in the year 2015.
Transformers - $4.8 Billion
Critical response to the Transformers films has been on a downward spiral since its very beginning, from 58% for 2009's Transformers to 15% for The Last Knight on Rotten Tomatoes. This decline is reflected in the audience ratings too, although the spin-off film Bumblebee was met with significantly better acclaim.
But whatever the ratings might say, this sci-fi franchise about extraterrestrial sentient robots who can transform into vehicles has always managed to bring in hundreds of millions. The third and fourth entries have both crossed the $1 billion mark.
Jurassic Park/World - $5 Billion
Almost everyone holds a certain amount of fascination towards these long-extinct prehistoric creatures called dinosaurs, so when Steven Spielberg brought them to life on the silver screen, it didn't take long for it to become a worldwide cultural phenomenon. Grossing over $900 million at the time of its release in 1993, Jurassic Park became the highest-grossing film of all time.
Two sequels were released in the following years, after which the franchise went on a 14 year-long hiatus, returning in 2015 with Jurassic World. Combined with its sequel Fallen Kingdom the two films alone earned nearly $3 billion.
Star Wars - $10.3 Billion
Although it is generally considered science-fiction, creator George Lucas himself has said on record that "Star Wars really isn't a science-fiction film, it's a fantasy film and a space opera.". Taking that into account raises questions about whether it really belongs in this list or not, but it is too iconic to not include.
Star Wars first released in 1977 and took the world by storm, proving itself to be one of the most epic and expansive narratives told in recent years. Excluding but one, all last four of the installments in the franchise have grossed over 1 billion and even 2 billion in the case of The Force Awakens.
Marvel Cinematic Universe - $22.6 Billion
Similar to Star Wars, the MCU cannot be confined singularly under the banner of sci-fi. On one hand, there is Tony Stark with his futuristic inventions like nanotech, on the other hand, there is a literal God of Thunder and a Sorcerer Supreme.
Not everyone might be a fan, but the MCU is without a doubt a prime example of what properly planned and structured storytelling looks like, and its phenomenal box office records are proof of that. Across 23 films it has earned upwards of $22 billion, and as the statistics show it is light years ahead of any other franchise.