Not rankedLast 10 years worldwide · all roles

James Cameron

Director and actor · born 16 August 1954

$3.84bn

Worldwide gross in the last 10 years, reported dollars, as on the leaderboard.$3.93bn in 2025 dollars.

Not ranked3 of 5 films with box office needed for a rank in the last 10 years.All time: No. 19Directors, all time: No. 1

9 filmsin the last 10 years, as on the leaderboard; 3 with box office. Known for 3 of 3, appearances as themselves aside.

Not ranked3 of 5 films with box office needed for a rank in the last 10 years.All time: No. 19Directors, all time: No. 1

9Films in the last 10 years, as on the leaderboard; 3 with box office. Known for 3 of 3, appearances as themselves aside.

$1.28bn

Average per film in the last 10 years, of films with known gross

67%

Films over $1bn, whole career

Credits, on 90 titles, whole career

Whole career

Based on 13 of 22 films with known box office for James Cameron (59.1%). Appearances as themselves or in archive footage are not counted as films.

The biggest film is Avatar (2009), at $2.92bn. The five biggest make up 93% of the total.

Photo: TMDB

Cameos counted Not countedCounted: $3.84bn, not ranked. No credit here is called a cameo by a named source, so both are the same.

FiguresReported Inflation-adjusted to 2025Tickets sold (coming soon)

CountingUncredited appearances Appearances as themselvesAll appearancesLead and lead ensemble only (under review)

Whole career

The career, in four acts

Cumulative worldwide gross · each dot a releaseCompare James Cameron with others

ReleaseLast 10 years, the period at the top of the pageHover or tap a dot for the film.

Each film's money sits on its first release date. Inflation-adjusted figures use the year the money was earned.

I · 3 films

1984 to 1989

$316.10m

Aliens, The Terminator, The Abyss.

II · 3 films

1991 to 1997

$3.11bn

Titanic, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, True Lies.

III · 4 films

2000 to 2009

$2.97bn

Avatar, Ghosts of the Abyss, Aliens of the Deep.

IV · 4 films

2012 to 2026

$3.84bn

Avatar: The Way of Water, Avatar: Fire and Ash, Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D).

The nightly snapshot series · the time series behind the leaderboard, with its live pointShow

This series is pre-computed and does not yet respond to the appearance switches: it always counts every credited appearance.

Annual points through 2019, monthly from 2020, then daily snapshots from 5 August 2026, with the latest shown as live (dashed, see note below).

Note on the last point: historical points only count a film once its earliest release date is at least 90 days old. The live point (dashed line above) is ungated and includes films released within the last 90 days, so it can jump ahead of the historical curve rather than extend it smoothly.

No films currently sit inside that 90-day gate for James Cameron.

Whole career

The biggest films

Worldwide gross · billing from TMDB

No. 1
Avatar
$2.92bn
2009
No. 2
Avatar: The Way of Water
$2.32bn
2022
No. 3
Titanic
$2.22bn
1997 · Billed 104th of 117
No. 4
Avatar: Fire and Ash
$1.49bn
2025
No. 5
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
$517.94m
1991
No. 6
True Lies
$365.30m
1994 · Billed 48th of 48
No. 7
Aliens
$183.29m
1986
No. 8
The Terminator
$78.02m
1984
No. 9
The Abyss
$54.79m
1989
Ghosts of the Abyss
No. 10
Ghosts of the Abyss
$28.74m
2003 · Billed 3rd
Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D)
No. 11
Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D)
$25.80m
2026 · Billed 9th of 11
Aliens of the Deep
No. 12
Aliens of the Deep
$12.77m
2005 · Billed 3rd

Whole career

Cameos and sources

No cameos

No named source calls any of James Cameron's credits a cameo, so the total and the rank are the same with cameos counted or not.

Cameos counted

$10.23bnNo. 19

14 films

Not counted

$10.23bnNo. 19

14 films

Our rule: a cameo is what a named source calls a cameo. Billing never decides. How cameos are decided

Where the numbers come from

Worldwide gross for 14 of 14 films. Primary source.
Re-releases, and the full total where The Numbers reports less. Not needed for James Cameron today.
Credits, billing, dates, posters. Second opinion on the gross: TMDB has a figure for 11 of 14 films, and 9 of those agree within 5%.
Cameo calls: a named source says the appearance is a cameo. Billing never decides. None of James Cameron's credits has a cameo call yet.

How the total is built

Every film counts once, whatever the role.
A film's gross is its original run plus re-releases.
Inflation is adjusted from the year the money was earned, to 2025 dollars.
Appearances as themselves and archive footage are not counted as films. Any box office they carry stays in the total unless that switch is off.

The full methodology

Credits by role

Actor (unclassified)

Director

Whole career

Filmography

Avatar 2009
Director
$2.92bn
Avatar: The Way of Water 2022
Director
$2.32bn
Titanic 1997
Steerage Dancer (uncredited) · Billed 104th of 117· Uncredited
Director
$2.22bn
Avatar: Fire and Ash 2025
Director
$1.49bn
Terminator 2: Judgment Day 1991
Director
$517.94m
True Lies 1994
Helicopter pilot (voice) (uncredited) · Billed 48th of 48· Uncredited
Director
$365.30m
Aliens 1986
Director
$183.29m
The Terminator 1984
Director
$78.02m
The Abyss 1989
Director
$54.76m
Domestic gross shown as primary: the worldwide total’s international component is a source placeholder, so it is effectively domestic only. Worldwide as reported: $54.79m (flagged unreliable).
Ghosts of the Abyss
Ghosts of the Abyss 2003
Self · Billed 3rd· As themselves
Director
$28.74m
The Numbers: $28.74m · TMDB: $17.04m

Sorted by ·

Whole career

The receipts

Here is every film, every figure, and how we added it up.

All time, worldwide, all roles
in dollars as reported, not adjusted for inflation

Uncredited appearances: counted. Appearances as themselves: counted where the film has box office. Cameos: not counted.

We counted 14 films. Together they earned $10.23bn. Each film is counted once. That is the 19th biggest total, all time, worldwide, out of the 30 people ranked on TopLiner. Ranks come from the leaderboard published on 1 November 2026.

How it adds up

90titles found

23films

14with money

$10.23bntotal

Check it yourself: add up the 14 counted films below and you get $10.23bn.

Find every film. We looked for every title James Cameron is credited on. We found 90 titles. Of these, 67 show James Cameron as themselves or in old clips. They have no box office figure, so they are not counted as films. That leaves 23 films.
Find the money. 14 of the 23 films have a box office figure. That is the money that cinema tickets brought in around the world. 7 have no figure we trust yet, so they add nothing. We never guess. 2 are not out yet.
Count each film once. If someone acts in a film and also directs it, the film still counts one time. 5 films here have more than one job for James Cameron.
Add it up. The 14 films together earned $10.23bn, in dollars as reported, not adjusted for inflation. Divide by 14 and the average is $730.96m a film.
Rank everyone. We add up every person the same way. Then we sort them from the biggest total to the smallest. James Cameron has the 19th biggest total of the 30 people ranked on TopLiner.

7 of the 14 films earned $100 million or more (in dollars as reported).

Film by film: counted (14)

Avatar 2009
$2.92bn
Avatar: The Way of Water 2022
$2.32bn
Titanic 1997
Counted once, even though James Cameron had 2 jobs on it.
$2.22bn
Avatar: Fire and Ash 2025
$1.49bn
Terminator 2: Judgment Day 1991
$517.94m
True Lies 1994
Counted once, even though James Cameron had 2 jobs on it.
$365.30m

Show all 14 counted films

Aliens 1986
$183.29m
The Terminator 1984
$78.02m
The Abyss 1989
$54.76m
Domestic gross shown as primary: the worldwide total’s international component is a source placeholder, so it is effectively domestic only. Worldwide as reported: $54.79m (flagged unreliable).
Ghosts of the Abyss 2003
Counted once, even though James Cameron had 2 jobs on it.
$28.74m
The Numbers: $28.74m · TMDB: $17.04m
Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D) 2026
Counted once, even though James Cameron had 2 jobs on it.
$25.80m
Aliens of the Deep 2005
Counted once, even though James Cameron had 2 jobs on it.
$12.77m
The Numbers: $12.77m · TMDB: no figure
Duets 2000
Counted. James Cameron was not named on screen.
$6.62m
The Numbers: $6.62m · TMDB: no figure
Side by Side 2012
$67,054
The Numbers: $67,054 · TMDB: no figure

Not counted: no box office figure found (7)

James Cameron & Buzz Aldrin: Explorers - Von der Titanic bis zum Mond 2012
Not counted. We could not find a box office figure we trust, and we never guess.
Solartaxi: Around the World with the Sun 2010
Not counted. We could not find a box office figure we trust, and we never guess.
The Exodus Decoded 2006
Not counted. We could not find a box office figure we trust, and we never guess.
No Feat But What We Make: 'Terminator 2' and the Rise of Digital Effects 2003
Not counted. We could not find a box office figure we trust, and we never guess.
Expedition: Bismarck 2002
Not counted. We could not find a box office figure we trust, and we never guess.
Martini Ranch: Reach 1988
Not counted. We could not find a box office figure we trust, and we never guess.

Show all 7 films with no figure

Piranha II: The Spawning 1982
Not counted. We could not find a box office figure we trust, and we never guess.

Not counted: not in cinemas yet (2)

Avatar 5 2031
Not counted yet. It has not reached cinemas.
Avatar 4 2029
Not counted yet. It has not reached cinemas.

Not counted: documentaries and old clips, as themselves (67)

Disney Celebrates America: The Pursuit of Happiness 2026
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Avatar: A New Era - Special Edition of 20/20 2025
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story 2025
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Fatal Dive to the Titanic: Truth and Lies 2024
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Aliens Expanded 2024
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Modern Masters: SS Rajamouli 2024
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.

Show all 67 documentaries and old clips

Disney Legends Awards Ceremony 2024
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Inside Pandora's Box 2023
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Titanic: 25 Years Later with James Cameron 2023
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Titanic: Stories from the Heart 2023
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Attack of the Doc! 2023
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Jamie Lee Curtis: Hollywood Call of Freedom 2022
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 2022
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
The Six 2021
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
The Most Magical Story on Earth: 50 Years of Walt Disney World 2021
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Titanic: Into the Heart of the Wreck 2020
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Diving Deep: The Life and Times of Mike deGruy 2020
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Save the Titanic: Treasures From the Deep 2019
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Titanic: 20 Years Later with James Cameron 2017
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
T2: Reprogramming The Terminator 2017
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Atlantis Rising 2017
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Score: A Film Music Documentary 2017
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Eating You Alive 2016
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Deepsea Challenge 3D 2014
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Mission Blue 2014
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Amazon Unknown 2013
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Reflections on Titanic 2012
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
James Cameron: Voyage to the Bottom of the Earth 2012
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Titanic: The Final Word with James Cameron 2012
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan 2012
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Hollywood between Paranoia and Sci-Fi: The Power of Myth 2011
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Brian May's Brief History of 3D 2011
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Tipping Point: The End of Oil 2011
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Avatar: Creating the World of Pandora 2010
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Capturing Avatar 2010
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
A Message from Pandora 2010
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Explorers: From The Titanic To The Moon 2006
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Last Mysteries Of The Titanic 2005
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Tony Robinson's Titanic Adventure 2005
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Watch the Skies!: Science Fiction, the 1950s and Us 2005
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Ray Harryhausen: The Early Years Collection 2005
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
George Lucas: Creating an Empire 2005
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing 2004
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
The Force Is with Them: The Legacy of 'Star Wars' 2004
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Superior Firepower: Making 'Aliens' 2003
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Iron and Beyond 2002
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
The Alien Saga 2002
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Other Voices: Creating 'The Terminator' 2001
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
From Morf to Morphing: The Dawn of Digital Filmmaking 2001
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
2001: The Making of a Myth 2001
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Alien Evolution 2001
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
The Making of 'Terminator 2 3D' 2000
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Auto Motives 2000
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Ray Harryhausen: Working with Dinosaurs 1999
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
From Star Wars to Star Wars: The Story of Industrial Light & Magic 1999
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Virus: Ghost in the Machine 1999
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
The Muse 1999
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
History in the Making: Titanic 1998
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Titanic: Breaking New Ground 1998
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
The Director's Vision: Hollywood's Best Discuss Their Craft 1998
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Mythos Hollywood - Das Geheimnis des Erfolgs 1998
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Your Studio and You 1995
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
Under Pressure: Making 'The Abyss' 1993
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
T2: More Than Meets the Eye 1993
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
The Making of 'The Terminator': A Retrospective 1992
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
The Making of 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day' 1991
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.
The Making of the Terminator 1985
Not counted. It shows them as themselves or in old clips, and it has no box office figure.

Worked out from the latest data. Ranks are from the leaderboard for 1 November 2026.

TopLiner · the film bankability index · ranks from the leaderboard for 1 November 2026, published 1 November 2026 09:26 UTC. Totals, the chart and the filmography are worked out from the latest data each time this page is refreshed.

James CameronJAMESCAMERON

The career, in four acts

The biggest films

Cameos and sources

No cameos

Where the numbers come from

Credits by role

Filmography

The receipts

How it adds up

Film by film: counted (14)

Not counted: no box office figure found (7)

Not counted: not in cinemas yet (2)

Not counted: documentaries and old clips, as themselves (67)

James Cameron