The Disney empire knows a thing or two about making magic (and money) on-screen. Creating fairytales and stories that take us out of our own worlds and bring our wildest dreams to life is a constant for this company. However, no other genre of fairytale holds a candle to the Disney Princess. The company has made Disney Princess movies for years, and people of all ages in every walk of life have the pleasure of enjoying them.
The first Disney Princess, Snow White, had her movie first come out in 1937, and since then, Disney has never looked back. From diversifying the representation of princesses to straying away from a damsel in distress storyline, the history of the Disney Princess story is one for the books. However, with so many princesses out there, how can we possibly rank them? Disney is no stranger to raking in the big bucks. From the iconic Frozen movies to even classics like Cinderella, it’s time to check out what Disney Princess movies wrote the company a huge paycheck. Here is our ranking of the 10 highest-grossing Disney Princess movies ever made at the worldwide box office.
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10 Aladdin (1992) — $504M
Walt Disney Pictures
Starting off strong, we have the 1992 animated Disney Princess film Aladdin. Aladdin, along with having one of the best Disney soundtracks of all time, has a fantastic underdog storyline. Princess Jasmine is expected to marry someone when she does not want to. Aladdin is a poor street rat with a boatload of charisma and a monkey sidekick. When the two cross into each other’s worlds, they decide to take a leap of faith on a magic carpet ride with Genie’s help. This film amassed $504 million at the worldwide box office.
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9 Brave (2012) — $540M
Disney/Pixar
One of the most underrated Disney Princess movies has to be 2012’s Brave. Brave made $540 million at the worldwide box office and has a very memorable plot line. The princess in this movie is a young girl named Merida. Merida is the daughter of a Scottish king. She is bright, energetic, and full of life with a rugged edge to her. Well, to keep things to the point, Merida’s family turns into bears, and she has to go on a journey to reverse the curse.
8 Cinderella (2015) — $542M
Cinderella is the embodiment of a Disney Princess. Whether it be her stunning light blue dress or her glass slippers and pumpkin carriage, the story of Cinderella is one that every Disney fan loves. Cinderella came out with a live-action adaptation in 2015, and it was a pleasant surprise. Disney live-action remakes are a common thing these days and some are better than others. 2015’s Cinderella starring Lily James brings the magical story to life and made $542 million at the box office.
7 Tangled (2010) — $592M
Disney
When it’s 7 a.m., the usual morning lineup has to include Tangled. Tangled is the Disney adaptation of Rapunzel that made $592 million at the box office. Rapunzel is a young girl locked up in an isolated tower by her mother. When she decides to recruit the dashing fugitive Flynn Rider to help her get to the kingdom, she eventually learns that she is in fact the daughter of the king and queen and had been kidnaped by Mother Gothel for her magic hair. The soundtrack, humor, and visuals of this animated film encapsulate everything that makes Disney Princess movies special.
6 Moana (2016) — $645M
Walt Disney Studios
Moana rejects the classic story of a damsel in distress finding her Prince Charming. Instead, the 2016 film shows Moana as an independent and adventure-hungry girl drawn to the ocean. She is determined to save her people by returning the Heart of Te Fiti. On her journey, she meets the demigod Maui and both of them journey on an epic quest across the sea. Themes of bravery, family, loyalty and perseverance are present throughout this inspiring Disney film that made $645 million at the worldwide box office. Among the more modern Disney animated releases, this one is a must-watch.
5 Maleficent (2014) — $758.5M
In some ways, the main subject of Maleficent is not a Disney Princess. However, telling the story of an iconic Disney villain opened new doors for the character and added interesting layers to the story of Sleeping Beauty. Maleficent starred the fabulous Angelina Jolie, who took on this role by storm. The origin story painted Maleficent as a justified hero of some sort who is a product of her troubled past. This film brought in a whopping $758.5 million and for good reason. If you enjoyed with film when it came out, the sequel, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, came out in 2019.
4 Aladdin (2019) — $1.05B
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
The live-action 2019 remake of Aladdin broke the $1 billion mark, making $1.05 billion in the worldwide box office. This film is not perfect but what it does well is reinventing a classic tale while also evolving the parts we all loved from the original. Jasmine and Aladdin’s tale was brought to new life with new original songs and Will Smith’s Genie. Jasmine is also instead looking to inherit the throne herself instead of finding a husband to do it. If you needed a sign to check this movie out on Disney+, consider this it.
3 Beauty and the Beast (2017) — $1.26B
We are hitting the top three, and we are going to center in on another live-action Disney Princess remake. 2017’s Beauty and the Beast starring Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as The Beast made $1.26 billion. This film really drew waves of attention. From the animation styles of the beast to even the inclusion of original songs, Belle’s Disney Princess story was reimagined for a more modern audience. Belle is a princess who rejects the societal norms that are expected of her. Her grace, poise, and bravery guide her through tough times and ultimately, to her love story.
2 Frozen (2013) — $1.28B
Is it that much of a surprise that Frozen is up here? As much as we all know Disney for a variety of shows and movies, they have not created a franchise as successful as Frozen. Frozen, which made $1.28 billion, introduces audiences to Elsa and Anna, sisters and orphans. This movie also rejects the idea of a Prince Charming and instead focuses on the band between 2 sisters. Ever since this film came out, it has defined Disney and its branding. Even to this day, it is difficult to escape Idina Menzel’s voice singing “Let It Go.”
1 Frozen II (2019) — $1.45B
With big shoes to fill, the anticipation for Frozen II was high. The movie was released six years after the original, and managed to one-up itself, making $1.45 billion at the worldwide box office. Frozen II has us catch up with Elsa, Anna, Christoff, Sven, and Olaf. However, something is calling out to Elsa, and she desires to discover a bigger purpose outside the kingdom. With more incredible songs and animated visuals that had our jaws dropping, Frozen II was an instant Disney Princess hit, and the biggest money-maker.
