Teeming with bank heists, shootouts, and card games around the table, old time Westerns are an integral part of Hollywood. From Hollywood’s Golden age, when the old west was still a fairly recent memory, to today, the love of the gunslinger has remained constant.
Under the definition of the American Film Institute, these movies are not only set in the west, but define the struggle of the frontier. While technically true for many, the genre is far-reaching. From science fiction to comedy, Westerns come in all shapes and sizes. This diversity shines through the names of its top global earners. With both Clint Eastwood and the voice of Peter Griffin on this list, the highest-grossing Westerns of all time is one of the most unpredictable around.
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25 City Slickers 2: The Legend of Curly’s Gold (1994) — $43.3M
Columbia Pictures
Right off the bat, the reality of a list like this comes into play. This sequel to the Billy Crystal comedy, City Slickers, was far more successful than most expected. Raking in over $43 million, Castle Rock Entertainment struck gold with City Slickers 2: The Legend of Curly’s Gold. Thanks, in part, to Jack Palance’s overnight sensation status, it managed to earn more money than most would have imagined.
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24 Young Guns 2 (1990) — $44.1M
20th Century Fox
Yoo-hoo. They’ll make you famous. This 1990 follow-up to the original film reunited Emilio Estevez with his cowboy cohorts for another round of revenge and gun fights. Pulling in an astounding $44 million worldwide, Young Guns 2 nearly tied its predecessor. What? You don’t know about the original? Here…
23 Young Guns (1988) — $44.7M
Yoo-hoo. Still famous. The original film in the Young Guns series nearly matched the income of the second to the dollar. Coincidence? Yeah. Both of these films firmly grab a place on the list due to the stacked cast and timing of the story. This 1988 release was seen as the start of a new era for Westerns.
22 The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams (1974) — $45.4M
Sunn Classic Pictures
Today, Grizzly Adams is a notorious nickname for bearded men. In 1974, however, it was a biopic about John Boyden Adams. This mountain man from the 1800s was known for gathering wild animals. He was also known for bringing in big money as this release trapped over $45 million worldwide, making The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams the fourth highest-grossing Western for its time.
21 How The West Was Won (1963) — $46.5M
MGM
Winning the west was more than a clever name for this 1962 American classic. Featuring John Ford and George Marshall, this monster release told the tale of the early days of the old west and, uh, how it was won. Chronicling the life of a settler from his early days to the Civil War, How The West Was Won raked in over $46 million.
20 Urban Cowboy (1980) — $46.9M
Paramonunt Pictures
John Travolta and Debra Winger created a world of memories in 1980 with Urban Cowboy. More updated than many on this list, Urban Cowboy features Travolta’s Bud Davis and his tumultuous marriage to Winger’s Sissy. While not the most beloved film by critics, this one was embraced by fans as it brought in close to $47 million.
19 Tombstone (1993) — $56.5M
Hollywood Pictures
Coupled with the success of Young Guns years earlier, Tombstone was one of the top movies of the early-1990s and a true gem of the genre. With Kurt Russel and Bill Paxton, among others, Tombstone is their take of Wyatt Earp and the famous names from the old West’s most beloved years. Often quoted by fans of old-time westerns, this 1993 release captured over $56 million and remains a beloved installment of Western Folklore.
18 Open Range (2003) — $68.6M
Touchstone Pictures
The 2003 film Open Range might not be the most well-known on this list, but it was successful beyond many expectations. Robert Duvall and Kevin Costner joined forces to tell the tale of two cowhands forced to take up arms against a crooked lawman. When all was said and done, it was more like Open Wallets as this one inhaled $68 million worldwide.
17 3:10 to Yuma (2007) — $71.2M
Lionsgate
James Mangold directed Russell Crowe and Christian Bale in the train-themed story, 3:10 to Yuma. Yuma tells the tale of an outlaw (Crowe) being transported for trial by Dan Evans (Bale). Based on the book by Elmore Leonard, this one outdid a lot of expectations, and its final tally of $71 million etched its place among some true gems in Hollywood. Today, it remains one of the most positively reviewed Westerns by fans online.
16 Shanghai Noon (2000) — $71.2M
2000’s Shanghai Noon puts a new spin on an old story with Jackie Chan playing a Chinese traveler sent to the west to rescue a princess. It sounds wild, and it is. That’s part of its charm. Along with Owen Wilson, Lucy Liu, and Walton Goggins, the cast came together to produce a memorable kick-off to the eventual Shanghai series. As of today, Shanghai Noon has captured over $71 million worldwide.
15 A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014) — $86.8M
Universal
Seth MacFarlane might be most famous for irreverent cartoons, but this cowboy film drew huge money in 2014. A comedy set in the West, Peter Griffin joined a wide range of stars including Charlize Theron, Liam Neeson, and Neil Patrick Harris. While not known for getting great ratings from fans and critics, it did manage to get great money. Thanks to the advertising and crossover Family Guy interest, A Million Ways to Die in the West lived strong with over $86 million coming in worldwide.
14 Shanghai Knights (2003) — $88.3M
Buena Vista Pictures
What time is it? Noon? No. It’s night…with a silent “k”. The sequel to Shanghai Noon three years earlier, Shanghai Knights again follows Chan and Wilson. While many expected this to be a successful follow-up to its predecessor, few knew how big it would be. It drew over $88 million across the globe, making it one of the most successful sequels across most genres.
13 Billy Jack (1971) — $98M
National Student Film Corporation
This 1971 movie about a Native American Vietnam Veteran beating up bigots truly gripped the nation. For the early-70s, steeped in social tension, Billy Jack was the perfect movie at the perfect time. With a simple budget of $800,000, this revenge story shattered the ceiling and brought home an astounding $98 million, making it the highest-grossing Western of the 1970s.
12 Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid (1969) — $102.3M
20th Century Studios
One of the most famous stories in Hollywood history, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was the highest-earning Western of its time and would remain that way for 21 years. This epic story featuring Robert Redford and Paul Newman is still one of the most respected motion pictures of any time frame. With a budget of $6 million, Butch and Sunny corralled over $102 million when all was said and done.
11 Hidalgo (2004) — $108.1M
Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
2004’s Hidalgo had all the appeal of the old west, at a time when Westerns were trying to branch out from the retro look. Yet, the tale of Frank Hopkins, played by Viggo Mortensen, and his work with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, gave viewers a familiar feeling of gunslingers from days gone by. This classic tale raked in $108 million. The only asterisk is that its budget was $100 million, illustrating the difference between old school Hollywood and the new millennium.
10 The Dark Tower (2017) — $113.5M
Sony Pictures
Steven King’s series of novels, The Dark Tower, came to the big screen in 2017. Starring Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey as enemies, this movie is known for jumping between modern-day New York City and an alternate-reality Old West. An extension of the Western genre with a great deal of science fiction thrown in, this unique story gripped fans (not all fans) and saw a massive $113 million payday from audiences.
9 The Hateful Eight (2015) — $151.8M
The Weinstein Company
The eight might be hateful, but movie-goers weren’t. The 2015 drama had an overflowing cast of stars including Samuel Jackson, Kurt Russell, Tim Roth, and Channing Tatum. Believed by many to be the sequel to Django Unchained, The Hateful Eight is actually a standalone film from Quentin Tarantino. Truly a polarizing title on this list with detractors speaking out whenever possible, The Hateful Eight is not affected by your hate. Rather, it’s affected by the money it earned. With over $151 million worldwide, it’s hard to hate anything about it.
8 Unforgiven (1992) — $159.2M
Warner Bros.
Starring, directed, and produced by Clint Eastwood, Unforgiven was destined for success from the moment filming began. The legendary Eastwood treated this production as his baby, and it showed in the final product. With an eye-popping Rotten Tomatoes score and diehard fans worldwide, Unforgiven became one of the true icons of the Western genre with nearly $160 million at the global box office.
7 Legends of the Fall (1994) — $160.5M
Sony Pictures Releasing
People loved the soundtrack. People loved Brad Pitt. People loved this movie. 1994’s Legends of the Fall gives a more updated look at the west with three brothers living in the wilderness, trying to survive the horrors of a world ripped by World War I, while navigating a love triangle. This movie, earning over $160 million, was not the most successful western of the 1990s. Shockingly, it wasn’t even the most successful western of 1994.
6 The Magnificent Seven (2016) — $162.1M
A remake of the 1960 classic, this 2016 retelling was far more successful financially. Denzel Washington, Christ Pratt, and Ethan Hawke tell the classic tale of gunmen tasked with protecting a damsel in distress. A classic take on a comforting genre, The Magnificent Seven made an impact and gained a huge following. At over $162 million, it is the most successful Western to have come out since its release in 2016 (as of 2023).
