By Brian D. Renner Dec. 15, 2011
It was another year where sequels ruled the global box office. The top sequels of 2011 included: Harry Potter and the ... more
It was another year where sequels ruled the global box office. The top sequels of 2011 included: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 ($1.3 billion), Transformers: Dark of the Moon ($1.1B), Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides ($1.0B), The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 ($702 million), Kung Fu Panda 2 ($665M), Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol ($653M), Fast Five ($626M), The Hangover Part II ($582M), and Cars 2 ($560M). Originality couldn't be counted on to bring in worldwide audiences. The only 'original' film (without an underlying franchise, adaptation work or established property) to make the top 20 highest grossing worldwide films was Fox/Blue Sky Studio’s 3D animated adventure Rio ($485 million). Female audiences, among other demographics, drove big success for comedy hit Bridesmaids ($288 million) and book adaptation The Help ($207 million).
The last installment in the Harry Potter franchise, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, garnered a 96% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Some other top critically-acclaimed films included: The Artist (97%), The Muppets (96%), Moneyball (94%), Win Win (94%), Midnight in Paris (93%); Hugo (93%); Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (93%), 50/50 (93%) and Arthur Christmas (92%).