Nothing in life is more guaranteed than a good Ralph Fiennes movie. From Schindler's List to The Menu, the British actor has been a part of numerous critically acclaimed productions. Because of his good work, he has been nominated for two Oscars in his career, and fans can bet on him getting more in the future. In 2024, the star impressed even further with his performance in Conclave, a film about machinations during a papal conclave to elect the next pope.
Like many other Ralph Fiennes movies, Conclave has caught the attention of many award organizations. It has been nominated for six Golden Globes, and, if history has taught us anything, any film that gets heavily recognized by The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) tends to do well at the Oscars. The film has also done fairly well at the box office, grossing $44 million so far, with the numbers expected to rise. But does it come close to being one of the actor's highest-grossing movies? Here's what Ralph Fiennes' top box office figures look like, according to Box Office Mojo.
10 'Schindler's List' (1993) $322.2 Million
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Schindler's List DramaHistoryWar
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*Availability in US Release Date December 15, 1993 Runtime 195 Minutes Cast Liam Neeson , Ben Kingsley , Ralph Fiennes , Caroline Goodall , Jonathan Sagall
Schindler's List is the story of Oskar Schindler, a German industrialist and Nazi party member who saved thousands of Polish-Jewish refugees from persecution by employing them in his enamelware and ammunition factories. Fiennes portrays the notorious SS officer Amon Göth, who served as the commandant of the Kraków-Płaszów concentration camp in Płaszów during World War II.
New Ground for Holocaust Movies
Steven Spielberg famously rejected his paycheck for Schindler's List because he considered it blood money." His conscience wouldn't allow him to enrich himself using a story about a persecuted group. He was also allocated only a $22 million budget by the studio as studio execs doubted whether a Holocaust movie would be a box office hit. The reception in Germany certainly helped.
According to the book, Spielberg's Holocaust: Critical Perspectives on Schindler's List, the Oscar-winning movie was watched by over 100,000 people in its first week alone and was later shown in 500 theaters. 80 of the theaters had been paid for by municipal authorities.
9 'Clash of the Titans' (2010) $493.2 Million
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Clash of the Titans FantasyAction
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*Availability in US Release Date April 2, 2010 Runtime 1h 46m Cast Sam Worthington , Liam Neeson , Ralph Fiennes , Mads Mikkelsen , Gemma Arterton
Loosely based on the Greek myth of Perseus, Clash of the Titans follows Zeus' son Perseus (Sam Worthington) as he attempts to prevent Zeus' brother and underworld lord, Hades (Ralph Fiennes) from overthrowing the king and destroying Earth. Critics labeled it "style over substance," but audiences were kinder, throwing dollars without caring about quality.
A Genius Move by the Studio
Action fantasy films always make good money, so Clash of the Titans wasn't expected to fail. However, it wasn't expected to be such a huge success either, considering the brutal critic reviews. According to the film's official website, Warner Bros.' last-minute choice to change the visuals of 3D greatly boosted its quality. The film was originally set for standard release in March, but after a 3D conversion test, the premiere was pushed to April 2, 2010. The results were astounding, with audiences quick to dump the season's expected moneymaker, Date Night, for it.
8 'No Time to Die' (2021) $774 Million
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No Time to Die ActionAdventureThriller
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*Availability in US Release Date October 8, 2021 Runtime 163 Minutes Cast Daniel Craig , Rami Malek , Lea Seydoux , Ralph Fiennes , Lashana Lynch , Jeffrey Wright , Billy Magnussen , Dali Benssalah , Naomie Harris , Rory Kinnear , Ben Whishaw , Ana De Armas , David Dencik
To be forever remembered as the movie in which James Bond died, No Time to Die sees the star MI6 agent come out of retirement to help his CIA buddy, Felix Leiter, find a kidnapped scientist. He soon crosses paths with Safin, a deranged terrorist looking to destroy SPECTRE for causing the deaths of his family. As is always the case, MI6 boss, M (Ralph Fiennes) makes Bond's life a lot harder than it should be.
Dodging COVID
No Time to Die was the first major film affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, so it was pushed again and again, until the air was pure. After its release, it became the first film since the pandemic to cross $100 million overseas without the China market. It eventually opened in the Asian country, but with several theaters still closed, numbers were lower than expected. Given these circumstances, there is no doubt that the Bond movie would have made more money if the world was in a normal state.
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Posts 3 7 'Spectre' (2015) $880 Million
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Spectre ActionAdventureCrimeThriller
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*Availability in US Release Date October 26, 2015 Runtime 145 Cast Dave Bautista , Christoph Waltz , Daniel Craig , Ralph Fiennes , Monica Bellucci , Lea Seydoux
In Spectre, Daniel Craig's Bond takes on the franchise's overarching villain, Blofeld, for the first time. Bond also faces various bureaucratic challenges, stemming from the decision to merge MI5 and MI6 into the Joint Intelligence Service and to appoint Max Denbigh, aka, C, as the director general. Meanwhile, Mallory (Fiennes) adjusts to his new life after taking over as M.
Not Worth the Price of Admission, but Still a Great Experience
Sam Mendes never intended to direct Spectre. He only came back after Nicolas Winding Refn, and judging from the film's quality, Mendes clearly lacked inspiration. Still, there was every reason for audiences to be excited about the film. The previous Bond entry (Skyfall) had been impressive, and Christoph Waltz was joining the cast. If he could bring the same magic he did in Inglorious Basterds and Django Unchained, everyone would be in for a treat. He didn't, but everyone had bought tickets anyway, so this became the second highest-grossing movie of all time (fourth when the rest are adjusted for inflation).
6 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' (2005) $897 Million (2005)
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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire AdventureFamilyFantasyMystery
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*Availability in US Release Date November 18, 2005 Runtime 157 Minutes Cast Daniel Radcliffe , Emma Watson , Rupert Grint , Tom Felton , Robbie Coltrane , Ralph Fiennes , Michael Gambon , Brendan Gleeson , Gary Oldman , Timothy Spall , Alan Rickman , Maggie Smith
Harry Potter and the millions of dollars! Every Harry Potter movie was a huge box office hit, and it's a shame that Warner Bros didn't milk this to the last drop. In Goblet of Fire, the titular character -- now in his fourth year at Hogwarts -- is chosen by the Goblet of Fire to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. And as always, Lord Voldemort (Fiennes) is ready to ruin the fun.
Dark but Prosperous
Goblet of Fire received heavy marketing, with ABC showing a first look and Mattel releasing a line of action figures. It became the highest grossing film of 2005, and achieved the biggest opening weekend for a Warner Bros., a record that would only be beaten by The Dark Knight. However, the numbers could have been even higher if censors had kept their scissors in their pockets. This was the first Harry Potter film to be rated 12A by the BBFC for its dark themes, violence, and frightening images. In America, it received a PG-13 rating, while in Australia, it was classified it as M (Mature).
5 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' (2009) $941 Million
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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince AdventureFamilyFantasyMystery
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*Availability in US Release Date July 7, 2009 Runtime 153 Minutes Cast Daniel Radcliffe , Emma Watson , Rupert Grint , Michael Gambon , Tom Felton , Alan Rickman , Jim Broadbent , David Thewlis , Maggie Smith , Robbie Coltrane , Julie Walters
Half-Blood Prince was nominated for many awards, including an Oscar for Best Cinematography, and is considered one of the most essential installments in the franchise. The film finds Harry in his sixth year at Hogwarts. This time, he falls in love and tries to get his hands on a memory that is crucial to defeating Lord Voldemort (Fiennes).
Chasing the Big Bucks
Despite the success of the previous installments, Warner Bros. took no chances with The Half Blood Prince. The studio reportedly spent a whopping $155 million to market and distribute the film. It included teasers in screenings of The Dark Knight and collaborated with EA to launch a video game. A decision to push the movie's release date to 2009 also helped ensure its success. An unnamed Warner Bros executive told EW that the movie was ready as early as 2008, but everyone was talking about The Dark Knight, so it was wise to keep Harry and his gang waiting.
4 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' (2007) $942 Million
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Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix AdventureFamilyFantasyMystery
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*Availability in US Release Date June 28, 2007 Runtime 138 Minutes Cast Daniel Radcliffe , Emma Watson , Alan Rickman , Ralph Fiennes , Rupert Grint , Helena Bonham Carter , Robbie Coltrane , Warwick Davis , Michael Gambon , Brendan Gleeson , Richard Griffiths , Maggie Smith
In Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and Dumbledore try to warn the wizard authorities about the return of Lord Voldemort. Sadly, they rubbish the fears and instead make efforts to curb Dumbledore's influence at Hogwarts while also discrediting Harry.
Harry Potter and the Hidden Profits
The film is noted as a notorious case of "Hollywood Accounting." Despite it grossing close to a billion, Warner Bros. claimed to have made a $167 million loss. True or not, audiences loved it. Once again, the studio employed heavy marketing tactics. The first trailer was attached to another WB movie, Happy Feet, and was also shown before each screening of Spider-Man 3. Thanks to these great moves, the results were spectacular.
3 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1' (2012) $960 Million
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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 AdventureFamilyFantasy Release Date November 19, 2010 Runtime 2h 26m Cast Bill Nighy , Emma Watson , Richard Griffiths , Harry Melling , Daniel Radcliffe , Julie Walters
In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Harry, Hermione, and Ron go into hiding after Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters take over the Ministry of Magic. Later, the trio pieces together the clues left by Dumbledore so that they can find and destroy the villains' Horcruxes.
A Leak? Perfect
From the 2010 MTV Movie Awards to Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster, clips of the film could be found everywhere. Consequently, the film became the fifth-biggest generator of advance ticket sales in history. And in what turned out to be a blessing in disguise, footage of the first 36 minutes was leaked before the release. So good was this footage, that everyone became interested. Fans reportedly camped at Leicester Square in London for several days ahead of the world premiere. Such is the magic of Harry Potter.
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Posts 1 2 'Skyfall' (2012) $1.1 Billion
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*Availability in US Release Date November 9, 2012 Runtime 2h 23m Cast Judi Dench , Ralph Fiennes , Naomie Harris , Helen McCrory , Javier Bardem , Daniel Craig , Ben Whishaw
The best Daniel Craig James Bond movie? It's a coin toss between Skyfall and Casino Royale, though many hold the former highly. In it, Bond is up against Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem), a vengeful former MI6 agent who has scores to settle with M (Judi Dench). Here, Fiennes' character, Gareth Mallory, serves as chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee.
Bond Redeemed Himself
Skyfall's high box office returns made it the seventh-highest-grossing film of all time (at the time). What made audiences curious, considering that the previous Bond film (Quantum of Solace) had been a disaster? The casting announcement certainly helped. No one plays a villain better than Javier Bardem and after his impressive showing in No Country for Old Men, everyone was eager to see what he'd do here. Then there was Sam Mendes, a filmmaker who hadn't had a dud until that point.
1 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2' (2011) $1.34 Billion
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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 AdventureFamilyFantasyMystery
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*Availability in US Release Date July 15, 2011 Runtime 130 Minutes Cast Daniel Radcliffe , Rupert Grint , Emma Watson , Helena Bonham Carter , Robbie Coltrane , Warwick Davis , Ralph Fiennes , Michael Gambon , John Hurt , Jason Isaacs , Gary Oldman , Alan Rickman
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 concludes Harry Potter's mission to locate and destroy Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes to defeat the villain once and for all. It is the eighth and final installment in the Harry Potter film series, and it sure didn't disappoint, earning three Oscar nominations and becoming the highest-grossing film of 2011.
Finishing on a High
This franchise is a big reason why Ralph Fiennes is a bankable star, and his fans would be disappointed by the fact that Voldemort had to go. The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 was the highest-grossing film released by Warner Bros. until it was overtaken by Barbie in 2023. This is impressive, considering that the studio had to keep the film out of markets like Indonesia and Jordan because of new and punitive taxes imposed on foreign films.