G-rated movies are sometimes dismissed as kid stuff, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t a lucrative industry. In fact, despite its restrictive criteria, some of the most successful films in cinema history carry this rating. Today, we’re taking a nostalgia-packed tour through the highest-grossing G-rated movies of all time.
What Exactly Is a G Rating?
As you likely already know, the G rating stands for “General Audiences.” These are movies the MPAA deems suitable for all ages. The rating itself comes from the Motion Picture Association’s Classification and Rating Administration, or CARA. This group is responsible for watching new releases and deciding how they should be rated. They look at everything from language to tone to scenes that might frighten younger audiences. That means, to get this rating, there can be no foul language, no violence that would scare the little ones, and no mature themes, sexual content, or drugs. In short, G-rated films are designed to be safe viewing for everyone, from toddlers to grandparents.
That said, a G rating does not mean the film is intended for children, but it’s understandably the rating most often given to children’s films.
The Big Winners: Inflation-Adjusted Worldwide Champs
When we adjust for inflation, the list of the highest-grossing G-rated movies of all time looks a little different than the original box office charts. Here are some of the heavy hitters:
1. Gone with the Wind (1939)
Gone with the Wind; Image credit: Loew’s Incorporated
Original worldwide gross: $390.5 million
Adjusted worldwide gross: $8.56 billion
Yes, the silver screen adaptation of Margaret Mitchell’s bestselling novel tops the charts. Even though this Civil War epic was released more than 80 years ago, inflation puts it in a league of its own. In fact, the love story of Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler ranks as one of the top-grossing movies of all time, regardless of genre!
2. Bambi (1942)
Bambi; Image credit: RKO Radio Pictures
Original worldwide gross: $268 million
Adjusted worldwide gross: $5.01 billion
The story of a deer, his friends, and some tear-jerking moments still holds a special place in movie history (and apparently in box office history, too). The film opened in August 1942 with a relatively mediocre debut. Unlike films like Snow White, Bambi explored heavier, more melancholy themes than what was most appealing to a World War-torn world. However, while the movie didn’t reach box office heights immediately, the artistry and lovable characters eventually received the recognition they deserved in subsequent re-releases.
3. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs; Image credit: RKO Radio Pictures
Original worldwide gross: $187.2 million
Adjusted worldwide gross: $3.96 billion
Walt Disney’s first full-length animated film was the one that started Disney’s legacy and turned out to be a cash machine that has stood the test of time. Today, Snow White isn’t necessarily the most popular Disney princess in the lineup, but she’s easily one of the most recognizable and iconic. Famously, the movie was considered a massive risk for Disney’s then very small studio, with most expecting it to be an expensive failure. Of course, the opposite was true, and the film helped usher in the Golden Age of Disney.
4. Cinderella (1950)
Cinderella; Image credit: RKO Radio Pictures
Original worldwide gross: $263.6 million
Adjusted worldwide gross: $3.33 billion
While the story of Cinderella has been done nearly to death, Walt Disney’s version of the glass slipper, pumpkin carriage, and fairy godmother managed to deliver box office magic. In the wake of World War II, Walt Disney desperately needed a hit. While many of his early films remained beloved by audiences and critics, expensive experimental works like Fantasia did not perform as well as the major financial backers would have liked. Cinderella was the studio’s return to form, both in its fairy-tale roots and hand-drawn animation.
5. The Sound of Music (1965)
The Sound of Music; Image credit: 20th Century Fox
Original worldwide gross: $286.2 million
Adjusted worldwide gross: $2.77 billion
Julie Andrews twirling on that mountain brought audiences singing into theaters around the world. Released in the swinging ’60s, this film adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic musical provided wholesome escapism and soaring music during a decade of cultural change. Based on the real-life memoir of Maria Vonn Trap, it had instant success worldwide, quickly becoming a cultural phenomenon. The film’s mix of heartfelt family drama and unforgettable songs kept it reappearing in theaters and on television for generations, ensuring its place among other G-rated giants.
| Rank | Released | Movie | Inflation-Adjusted Worldwide Box Office Earnings* |
| 1 | 1939 | Gone with the Wind | $8,560,515,291 |
| 2 | 1942 | Bambi | $5,009,824,294 |
| 3 | 1937 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | $3,960,527,705 |
| 4 | 1950 | Cinderella | $3,332,648,603 |
| 5 | 1965 | The Sound of Music | $2,768,563,318 |
| 6 | 1994 | The Lion King | $2,032,147,951 |
| 7 | 1940 | Pinocchio | $1,834,741,329 |
| 8 | 1940 | Fantasia | $1,813,430,297 |
| 9 | 1961 | 101 Dalmatians | $1,562,260,808 |
| 10 | 2003 | Finding Nemo | $1,550,162,900 |
| 11 | 1970 | The Aristocats | $1,499,950,567 |
| 12 | 2010 | Toy Story 3 | $1,493,605,900 |
| 13 | 1967 | The Jungle Book | $1,294,007,359 |
| 14 | 2019 | Toy Story 4 | $1,276,670,851 |
| 15 | 1992 | Aladdin | $1,094,690,733 |
| 16 | 1955 | Lady and the Tramp | $1,064,618,612 |
| 17 | 1946 | Song of the South | $1,015,673,333 |
| 18 | 1964 | Mary Poppins | $1,005,507,764 |
| 19 | 1991 | Beauty and the Beast | $981,348,145 |
| 20 | 2013 | Monsters University | $972,421,830 |
| 21 | 2001 | Monsters, Inc. | $964,316,513 |
| 22 | 1956 | The Ten Commandments | $957,027,018 |
| 23 | 1999 | Toy Story 2 | $935,245,435 |
| 24 | 2007 | Ratatouille | $920,940,401 |
| 25 | 1999 | Tarzan | $819,717,549 |
| 26 | 1970 | Airport | $789,155,799 |
| 27 | 1959 | Ben-Hur | $766,745,705 |
| 28 | 2011 | Cars 2 | $758,785,562 |
| 29 | 2008 | WALL-E | $753,618,204 |
| 30 | 1995 | Toy Story | $730,307,016 |
| 31 | 1964 | My Fair Lady | $708,413,111 |
| 32 | 1963 | Cleopatra | $706,988,301 |
| 33 | 2006 | Cars | $697,717,035 |
| 34 | 1995 | Pocahontas | $693,976,799 |
| 35 | 1998 | A Bug’s Life | $678,747,668 |
| 36 | 2014 | Rio 2 | $634,340,576 |
| 37 | 1996 | The Hunchback of Notre Dame | $632,125,564 |
| 38 | 1968 | 2001: A Space Odyssey | $612,633,325 |
| 39 | 1971 | Fiddler on the Roof | $605,650,726 |
| 40 | 1996 | 101 Dalmatians | $590,760,665 |
| 41 | 1998 | Mulan | $567,343,908 |
| 42 | 1989 | The Little Mermaid | $546,172,469 |
| 43 | 2004 | The Polar Express | $517,523,402 |
| 44 | 1968 | Funny Girl | $514,030,663 |
| 45 | 1995 | Babe | $492,041,747 |
| 46 | 2005 | Chicken Little | $483,722,340 |
| 47 | 2017 | Cars 3 | $476,769,836 |
| 48 | 1997 | Hercules | $475,942,626 |
| 49 | 2011 | Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked | $472,874,740 |
| 50 | 1963 | How the West Was Won | $463,027,549 |
| 51 | 2008 | Horton Hears a Who | $423,828,329 |
| 52 | 1969 | The Love Bug | $419,959,600 |
| 53 | 1972 | What’s Up, Doc? | $416,543,234 |
| 54 | 2003 | Brother Bear | $414,656,032 |
| 55 | 2000 | Chicken Run | $403,073,528 |
| 56 | 1968 | The Odd Couple | $389,871,760 |
| 57 | 2008 | High School Musical 3: Senior Year | $388,327,424 |
| 58 | 2009 | The Princess and the Frog | $384,891,385 |
| 59 | 1979 | The Muppet Movie | $321,729,218 |
| 60 | 2015 | The Peanuts Movie | $321,510,329 |
| 61 | 2005 | Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit | $308,279,716 |
| 62 | 2000 | The Emperor’s New Groove | $300,155,487 |
| 63 | 1999 | Pokémon: The First Movie | $299,296,854 |
| 64 | 2002 | The Santa Clause 2 | $292,752,045 |
| 65 | 2001 | The Princess Diaries | $284,459,832 |
| 66 | 1974 | The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams | $280,666,161 |
| 67 | 1977 | In Search of Noah’s Ark | $280,064,380 |
| 68 | 1997 | Anastasia | $265,406,066 |
| 69 | 1998 | The Rugrats Movie | $263,379,707 |
| 70 | 2011 | Gnomeo and Juliet | $262,437,145 |
| 71 | 2007 | Meet the Robinsons | $250,688,638 |
| 72 | 1977 | The Rescuers | $245,247,897 |
| 73 | 2009 | Hannah Montana: The Movie | $240,272,840 |
| 74 | 2000 | Pokémon the Movie 2000 | $237,014,491 |
| 75 | 1975 | The Return of the Pink Panther | $236,928,029 |
| 76 | 2003 | The Jungle Book 2 | $231,712,958 |
| 77 | 2005 | Herbie: Fully Loaded | $224,837,752 |
| 78 | 2006 | Charlotte’s Web | $217,622,685 |
| 79 | 2004 | The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement | $217,297,263 |
| 80 | 1988 | The Land Before Time | $212,386,402 |
| 81 | 2005 | La Marche de l’empereur | $207,934,322 |
| 82 | 1988 | Oliver & Company | $190,989,547 |
| 83 | 2002 | Peter Pan: Return to Neverland | $186,077,704 |
| 84 | 2000 | Rugrats in Paris | $182,758,938 |
| 85 | 2002 | Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron | $180,408,160 |
| 86 | 2001 | Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius | $177,199,501 |
| 87 | 2000 | The Tigger Movie | $170,130,040 |
| 88 | 2006 | The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause | $162,477,689 |
| 89 | 2006 | Deep Sea 3D | $159,877,504 |
| 90 | 1981 | The Fox and the Hound | $147,152,734 |
| 91 | 2002 | The Rookie | $136,330,883 |
| 92 | 2011 | Justin Bieber: Never Say Never | $134,151,463 |
| 93 | 1986 | An American Tail | $132,008,811 |
| 94 | 2008 | The Tale of Despereaux | $128,052,758 |
| 95 | 2000 | 102 Dalmatians | $118,450,795 |
| 96 | 1999 | Fantasia 2000 | $110,684,461 |
| 97 | 2006 | Curious George | $107,390,231 |
| 98 | 2008 | Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert | $100,073,468 |
| 99 | 2010 | Hubble 3D | $95,768,524 |
| 100 | 2008 | College Road Trip | $71,998,003 |
*Earnings calculated using U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Consumer Price Index (CPI) data released August 2025.
Animation Tops the Charts
From a brief glance at the list, you’ll likely notice that animated films make up a large portion. From early masterpieces like Snow White to Millennial childhood favorites like The Land Before Time, and more recent hits such as Monsters University and The Peanuts Movie, audiences clearly love to watch colorful characters and imaginative worlds come to life. While CGI has overtaken hand-drawn animation, the medium still has families showing up in droves to see some kid-friendly movie magic.
The Peanuts Movie; Image credit: 20th Century Fox
Disney, Disney, and… More Disney
It’s hard not to notice how prominently the shadow of the Disney umbrella lurks over this space. Whether it’s the early fairy tales that built the company’s empire, or Broadway-inspired, Disney Renaissance hits like The Lion King that made us cry into our popcorn buckets, Disney has been the chief architect of G-rated greatness almost as long as Hollywood has been around. Even titles like The Sound of Music, which ranks in the top five, now live under Disney’s umbrella thanks to corporate acquisitions.
The Lion King; Image credit: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
Among the top twenty on the list, the only non-Disney title to outperform the Mouse is Gone with the Wind!
Why These Movies Keep Winning
The recipe isn’t complicated: timeless storytelling, broad appeal, and characters that stick in your brain like your favorite lullaby. Parents pass them down, kids beg for repeat viewings (sometimes too many viewings), and theaters keep cashing in. The box office dollars don’t lie, so whether it’s Scarlet O’Hara refusing to give up or Nemo making his way home, these tales resonate with old and young alike and connect generations across the history of film.
If you had fun strolling through the biggest G-rated hits of all time, PixlParade is packed with more film history, rankings, and fun facts to satisfy your inner media buff. Whether you love animated adventures, golden age classics, or behind-the-scenes trivia, we’ve got plenty more waiting.
See more:
- Timeline of the Highest-Grossing R-Rated Films
- The Highest-Grossing Horror Movie Franchises of All Time
- The 10 Highest-Grossing Actresses of All Time
- The 10 Highest-Grossing Japanese Anime Films of all Time
- The Top 50 Highest-Grossing Science Fiction Movies of All Time
- The Top 50 Highest-Grossing Superhero Movies of All Time
Sources: The Numbers and BLS
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