The U.S. summertime box office can always be counted on to deliver at least one mainstream comedy smash — like “The Hangover,” which pulled in $277 million; or “Ted,” which grossed $219 million in 2012; or last year’s “Girls Trip,” which took in $115 million.
Well, recently released “Tag” — one of the summer’s comedy hopefuls — was not it. Despite boasting a great ensemble and a premise tailor-made for fans of past comedy hits like “Wedding Crashers,” the film took in a disappointing $14.9 million in its debut. Not good.
With that, here’s a look at the 25 highest grossing comedy films of all time, the actors who starred in them, and their estimated North America earnings compiled by IMDb.
Are their big earnings tied to their top-billed cast or the funny screenplays? You decide.
1. “Home Alone” (1990)
An eight-year-old troublemaker must protect his house from a pair of burglars when he is accidentally left home alone by his family during Christmas vacation.
Stars: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern
Gross: $286 million
2. “Meet the Fockers” (2004)
All hell breaks loose when the Byrnes family meets the Focker family for the first time.
Stars: Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Blythe Danner
Gross: $279 million
3. “The Hangover” (2009)
Three buddies wake up from a bachelor party in Las Vegas, with no memory of the previous night and the bachelor missing. They make their way around the city in order to find their friend before his wedding.
Gross: $277 million
Stars: Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms
4. “The Hangover Part II” (2011)
Two years after the bachelor party in Las Vegas, Phil, Stu, Alan, and Doug jet to Thailand for Stu’s wedding. Stu’s plan for a subdued pre-wedding brunch, however, goes seriously awry.
Gross: $254 million
Stars: Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms
5. “Bruce Almighty” (2003)
A guy who complains about God too often is given almighty powers to teach him how difficult it is to run the world.
Gross: $243 million
Stars: Jim Carrey, Jennifer Aniston, Morgan Freeman
6. “Mrs. Doubtfire” (1993); “Ted” (2012) (Tie)
In “Mrs. Doubtfire,” after a bitter divorce, an actor disguises himself as a female housekeeper to spend time with his children held in custody by his former wife. In“Ted,” John Bennett’s teddy bear comes to life and he must decide between keeping the relationship with the bear or his girlfriend.
Gross: $219 million
Stars: Robin Williams, Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan; Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Seth MacFarlane
7. “Austin Powers in Goldmember” (2002)
Upon learning that his father has been kidnapped, Austin Powers must travel to 1975 and defeat the aptly named villain Goldmember, who is working with Dr. Evil.
Gross: $213 million
Stars: Mike Myers, Beyoncé, Seth Green
8. “Wedding Crashers” (2005)
A pair of committed womanizers who sneak into weddings to take advantage of the romantic tinge in the air, find themselves at odds with one another when one of them falls in love.
Gross: $209 million
Stars: Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Rachel McAdams
9. “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me” (1999)
Dr. Evil is back and has invented a new time machine that allows him to go back to the 1960s and steal Austin Powers’ mojo, inadvertently leaving him “shagless.”
Gross: $206 million
Stars: Mike Myers, Heather Graham, Michael York
10. “Liar Liar” (1997)
A fast-track lawyer can’t lie for 24 hours due to his son’s birthday wish after he turns his son down for the last time.
Gross: $181 million
Stars: Jim Carrey, Maura Tierney, Amanda Donohoe
11. “Tootsie” (1982)
An unsuccessful actor, disguises himself as a woman in order to get a role on a trashy hospital soap.
Gross: $177 million
Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr
12. “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” (1992)
One year after Kevin was left home alone and had to defeat a pair of bumbling burglars, he accidentally finds himself in New York City, and the same criminals are not far behind.
Gross: $174 million
Stars: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern
13. “Elf” (2003)
After inadvertently wreaking havoc on the elf community due to his ungainly size, a man raised as an elf at the North Pole is sent to the U.S. in search of his true identity.
Gross: $173 million
Stars: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart
14. “Bridesmaids” (2011)
Competition between the maid of honor and a bridesmaid, over who is the bride’s best friend, threatens to upend the life of an out-of-work pastry chef.
Gross: $169 million
Stars: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper
15. “Meet the Parents” (2000)
Male nurse Greg Focker meets his girlfriend’s parents before proposing, but her suspicious father is every date’s worst nightmare.
Gross: $166 million
Stars: Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Teri Polo, Blythe Danner
16. “Wild Hogs” (2007)
A group of suburban biker wannabes looking for adventure hit the open road, but get more than they bargained for when they encounter a New Mexico gang called the Del Fuegos.
Gross: $168 million
Stars: Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence, John Travolta, William H. Macy
17. “3 Men and a Baby” (1987)
Three bachelors find themselves forced to take care of a baby left by one of the guys’ girlfriends.
Gross: $168 million
Stars: Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, Ted Danson
18. “Big Daddy” (1999)
A lazy law school grad adopts a kid to impress his girlfriend, but everything doesn’t go as planned and he becomes the unlikely foster father.
Gross: $163 million
Stars: Adam Sandler, Joey Lauren Adams, Jon Stewart
19. “Grown Ups” (2010)
After their high school basketball coach passes away, five good friends and former teammates reunite for a Fourth of July holiday weekend.
Gross: $162 million
Stars: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, Rob Schneider
20. “The Waterboy” (1998)
A waterboy for a college football team discovers he has a unique tackling ability and becomes a member of the team.
Gross: $161 million
Stars:Adam Sandler, Kathy Bates, Henry Winkler
21. “Scary Movie” (2000)
A year after disposing of the body of a man they accidentally killed, a group of dumb teenagers are stalked by a bumbling killer.
Gross: $157 million
Stars: Anna Faris, Jon Abrahams, Marlon Wayans
22. “Little Fockers” (2010)
Family patriarch Jack Byrnes wants to appoint a successor. Does his son-in-law, the male nurse Greg Focker, have what it takes?
Gross: $148 million
Stars: Robert DeNiro, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Blythe Danner, Teri Polo, Jessica Alba, Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand
23. “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” (2006)
No. 1 NASCAR driver Ricky Bobby stays atop the heap thanks to a pact with his best friend and teammate, Cal Naughton, Jr. But when a French Formula One driver makes his way up the ladder, Ricky Bobby’s talent and devotion are put to the test.
Gross: $148 million
Stars: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Sacha Baron Cohen
24. “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” (2009)
When a shopping mall is taken over by a gang of organized crooks, it’s up to a mild-mannered security guard to save the day.
Gross: $146 million
Stars:Kevin James, Keir O’Donnell, Jayma Mays
25. “American Pie 2” (2001)
Jim and his friends are now in college, and they decide to meet up at the beach house for some fun.
Gross: $145 million
Stars: Jason Biggs, Seann William Scott, Shannon Elizabeth
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