Most Popular Movies 2020
This chart shows the 2020 movie releases that have attracted the most interest on The Numbers web site over the past 24 hours. A share of 100 corresponds to 1 percent of the total views for all 2020 releases.
See also: Domestic Release Schedule for 2020 - Top 2020 Worldwide
← 2019 | Most Popular Overall | 2021 → |
Soul |
Director: Pete Docter |
Lead Roles: Jamie Foxx as Joe Gardner, Tina Fey as 22, Graham Norton as Moonwind |
Initial Theatrical Release: November 20, 2020 (Canceled) by Walt Disney |
Keywords: Family Adventure, Musicians, Disrupted by 2020 COVID-19 pandemic |
Classification: Original Screenplay, Adventure, Digital Animation, Kids Fiction |
Domestic BO: $946,154 |
International BO: $119,124,368 |
Synopsis
Joe is a middle-school band teacher whose life hasn’t quite gone the way he expected. His true passion is jazz — and he’s good. But when he travels to another realm to help someone find their passion, he soon discovers what it means to have soul.
Hillbilly Elegy |
Director: Ron Howard |
Lead Roles: Amy Adams as Bev, Glenn Close as Mamaw |
Initial Theatrical Release: November 11, 2020 (Wide) (South Korea) |
Classification: Based on Factual Book/Article, Drama, Live Action, Dramatization |
International BO: $38,852 |
Synopsis
A Yale law student drawn back to his hometown grapples with family history, Appalachian values and the American dream. Based on the best-selling memoir.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba—The Movie: Mugen Train (劇場版「鬼滅の刃」 無限列車編) |
Director: Haruo Sotozaki |
Initial Theatrical Release: October 16, 2020 (Wide), released as Kimetsu no Yaiba: Mugen Ressha-Hen (Japan) |
Keywords: 2D Digitally Animated Films, Dysfunctional Family, Possessed, Action Adventure, Demons, Anime |
Classification: Based on Comic/Graphic Novel, Adventure, Digital Animation, Fantasy |
Domestic BO: $49,888,502 |
International BO: $457,230,556 |
Synopsis
A youth begins a quest to fight demons and save his sister after finding his family slaughtered and his sister turned into a demon.
Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) |
Director: Cathy Yan |
Lead Roles: Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Helena Bertinelli/Huntress, Jurnee Smollett as Dinah Lance/Black Canary, Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya, Chris Messina as Victor Zsasz, Ella Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain, Ali Wong as Ellen Yee, Ewan McGregor as Roman Sionis |
Initial Theatrical Release: February 5, 2020 (Wide) (South Korea) |
Keywords: 3-D, IMAX: DMR, F-Rated, Relationships Gone Wrong, Enemies Forced to Work Together, Ensemble, LGBTQ+, D.C. Comics, Action Comedy, Crime |
Classification: Based on Comic/Graphic Novel, Action, Live Action, Super Hero |
Domestic BO: $84,158,461 |
International BO: $116,847,091 |
Synopsis
When Gotham’s most nefariously narcissistic villain, Roman Sionis, and his zealous right-hand, Zsasz, put a target on a young girl named Cass, the city is turned upside down looking for her. Harley Quinn, Huntress, Black Canary and Renee Montoya’s paths collide, and the unlikely foursome have no choice but to team up to take Roman down.
Tenet |
Director: Christopher Nolan |
Lead Roles: John David Washington as “The Protagonist”, Robert Pattinson as Neil, Elizabeth Debicki as Kat, Michael Caine as Crosby, Kenneth Branagh as Sator |
Initial Theatrical Release: August 26, 2020 (Wide) by Warner Bros. (United Kingdom) |
Keywords: IMAX: DMR, Time Travel, Disrupted by 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Terrorism, Tortured for Information, Unnamed Character, C.I.A., Rescue, Surprise Twist, Action Thriller, False Identity |
Classification: Original Screenplay, Action, Live Action, Science Fiction |
Domestic BO: $58,504,105 |
International BO: $301,014,361 |
Synopsis
Armed with only one word—Tenet—and fighting for the survival of the entire world, the Protagonist journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time. Not time travel. Inversion.
Mank |
Director: David Fincher |
Lead Roles: Gary Oldman as Herman J. Mankiewicz, Amanda Seyfried as Marion Davies, Lily Collins as Rita Alexander, Arliss Howard, Tom Pelphrey as Joseph Mankiewicz, Sam Troughton as John Houseman, Charles Dance as William Randolph Hearst |
Initial Theatrical Release: November 13, 2020 (Limited) by Netflix |
Keywords: Early / Simultaneous Video-on-Demand release, 1930s, Set in Hollywood, 1940s, 2021 Oscars Best Picture Nominee |
Classification: Based on Real Life Events, Drama, Live Action, Dramatization |
International BO: $100,072 |
Synopsis
1930s Hollywood is reevaluated through the eyes of scathing wit and alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz as he races to finish “Citizen Kane.”
The Lovebirds |
Director: Michael Showalter |
Lead Roles: Issa Rae as Julie, Kumail Nanjiani as Eric |
Video Release Date: May 22, 2020 by Netflix |
Keywords: Disrupted by 2020 COVID-19 pandemic |
Classification: Original Screenplay, Comedy, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
Synopsis
A couple experiences a defining moment in their relationship when they are unintentionally embroiled in a murder mystery. As their journey to clear their names takes them from one extreme — and hilarious — circumstance to the next, they must figure out how they, and their relationship, can survive the night.
Law |
Director: Raghu Samarth |
Lead Roles: Ragini Prajwal |
Video Release Date: June 26, 2020 by Self Distributed |
Classification: Original Screenplay, Thriller/Suspense, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
Monster Hunter |
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson |
Lead Roles: Milla Jovovich as Artemis, Tony Jaa as The Hunter |
Initial Theatrical Release: February 18, 2020 (Wide) by Sony Pictures, released as Monster Hunter: La cacería comienza (Mexico) |
Keywords: Action Adventure, Scene in End Credits, Alternative Dimensions / Parallel universe |
Classification: Based on Game, Action, Live Action, Science Fiction |
Domestic BO: $15,162,470 |
International BO: $32,691,423 |
Synopsis
Behind our world, there is another: a world of dangerous and powerful monsters that rule their domain with deadly ferocity. When Lt. Artemis and her elite unit are transported through a portal from our world to a new world, they are in for the shock of their lives. In her desperate attempt to get home, the brave lieutenant encounters a mysterious hunter, whose unique skills have allowed him to survive in this hostile land. Faced with relentless and terrifying attacks from the monsters, the warriors team up to fight back and find a way home.
Honest Thief |
Director: Mark Williams |
Lead Roles: Liam Neeson as Tom Carter, Kate Walsh as Annie |
Initial Theatrical Release: October 8, 2020 (Wide) (Hong Kong) |
Keywords: FBI, Corrupt Cops, Disrupted by 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Crime Thriller, Bank Robbery |
Classification: Original Screenplay, Thriller/Suspense, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
Domestic BO: $14,163,574 |
International BO: $18,446,057 |
Synopsis
Wanting to lead an honest life, a notorious bank robber turns himself in, only to be double-crossed by two ruthless FBI agents.
Sh*thouse |
Director: Cooper Raiff |
Lead Roles: Cooper Raiff as Alex, Dylan Gelula as Maggie |
Initial Theatrical Release: October 16, 2020 (Limited) by IFC Films |
Keywords: Romance |
Classification: Original Screenplay, Comedy, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
Domestic BO: $18,148 |
International BO: $6,597 |
Synopsis
Lonely college freshman Alex has closed himself off from his peers, who all appear to have this whole “college thing” figured out. But everything changes one night when Alex takes a leap and attends a party at Shithouse—a legendary party fraternity—where he forges a strong connection with Maggie. The next day, she ignores him completely and seems to have forgotten about their amazing night. Desperately clinging to his social breakthrough, Alex pulls out all the stops with one more night at Shithouse, hoping to rekindle that moment of connection.
Wonder Woman 1984 |
Director: Patty Jenkins |
Lead Roles: Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, Chris Pine as Steve Trevor, Kristen Wiig as Barbara Ann Miverva/Cheetah, Pedro Pascal as Maxwell Lord |
Initial Theatrical Release: December 16, 2020 (Limited) by Warner Bros. (United Kingdom) |
Keywords: 3-D, IMAX: DMR, Action Adventure, 1980s, Reincarnation |
Classification: Based on Comic/Graphic Novel, Action, Live Action, Super Hero |
Domestic BO: $46,801,036 |
International BO: $119,559,196 |
Synopsis
Fast forward to the 1980s as Wonder Woman’s next big screen adventure finds her facing two all-new foes: Max Lord and The Cheetah.
Minari |
Director: Lee Isaac Chung |
Lead Roles: Steven Yeun as Jacob, Alan Kim as David |
Initial Theatrical Release: December 11, 2020 (Virtual) by A24 |
Keywords: Sundance Film Festival 2020, Set in Arkansas, 1980s, Family Drama, Immigration, Asian-Americans, Life on a Farm, 2021 Oscars Best Picture Nominee |
Classification: Original Screenplay, Drama, Live Action, Historical Fiction |
Domestic BO: $2,964,816 |
International BO: $12,509,843 |
Synopsis
David, a 7-year-old Korean-American boy, gets his life turned upside down when his father decides to move their family to rural Arkansas and start a farm in the mid-1980s, in this charming and unexpected take on the American Dream.
Host |
Director: Rob Savage |
Video Release Date: December 1, 2020 by RLJ |
Keywords: Supernatural, Supernatural Horror |
Classification: Original Screenplay, Horror, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
International BO: $436,536 |
Synopsis
Stuck in the house and bored out of their minds, six friends decide to hire a medium. Although it’s not a traditional seance as all the friends and the medium are in their own homes and connected through a Zoom meeting. It’s all fun and games for the group until they each begin to realize the seance is more effective than they imagined, and now they all have to fight to survive evil spirits invading their homes.
El Principe |
Director: Sebastián Muñoz Costa del Río |
Lead Roles: Juan Carlos Maldonado as Jaime |
Initial Theatrical Release: January 10, 2020 (Wide) by Barton Films (Spain) |
Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Drama, Live Action, Historical Fiction |
International BO: $663 |
Synopsis
An explosive homoerotic prison drama set in 1970s Chile. Twenty-year-old Jaime is sent away for murder. There he meets and is taken under the protection of a tough older inmate. Amidst the violence of repression, an unlikely love story unfolds.
I Still Believe |
Director: Jon Erwin, Andrew Erwin |
Lead Roles: K.J. Apa as Jeremy Camp, Britt Robertson as Melissa Lynn Henning-Camp |
Initial Theatrical Release: March 11, 2020 (Wide) (Egypt) |
Keywords: Christian Contemporary Music, Romance, Terminal Illness, Cancer, Death of a Spouse or Fiancée / Fiancé, Widow/Widower, College, Biography, Faith-Based Film, Autobiographical, Faith-Based Drama |
Classification: Based on Real Life Events, Drama, Live Action, Dramatization |
Domestic BO: $10,410,004 |
International BO: $6,293,747 |
Synopsis
One love can change your life. One life can change the world. From the creators of I Can Only Imagine comes an inspiring love story for the ages.
The Photograph |
Director: Stella Meghie |
Lead Roles: Issa Rae as Mae, Lakeith Lee Stanfield as Michael Block |
Initial Theatrical Release: February 14, 2020 (Wide) by Universal |
Keywords: Romance, Dysfunctional Family, Non-Chronological, Photography, F-Rated, Adult Child Dealing with the Death of a Parent, Romantic Drama |
Classification: Original Screenplay, Drama, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
Domestic BO: $20,578,185 |
International BO: $126,196 |
Synopsis
When famed photographer Christina Eames unexpectedly dies, she leaves her estranged daughter Mae Morton hurt, angry and full of questions. When a photograph tucked away in a safe-deposit box is found, Mae finds herself on a journey delving into her mother’s early life and ignites a powerful, unexpected romance with a rising-star journalist, Michael Block.
Onward |
Director: Dan Scanlan |
Lead Roles: Chris Pratt as Barley Lightfoot, Tom Holland as Ian Lightfoot, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Laurel Lightfoot, Octavia Spencer as Corey, Lena Waithe as Specter, Ali Wong as Gore, Mel Rodriguez as Colt Bronco |
Initial Theatrical Release: February 28, 2020 (Wide), released as Frčíme (Czech Republic) |
Keywords: 3-D, 3-D - Shot in 3-D, IMAX: DMR, Road Trip, Young Child Dealing with the Death of a Parent, Family Bonding, Urban Fantasy, Family Adventure, Dysfunctional Family |
Classification: Original Screenplay, Adventure, Digital Animation, Kids Fiction |
Domestic BO: $61,555,145 |
International BO: $71,802,456 |
Synopsis
Set in a suburban fantasy world, two teenage elf brothers embark on an extraordinary quest to discover if there is still a little magic left out there.
The Call of the Wild |
Director: Chris Sanders |
Lead Roles: Harrison Ford as John Thornton |
Initial Theatrical Release: January 3, 2020 (Wide) (Poland) |
Keywords: Set in Canada, Set in Yukon, Gold Rush, Animal Lead, Autumn Years, Arctic Circle, 1890s, Family Movie, Family Adventure |
Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Adventure, Live Action, Historical Fiction |
Domestic BO: $62,342,368 |
International BO: $45,008,823 |
Synopsis
Buck is a big-hearted dog whose blissful domestic life is turned upside down when he is suddenly uprooted from his California home and transplanted to the exotic wilds of the Alaskan Yukon during the Gold Rush of the 1890s. As the newest rookie on a mail delivery dog sled team—and later its leader—Buck experiences the adventure of a lifetime, ultimately finding his true place in the world and becoming his own master.
Freaky |
Director: Christopher Landon |
Lead Roles: Vince Vaughn as The Butcher, Kathryn Newton as Millie Kessler |
Initial Theatrical Release: November 12, 2020 (Wide) (New Zealand) |
Keywords: Horror Comedy, High School, Serial Killer, Body Swap |
Classification: Original Screenplay, Horror, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
Domestic BO: $9,030,855 |
International BO: $9,042,578 |
Synopsis
Seventeen-year-old Millie Kessler is just trying to survive the bloodthirsty halls of Blissfield High and the cruelty of the popular crowd. But when she becomes the newest target of The Butcher, her town’s infamous serial killer, her senior year becomes the least of her worries. When The Butcher’s mystical ancient dagger causes him and Millie to wake up in each other’s bodies, Millie learns that she has just 24 hours to get her body back before the switch becomes permanent and she’s trapped in the form of a middle-aged maniac forever. The only problem is she now looks like a towering psychopath who’s the target of a city-wide manhunt while The Butcher looks like her and has brought his appetite for carnage to Homecoming. With some help from her friends—ultra-woke Nyla, ultra-fabulous Joshua and her crush Booker—Millie races against the clock to reverse the curse while The Butcher discovers that having a female teen body is the perfect cover for a little Homecoming killing spree.
Druk |
Director: Thomas Vinterberg |
Lead Roles: Mads Mikkelsen as Martin |
Initial Theatrical Release: October 9, 2020 (Wide) (Czech Republic) |
Classification: Original Screenplay, Drama, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
Domestic BO: $44,205 |
International BO: $21,654,690 |
Synopsis
It is time to sweep off the dust of everyday life. A Norwegian philosopher argues man is born with a blood alcohol level that is 0.5% too low. Inspired by that theory Martin and three of his friends and high school teachers launch a drinking experiment. Their mundane existence is an endless row of trivialities so this project might be exactly what they need. It is all about living life to the fullest! If Churchill won WW2 in a heavy daze of alcohol, imagine how the powerful drops can affect the daily humdrum? The four teachers—and a handful of students—decide to uphold a constant level of intoxication. Under the influence our four friends become braver, more musical, teaching grows interesting and results soar. The group feels alive again! As the units are knocked back the experiment both progresses and derails. It becomes clear that while alcohol historically has fueled great results, all actions have consequences.
The Midnight Sky |
Director: George Clooney |
Lead Roles: George Clooney as Augustine Lofthouse, Caoilinn Springall as Iris |
Initial Theatrical Release: December 9, 2020 (Wide) (South Korea) |
Keywords: Space Program, Directing Yourself, Survival Adventure |
Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Adventure, Live Action, Science Fiction |
International BO: $75,615 |
Synopsis
In the aftermath of a global catastrophe, a lone scientist in the Arctic races to contact a crew of astronauts with a warning not to return to Earth.
My Spy |
Director: Peter Segal |
Lead Roles: Dave Bautista as JJ, Chloe Coleman as Sophie |
Initial Theatrical Release: January 10, 2020 (Wide) by Roadshow Films (Australia) |
Keywords: C.I.A., Undercover, Shootout, Kid Spies, Demoted |
Classification: Original Screenplay, Comedy, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
International BO: $7,074,124 |
Synopsis
A hardened CIA operative who has been demoted and finds himself at the mercy of a precocious 9-year-old girl, named Sophie where he has been sent undercover begrudgingly to surveil her family. When Sophie discovers hidden cameras in her apartment, she uses her tech savviness to locate where the surveillance operation is set. In exchange for not blowing JJ’s cover Sophie convinces him to spend time with her and teach her to be a spy. Despite his reluctance JJ finds he is no match for Sophie’s disarming charm and wit.
The Old Guard |
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood |
Lead Roles: Charlize Theron as Andromache The Scythian/Andy, Kiki Layne as Nile Freeman, Marwan Kenzari as Joe, Luca Marineli as Nicky, Matthias Schoenaerts as Booker, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Copley |
Video Release Date: July 10, 2020 by Netflix |
Keywords: Supernatural |
Classification: Based on Comic/Graphic Novel, Action, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
Synopsis
Led by a warrior named Andy, a covert group of tight-knit mercenaries with a mysterious inability to die have fought to protect the mortal world for centuries. But when the team is recruited to take on an emergency mission and their extraordinary abilities are suddenly exposed, it’s up to Andy and Nile, the newest soldier to join their ranks, to help the group eliminate the threat of those who seek to replicate and monetize their power by any means necessary.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 |
Director: Aaron Sorkin |
Lead Roles: Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Richard Schultz, Seth Rogen as Jerry Rubin |
Initial Theatrical Release: September 25, 2020 (Canceled) by Paramount Pictures |
Keywords: Set in Chicago, 1960s, 2021 Oscars Best Picture Nominee |
Classification: Based on Movie, Drama, Live Action, Dramatization |
International BO: $116,473 |
Synopsis
What was intended to be a peaceful protest at the 1968 Democratic National Convention turned into a violent clash with police and the National Guard. The organizers of the protest—including Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden and Bobby Seale—were charged with conspiracy to incite a riot and the trial that followed was one of the most notorious in history.