Highest-grossing films in Spain

It is common to hear from many people that Spanish cinema is not as good without arguments. But are we sure about it? Is it a criticism based on arguments, or simply a tendency that we impose on ourselves?

Although Spanish cinema cannot be compared to the record-breaking collections achieved by movies such as Avatar, Avengers: Endgame, or Titanic, which gross exorbitant amounts of money, it does not mean that Spain and cinema are not closely intertwined.

Our cinema is becoming more and more important at the international level, with directors such as Pedro Almodóvar or Gil Parrondo, whose qualities have won the Oscar, the most prestigious title in cinema worldwide.

With the following movies you can learn Spanish and improve it from home.

Do you know what is the highest grossing movie in history?

Since Avatar was released in 2009, James Cameron’s film has grossed a chilling $2.9 billion.

Highest grossing movies

If we focus on Spain, despite the fact that productivity is not equivalent to a guarantee of quality, we find that the highest-grossing titles to date are the following, numbered in descending order:

1. Eight Basque surnames

This comedy directed by Emilio Martínez-Lázaro and produced in 2014 is the most watched by Spaniards.

The film plays with the cultural and linguistic differences between the Basque and Andalusian communities, accentuating and exaggerating the typical characteristics that distinguish the inhabitants of southern and northern Spain.

Its sole purpose is to fill homes with smiles by comparing stereotypes. It is made up of an Andalusian (Dani Rovira) and a Basque (Clara Lago) and raised €55,379,947.62.

2. The impossible

This film is directed by Juan Antonio Bayona in 2012 and in which we can see the great actress Naomi Watts. It is a very emotional story based on true events about the catastrophe of the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia. It was nominated for the Goya awards, of which it won 5. This drama is without a doubt one of the best films in Spanish where it grossed €42,444,290. In addition to Naomi Watts, in it we can see renowned actors such as Tom Holland or Ewan McGregor.

3. Eight Catalan surnames

One year after the release of the highest-grossing film in Spain, a sequel was released in 2015. This film was somewhat challenging, as it played with the cultural differences between the Spanish and Catalan communities.

However, the film is based on a comedy so that the viewer can learn about the different dialects of our Spanish language.

In recent years there has been strong political pressure as a result of the search for independence. This film obtained a collection of €36,146,627.

4. The others

Alejandro Amenábar directed this film starring Nicole Kidman and winning eight of the 15 Goya Awards.

The international actors who joined this great film were dubbed into the Spanish language. The key was to get an international superstar to star in a film steeped in war that tries to show suspense and terror.

In 2001, it managed to become one of the highest-grossing films in the history of Spanish cinema with a collection of €27,254,163.

5. A monster comes to see me

Also in Spanish cinema, Juan Antonio Bayona stood out with a fantastic production where a mother’s love story for her son is told, achieving a collection of €26,507,290 in 2016.

In the film, a 13-year-old boy has to become the man of the house after his parents’ divorce, while his mother is ill. To overcome adversity the boy receives the help of a monster.

6. The orphanage

Again Juan Antonio Bayona made a Spanish classic of the horror genre where the affection of a mother towards her son is shown. Produced in 2007, a couple returns with their son to the orphanage where the mother grew up, who intends to reopen it to focus on it as a residence for children with disabilities.

It achieved a collection of €25,061,449.

7. The great adventure of Mortadelo and Filemón

The Mortadelo and Filemón comics by Francisco Ibáñez were brought to the big screen in 2003. The adventures of these detectives take us back to 1958. They are possibly the best-selling and most read comics in our country.

The main nuance of the film lies in the constant sense of humor in the actions of the two protagonists, who have to face missions within a network of relationships of interests where they face the evil Doctor Bacterio.

It achieved a collection of €22,847,733.

8. Torrente 2: Mission in Marbella

This saga is known by all Spaniards, starring Santiago Segura. It has the many adventures of a charismatic character full of rude and comic actions with the aim of having a good time with friends having a laugh, without worries. It covers almost all the current dilemmas of the moment, whether they are political, sports, social, etc.

This second part of the film achieved in 2001 the collection of €22,142,173

Do you know which movie was the highest grossing in 2022?

The most watched film of this year 2022 in Spanish to date has been Father There Is Only One 3, created by actor and filmmaker Santiago Segura.

9. Ágora

Alejandro Amenábar, in 2009, reaches the collection of €21,391,197 with a historical drama film where, inspired by a novel, a story is told within the context of ancient Egypt. It has a scientific argument behind it.

10. Perfect strangers

In 2017, director Alex de la Iglesia manages to enter the Top 10 of the highest-grossing films in history with an adaptation of the Italian film Perfetti Sconosciuti.

In it, four couples decide to leave all their mobile devices on the table and read or listen aloud to all the messages they send them, arriving at a surprising framework that no one would guess from the start.

So. What is the highest grossing movie in Spanish?

As you may have seen, 8 Basque Surnames is the highest-grossing Spanish-language film in history.

As can be seen, comedy has a great presence in Spanish cinema, perhaps due to the influence of Spanish culture. A large sector of the population catalogs this series of films as the perfect ones to spend with family or friends on weekends, since they do not require complex reflection in their viewing.

However, on the other hand, we also have titles that acquire great emotional depth, making clear the narrative level that Spanish directors possess. We are talking about titles full of Goya awards, a title par excellence in the national arena.

Our cinema has a very extensive diversity of genres: historical cinema, bullfighting, religious, classic, musical, horror, military, sports…

It is everyone’s task to begin to value the national product that has so much work and staging behind its billboard, and leave behind the prejudices that have condemned Spanish cinema to, the hours of work of the multitude of professionals behind it being irrelevant. these super productions, put this great national product on a ladder that does not deserve it.

In addition, it must be kept in mind that, as an art, it will always be judged by other fields of work due to the dehumanization present in today’s society.

List of films with the most viewers of all time in Spain according to 2019 data provided by the Ministry of Culture through the ICAA.

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