Leveraging mature subject matter to the maximum dramatic extent possible, many R-rated films account for some ofcinema’s best movies. It’s a fact that is often reflected by superb box office numbers, perfectly complementing a laundry list of glowing reviews. Taking their reduced cinematic audience into account, excellent financial performances constitute an impressive state of affairs in the context of justone R-rated movie, but they take on an even more remarkable aura when they extend to entire franchises.
It’s worth noting, that in today’s day and age, the likelihood of at least one non-R-rated movie slipping its way into the franchise is considerably higher, meaning that the selection criteria in this case have been expanded to include cinema’s more storied NSFW series possessing a solitary PG-13 entry. However, make no mistake, these names still represent the crème de la crème of cinema’s R-rated crop, underlining their lasting impact on wider popular culture with some of the most impressive box office results in history, to land as the highest-grossing R-rated movie franchises of all time.
Worldwide Box Office Gross: $1.23 Billion
Bad Boys
Miami detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett take on dangerous criminals while balancing their comedic, yet strained, partnership. Explosive action, high-stakes drug busts, and personal vendettas drive the Bad Boys franchise, delivering relentless thrills and charismatic performances from Will Smith and Martin Lawrence
Bad Boys: Ride or Die(2024)
$400.5 Million
While the jury remains out on whetherBad Boys 5will ever be made, the long-running action comedy franchise is still hanging on to its place in cinema’s top 10 highest-grossing R-rated movie franchises. Spearheaded by the fan-favorite duo of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence,Bad Boyshas never received the best critical response across a four-movie run stretching between 1995 and 2024, but the crowd-pleasing buddy-cop series has always been a smash hit at the box office.
Grossing approximately $1.23 billion worldwide over a span stretching almost three decades,Bad Boyshas proved to be one of cinema’s most consistent financial performers. Aging like a fine wine from a financial perspective in spite of mixed-to-negative reviews, the series' financial results have actually improved as it has progressed, with its two most recent entries in 2020 and 2024 landing as the two-highest-grossing films in the entire franchise.
Worldwide Box Office Gross: $1.27 Billion
Joker
TheJokerfranchise is centered around one of the most iconic villains in comic book history, primarily known as Batman’s archenemy. The franchise has explored various interpretations of the character across different media, including film, television, and video games. The character’s portrayal ranges from a maniacal criminal mastermind to a tragic figure, as seen in the 2019 filmJoker, which provided a gritty origin story for the character
Joker: Folie à Deux(2024)
$207.5 Million
Playing host to the second-highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time, the stunning financial success of theJokerfranchise is all the more astounding in light of the fact that the second entry bombed in spectacular fashion at the box office. Devolving into a musical mess, 2024’sJoker: Folie à Deuxbarely failed to break even against a budget of around $200 million, earning dismal reviews from fans and critics to likely sound the death knell for Todd Phillips' brainchild.
If anything, the catastrophic sequel underlined the success of 2019’s original installment in even greater relief. Carried by Joaquin Phoenix’s iconic origin story performance as the Clown Prince of Crime,Joker’seye-watering worldwide box-office gross of just over $1 billion is still enough for Phillips' duo of films to still land as the ninth-highest-grossing R-rated movie franchise of all time with a total of $1.27 billion, underlining the wasted potential associated with 2024’s follow up in sharp relief.
Resident Evil
“Resident Evil” is a survival horror franchise that originated as a video game series before expanding into films, animated movies, TV shows, comics, and novels. The franchise focuses on the outbreak of a deadly virus developed by the Umbrella Corporation, leading to a global apocalypse filled with zombies and other mutated creatures. Known for its tense atmosphere, intricate puzzles, and engaging storylines, “Resident Evil” has become one of the most successful and influential franchises in both gaming and horror entertainment.
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City(2021)
$41.9 Million
Based on Capcom’s wildly successful survival horror video-game series of the same name, theResident Evilmovieshave never matched up to the games' acclaim from a critical perspective. For context, entries from the long-running franchise have never clocked in with a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer Score higher than 37% across seven attempts, despite a considerably more favorable reaction from audiences.
Fortunately, the series' fan-favorite reputation has been reflected by its long-running status as an R-rated box office juggernaut. Once the highest-grossing film series based on a video game,Resident Evil’stotal worldwide gross stands at around $1.27 billion as of 2025. With a currently untitled eighth entry loosely scheduled for release in 2026, the eighth-highest-grossing R-rated franchise in cinematic history is set to undergo another reboot, indicating that a few more zeroes could yet be tacked ontoResident Evil’salready impressive tally.
Worldwide Box Office Gross: $1.32 Billion
Fifty Shades
TheFifty Shadesfranchise is a series of erotic romance novels written by E.L. James, which was later adapted into a highly successful film series. The story revolves around the complex relationship between a young college graduate, Anastasia Steele, and a wealthy businessman, Christian Grey, who introduces her to the world of BDSM. The series explores themes of romance, power dynamics, and consent.
Fifty Shades Freed(2018)
$371.9 Million
Based on E.L. James' best-selling erotic novel trilogy of the same name, reviews have been less than kind to the50 Shades of Greyfilm series. Much like James' panned books, a trio of film adaptations released between 2015 and 2018 earned near unanimously dismal reviews from critics, despite the unquestionable star power of Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson. All three films failed to earn a Rotten Tomato Tomatometer Score higher than 25%, with the derided second and third entries both clocking in with a rating of just 11%.
However, this is Hollywood we’re talking about, meaning that numbers tend to speak louder than reviews, or even quality, at the end of the day. The seventh highest-grossing R-rated movie franchise in the history of cinema, the50 Shades of Greytrilogy has earned around $1.32 billion worldwide, underlining the status of James' brainchild as an undisputed money magnet in sharp relief.
Worldwide Box Office Gross: $1.4 Billion
The Hangover
The Hangover is a film franchise created by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore and began with 2009’s The Hangover. The film series follows the misadventures of four friends who, after having a wild night on the town, lose all memory of the prior night’s events and must piece things together. Each film centers on a wedding for a group member, with each event stepping up the level of chaos.
The Hangover 3(2013)
$362 Million
Chronicling the depraved misadventures of a quartet of unlikely friends known as the Wolf Pack,The Hangoveris the quintessential example of atrilogy that peaked with its first movie. 2009’s outrageous original eponymous installment has consistently been lauded as one of the 21st century’s most iconic comedies, only for two increasingly ridiculous subsequent entries to completely run into a brick wall in terms of quality.
However, the franchise’s rapidly declining quality had little bearing on what was a consistently stellar run of box office form. The sixth best financially performing R-rated franchise of all time,The Hangovermovies have grossed over $1.41 billion, with their impressive standing being underlined by the fact that the trilogy’s sophomore entry, 2011’sThe Hangover Part II, is still the tenth-highest-grossing R-rated movie in cinematic history, despite being released more than a decade ago.
Die Hard
The Die Hard franchise, which began as a series of books in the 1960s, is an action-adventure series that chronicles the harrowing exploits of NYPD Detective John McClane. Renowned for its action-packed sequences and intricate plots, the series showcases McClane’s battles against various adversaries, especially the infamous Hans Gruber, during high-stakes crises.
Live Free or Die Hard(2007)
A Good Day to Die Hard(2013)
$304.2 Million
Die Hardrepresents an outlier among its peers in the sense that while the long-running action franchise is virtually synonymous with generally NSFW content, it’s actually the only R-rated franchise in wider cinema’s top ten with a single PG-13-rated entry: 2007’sLive Free or Die Hard. While this was a derided choice among many fans, considering you can’t even hear John McClane say his signature catchphrase in the cinematic version, it’s ironic in this context, as the series' fourth entry proved to be its best box-office performer.
While the franchise’s quality fell off a cliff in irredeemable fashion following the catastrophe that was 2013’sA Good Day to Die Hard, even the maligned final entry followed the franchise’s usual exemplary trend at the box office. Taking home around $1.44 billion acrossfiveDie Hardmovies, the Bruce Willis-led action vehicle still retains its spot as the fifth-highest-grossing R-rated film franchise of all time, despite its last entry arriving more than a decade ago.
Worldwide Box Office Gross: $1.79 Billion
The Matrix
The Matrix is a sci-fi action franchise that launched with the Wachowskis' 1999 film. It depicts a dystopian future where humanity is unknowingly trapped in a simulated reality by sentient machines. The protagonist, Neo, discovers this truth and that he is “The One,” a being that will lead a rebellion against the machines and restore freedom to humanity.
The Matrix Resurrections(2021)
$160.2 Million
With rumblings surroundingThe Matrix 5continuing to persist, there’s still a chance that the fourth-highest-grossing R-rated franchise in cinematic history could yet climb the ladder. Boasting a worldwide box-office return of approximately$1.79 billionfrom four movies of wildly varying quality,The Matrixdoesn’t necessarily feature the same degree of mature subject matter as some of its peers, but still retained an R-rating throughout the series nonetheless.
With a first-rate gross of more than $738 million worldwide, 2003’s sophomore effort,The Matrix Reloaded, still stands as the sixth highest-grossing R-rated movie ever made, more than two decades after the sequel debuted, underlining the franchise’s status as R-rated cinematic royalty. It’s jarring to think that the sci-fi action standout’s prestigious financial standing could be even higher, were it not for the series' most recent installment, 2021’sThe Matrix Resurrections, bombing at the box office.
Worldwide Box Office Gross: $1.98 Billion
Alien
The Alien franchise, which began with Ridley Scott’s 1979 film, is a Sci-Fi series comprised of several horror films, games, and comic books centered on humanity’s encounters with a hostile extraterrestrial species known as Xenomorphs. Characterized by their lethal prowess and capability to reproduce at an alarming rate, these creatures pose a profound threat to human existence. The primary series protagonist, Ellen Ripley, acts as the voice of reason as she seeks to keep the creatures out of the hands of greed-driven corporate scientists.
Alien: Romulus(2024)
$350.8 Million
Playing host to some of thegreatest sci-fi horror moviesin the history of popular culture, the long-runningAlienfranchise is invariably regarded as gold-standard cinema, whether you’re looking at the storied series through a critical or commercial lens. Chronicling the terrifying antics of the eponymous predatory extraterrestrials,Alienhas produced seven feature-length movies and two spin-off crossovers with fellow sci-fi titan,Predator, highlighting its longevity and financial viability in sharp relief.
However, even if one is to discount thePredatorcrossovers from the franchise’s total tally,Alienwould still only drop a single place in current cinema’s R-rated Top 10 rankings. As such, it’s hardly surprising that a total worldwide box-office gross of just under$2 billionrendersAlienthe third-highest-grossing R-rated franchise of all time, with 2012’s prequel entry,Prometheus,clocking in as its single best performer to date.
Worldwide Box Office Gross: $2.38 Billion
The Conjuring
The Conjuring is a multi-film franchise that started in 2013 with James Wan’s The Conjuring. Since then, it has expanded with spinoffs like Annabelle, The Nun, and sequels to the original film. Due to the popularity of the movies, The Conjuring has become one of the most profitable franchises in Warner Bros.' portfolio.
The Nun II(2023)
$269.7 Million
Popular culture’shighest-grossing horror movie franchise,The Conjuringuniverse only just misses out on top spot when it comes to cinema’s best R-rated financial performers. Beginning with 2013’s eponymous supernatural horror outing chronicling the adventures of Ed and Lorraine Warren, seven subsequent highly profitable entries inThe Conjuring,Annabelle, andThe Nunseries, respectively, have seen James Wan’s brainchild beat out genre titans in the vein ofAlienandResident Evilat the box office.
While it’s worth noting thatThe Conjuring’shigh placement on the list is due to its strength of schedule rather than any single spectacular box-office performer, that doesn’t take away from its standing as the second-highest-grossing R-rated franchise ever made. Raking in$2.38 billionworldwide to date, 2025’s upcoming release and purported conclusive chapter,The Conjuring: Final Rites,could yet see the horror juggernaut earn cinema’s NSFW box-office crown.
Deadpool
Cast
The Merc With The Mouth gets his very own film in Deadpool, an action-adventure comedy movie starring Ryan Reynolds as the titular hero. When mercenary Wade Wilson discovers he has an aggressive type of cancer that threatens to cut his life short, he decides to take a shady offer from a businessman who promises to cure him. Tortured and left for dead, the treatment makes Wade immortal - and a little bit twisted - as he seeks out his tormentors for revenge.
Deadpool & Wolverine(2024)
$1.3 Billion
Playing host to three out of the five highest-grossing R-rated films in the history of cinema, it should come as little surprise thatDeadpoolreigns supreme atop the NSFW franchise movie tree. An offshoot of theX-Menfranchise spearheaded by Ryan Reynold’s iconic take on the Merc with a Mouth, the superhero spin-off series' blend of wicked satirical humor, spectacularly graphic violence, and unashamed fourth-wall breaking has resulted in the most lucrative R-rated trilogy of all time.
TheDeadpoolmovies have taken home just over $2.9 billion across three films since the first installment debuted in 2016, with each subsequent entry becoming the highest-grossing R-rated movie in cinematic history at the time of its initial release. Unsurprisingly, given its relatively recent release, 2024’sDeadpool & Wolverinestill retains the top spot to this day; the movie’s eye-watering total worldwide gross of over $1.3 billion wasn’t that far off both of the series' previous entries' returns combined.
