'Furious 7' Just Broke A Huge Record

One thing's for sure: audiences around the world are absolutely loving Furious 7 . The most recent installment of the Fast & Furious franchise has been breaking records both domestically and internationally, making it one of the most successful films of all time. If you think I'm joking, consider this: In just 17 days, Furious 7 worldwide box office earnings have reached $1 billion, which is a huge record. That sum is worth applauding not only in its own right, but especially when you consider that only 19 other films have actually broken the $1 billion dollar threshold... ever. You heard me — Furious 7 is now one of the top 20 highest grossing films in history. No small achievement, I think you'll agree.

While the movie's success could be attributed to numerous factors — the awesome and plentiful action scenes, the fun story lines and quality acting, the moving tribute to the late franchise star Paul Walker — what matters is that it's left its mark. After all, the angle of the franchise is simple: high adrenaline fun and lots of tricked out cars, which is great and all, but something's different this time around. No other Fast & Furious movie has come close to making this kind of impact, but for some reason, Furious 7 has won the hearts of audiences worldwide. And good for them.

Here are the 19 other films that managed to surpass the $1 million mark at the box office.

Avatar (2009)

Oh, snap! James Cameron's science fiction epic brought in a whopping $2,787,965,087 at the worldwide box office, making it the highest grossing film of all time.

Titanic (1997)

James Cameron secured the number two spot on the list as well with Titanic, the 1997 romantic drama starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. I'm pretty sure I contributed heavily to the $2,186,772,302 earned on this one, considering I saw Titanic five times in theaters.

The Avengers (2012)

Marvel's superhero comic-turned-blockbuster had an all-star ensemble cast that absolutely killed it at the box office, bringing in an impressive $1,518,594,910 in worldwide ticket sales.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 (2011)

Don't even get me started on how sad I still am over the fact that Harry Potter is over. The final film in the franchise brought audiences around the world out to see it, earning a total of $1,341,511,219.

Frozen (2013)

If you couldn't get "Let It Go" out of your head, you're not alone. Frozen took the entire planet by storm, earning fans of all ages and total box office sales of $1,279,852,693. I wonder if the sequel will be as successful?

Iron Man 3 (2013)

The latest installment of the Iron Man franchise was the most popular yet, bringing in an incredible $1,215,439,994 in ticket sales. What can I say? People love superheroes.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)

When I was growing up, Transformers were just cool toys to play with. Now they're movie heroes, thanks to the awesome special effects capabilities of modern cinema. The 2011 release garnered $1,123,794,079 in ticket sales worldwide.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

If you love The Lord of the Rings, you've probably seen every single movie a dozen times — half of those times in the theater itself when they were released. The final installment of the trilogy was by far its most popular, getting $1,119,929,521 in international ticket sales.

Skyfall (2012)

One thing's for sure — James Bond will never go out of style. Daniel Craig's version of the debonaire British spy made its mark with movie goers, that's for sure. Earnings totaled $1,108,561,013, which ain't too shabby.

Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)

Yep, that's right — Transformers is back again. While not quite as successful as its predecessor, Dark of the Moon, its $1,091,405,097 in sales is still pretty respectable.

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Christopher Nolan's epic superhero movie was always going to be a hit — after all, who doesn't love Batman? I don't know anyone, that's for sure. An incredible $1,084,439,099 was earned internationally, and I can't think of a movie that deserves it more.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)

Johnny Depp as a pirate? You literally don't even need to say another word, because I'm in. The second installment of the series was also its most successful, bringing in $1,066,179,725 — more than a small treasure, I think you'll agree.

Toy Story 3 (2010)

I'm a bit biased here, as the Toy Story movies are probably my favorite Disney releases ever (though I know they're technically Disney/Pixar). They're touching, hilarious and just great to watch. The last wide release came in at number 13 on the list of top earners, with $1,063,171,911 grossed worldwide.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

That's right, it's Depp as a pirate again. The final Pirates movie might not have been its highest earner, but it's still a massive success, having brought in $1,045,713,802 internationally.

Jurassic Park (1993)

It's pretty impressive that of all the movies released in the '90s, Jurassic Park is the one stronghold that's managed to maintain its position in the Top 20. There's one reason why: dinosaurs. You feel me? That $1,029,939,903 it earned speaks for itself, I think.

Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace (1999)

Star Wars is beloved by sci-fi fans around the world, and has long been considered one of the best stories the sci-fi genre has ever produced. The first of the new movies, The Phantom Menace, was a big hit with audiences, garnering a killer $1,027,044,677 internationally.

Alice In Wonderland (2010)

Whatever your opinion on Tim Burton's take on Alice In Wonderland, movie audiences were, at the very least, curious to see it. The 2010 version came in at number 17, with ticket sales totaling $1,025,467,110.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

An offshoot of the legendary Lord of the Rings franchise, The Hobbit starred Elijah Wood — and was way too long but that's just another of my unpopular opinions. Box office totals were $1,017,003,568, so what do I know?

The Dark Knight (2008)

One slot above Furious 7, we've got The Dark Knight, the first new Batman movie (as in, before The Dark Knight Rises). Once again, you can't go wrong with classic superheroes, so this was always going to be a hit — plus, it was one of late actor Heath Ledger's final films. The magic number was $1,004,558,444, just breaking the billion dollar marker. Well done!

Images: Universal Pictures (1); Wifflegif (19)