Christopher Nolan is considered one of the finest filmmakers of all time. Right from some of the early films directed by him, like Memento, Insomnia, and The Prestige, to the blockbuster Dark Knight trilogy and sci-fi hits like Inception and Interstellar, to his previous directorial effort, Oppenheimer, the Oscar-winning director has delivered several critically acclaimed films and multiple box office hits over his illustrious career. Now, fans are waiting with bated breath for his next film, The Odyssey, which is set to hit theaters on July 17, 2026.

On the other hand, Steven Spielberg is undoubtedly one of the greatest filmmakers ever. He is the man behind several iconic films like E.T., the Indiana Jones series, Saving Private Ryan, Jurassic Park, and Schindler’s List. More recently, the legendary filmmaker has also directed some critically acclaimed films like West Side Story and The Fabelmans. The Academy Award winner’s latest film, Disclosure Day, starring Emily Blunt, was released on June 12, 2026.

Let’s take a look at how the top five highest-grossing films directed by Christopher Nolan and Steven Spielberg performed at the global box office, and which filmmaker’s top five films delivered the highest combined worldwide gross.

Christopher Nolan’s Top 5 Highest-Grossing Films (Worldwide)

Here are the top five highest-grossing movies directed by Christopher Nolan, along with their worldwide earnings, per Box Office Mojo data.

1. The Dark Knight Rises (2012): $1.085 billion
2. The Dark Knight (2008): $1.008 billion
3. Oppenheimer (2023): $975.8 million
4. Inception (2010): $839.8 million
5. Interstellar (2014): $774.7 million

Steven Spielberg’s Top 5 Highest-Grossing Films (Worldwide)

Here are the top five highest-grossing movies directed by Steven Spielberg, along with their worldwide earnings, per Box Office Mojo data.

1. Jurassic Park (1993): $1.103 billion
2. E.T. the Extra‑Terrestrial (1982): $797.3 million
3. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008): $786.6 million
4. The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997): $618.6 million
5. Ready Player One (2018): $607.9 million

Who Wins: Christopher Nolan Or Steven Spielberg?

Based on the above figures, it can be seen that the combined worldwide gross of Christopher Nolan’s top five films is roughly $4.68 billion. On the other hand, the combined global earnings of the top five Steven Spielberg hits are around $3.91 billion. This implies that Christopher Nolan’s top five highest-grossing films lead by $770 million compared to Steven Spielberg’s top five films’ combined worldwide total.

Stay tuned to Koimoi for more box office updates!

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