Highest Grossing Wall Street Movies
Hollywood has captured Wall Street's essence in so many ways -- through the depiction of greed, scandal, sex, manipulation and sacrifice. It's titillating, and it makes movies about Wall Street almost irresistible.
With the help of IMDB and Box Office Mojo, we’ve ranked the highest grossing investment-related movies of all time, and sprinkled in a few interesting facts as well. Click ahead for the top 10 list.
Produced by Tonya Alexander
Posted 1 July 2010
10. Pi (1998)
Domestic Total Gross: $3.22 million
Worldwide Gross: N/A
Opening Weekend: $31,069
About:
"Pi" is a black-and-white thriller about a paranoid math and computer genius that may have figured out how to predict the behavior of the stock market through mathematical patterns. The main character Max Cohen finds himself chased by greedy Wall Street traders and a Hasidic Jew who wants to rediscover mathematical mysteries in the Torah.
Interesting Fact:
The film cost $60,000 to make that was raised through $100 contributions from the director’s friends and family. When Artisan Entertainment bought the film, each contributor received $150 return on their investment.
9. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)
Domestic Total Gross: $4.07 million
Worldwide Gross: $4.85 million
Opening Weekend: $76,639
About:
This documentary tells the tale of the 2001 collapse of Enron, then the seventh largest company in the United States. Peter Coyote narrates and describes events from suicide to the loss of 20,0000 jobs — as well as the manipulation of California’s electricity market. The 'characters' include Enron execs Ken Lay, Jeff Skilling, Lou Pai, and Andy Fastow.
Interesting Fact:
On June 24, 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court set aside some convictions of former Enron Chief Executive Jeffrey Skilling in the Enron federal case.
8. The Associate (1996)
Domestic Total Gross: $12.84 million
Worldwide Gross: N/A
Opening Weekend: $4.26 million
About:
Whoopi Goldberg stars as Laurel Ayers, a smart investment banker who realizes the only way to make it on Wall Street is to disguise herself as a white man. She starts her own investment firm as Robert Cutty and finds herself in a series of ordeals where she proves to her former colleagues that internal attributes are more important than external ones.
Interesting Fact:
Goldberg starred in five films that were also released in 1996—"Ghosts of Mississippi," "Eddie," "Bogus, Blood of Bordello," and "The Associate." "Eddie" was the highest domestic grossing movie at $31.39 million.
7. American Psycho (2000)
Domestic Total Gross: $15.07 million
Worldwide Gross: $34.27 million
Opening Weekend: $4.96 million
About:
Christian Bale, Reese Witherspoon, Josh Lucas and Cholë Sevigny star in this thriller about a Manhattan investment banker who earns a fortune during the day, then rapes, kills and mutilates his victims at night for no reason. This film is based off the novel by Bret Easton Eillis.
Interesting Fact:
According to "American Psycho" director Mary Harron, Christian Bale saw Tom Cruise on the David Letterman Show and noticed “this very intense friendliness with nothing behind the eyes” and based the character of Bateman on that.
6. Boiler Room (2000)
Domestic Total Gross: $16.97 million
Worldwide Gross: $28.78 million
Opening Weekend: $5.74 million
About:
"Boiler Room" is a story about Seth Davis, a college dropout who tries to change his life by closing his at-home casino and becoming a cold caller for a small brokerage house. After receiving generous commissions he soon realizes that the secret of the brokerage firm may be more corrupt than his at home casino. "Boiler Room" stars Giovanni Ribisi, Ben Affleck, Nia Long and Vin Diesel.
Interesting Fact:
According to Firstshowing.net, "Boiler Room" is one of the top 20 most financially successful Sundance Films.
5. Wall Street (1987)
Domestic Total Gross: $43.85 million
Worldwide Gross: N/A
Opening Weekend: $4.10 million
About:
Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, Darryl Hannah and Martin Sheen star in this fictional movie about an impatient, young stockbroker so desperate to succeed on Wall Street he succumbs to making illegal and immoral decisions. Gordon Gekko, played by Douglas, is the ruthless corporate raider who guides him up the ladder.
Interesting Fact:
Gordon Gekko’s “Greed is good” speech was inspired by Ivan Boesky, who paid a $100 million penalty to the SEC to settle insider trading charges. The speech was given at the University of California’s commencement ceremony in 1986. Boesky said, “Greed is all right, by the way. I want you to know that. I think greed is healthy. You can be greedy and still feel good about yourself.”
4. Working Girl (1988)
Domestic Total Gross: $63.78 million
Worldwide Gross: $102.95 million
Opening Weekend: $4.72 million
About:
Melanie Griffith, Harrison Ford and Sigourney Weaver star in a romantic comedy about an ambitious secretary who takes a unique approach to climbing the corporate ladder. When Tess’ boss is injured in a skiing accident, Tess takes over her office, apartment and even her wardrobe. She creates a merger and acquisitions deal with a handsome investment banker that can make or break her new-found career.
Interesting Fact:
"Working Girl" won an Academy Award for “Let the River Run” for theme song by Carly Simon and the song was originally titled “Wall Street Hymn.”
3. The Family Man (2000)
Domestic Total Gross: $75.79 million
Worldwide Gross: $124.75 million
Opening Weekend: $10.55 million
About:
Jack Campbell is a single, successful, dedicated Wall Street exec, working on a multi-billion dollar deal on Christmas Eve. He wakes up the next morning in New Jersey happily married to his ex-girlfriend with two children and a job at his father-in-law’s tire store. Which life will he choose? Nicholas Cage, Tea Leoni, Don Cheadle and Jeremy Piven star in this fantasy comedy.
Interesting Fact:
The scene where falling snow symbolizes the changes in Jack’s life is an homage to the 1946 movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
2. Trading Places (1983)
Domestic Total Gross: $90.40 million
Worldwide Gross: N/A
Opening Weekend: $7.35 million
About:
Two heartless millionaires make a bet and reverse the lives of a Philadelphia street hustler and a snobbish investor. The con artist is thrown into investing commodities and the investor is thrown into a life of crime. Will the men adapt to their environments or resort back to their original lifestyles? Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd and Jamie Lee Curtis star in this comedy directed by John Landis.
Interesting Fact:
In the film, Louis’ prison number is 7474505B, which is the same prison number as Jake (John Belushi) in “The Blues Brothers,” also directed by John Landis and starring Dan Aykroyd.
1. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
Domestic Total Gross: $163.57 million
Worldwide Gross: $307.08 million
Opening Weekend: $26.54 million
About:
"The Pursuit of Happyness" wasn't shot anywhere near Wall Street. It was shot in San Francisco and deals with the struggles of a man determined to make it in the financial industry. Will Smith stars as Chris Gardner who has an opportunity to change his life by becoming a stock broker. Gardner takes an unpaid internship and finds himself homeless with is son and abandoned by his wife.
Interesting Fact:
Will Smith was coached for the movie by speedcubing champions Tyson Mao, Toby Mao and Lars Petrus to solve a Rubik’s Cube in less than two minutes.
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