
The summer movie that started it all actually made people scared to do one very summery activity: go to the beach. The 1975 thriller “Jaws” set the bar for summer releases — and now studios count on them to bring in a majority of the years’ earnings. Will this year’s summer blockbusters make it to the list? Check out our interview with Claude Brodesser-Akner, West Coast editor for “Vulture,” New York Magazine’s online entertainment site, to see why he says this year’s blockbusters are different and how “The Matrix” was a game changer.
Here are the top 10 summer movies of all time (adjusted for inflation) according to Hollywood.com.
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Star Wars (1977) – $1,289,662,081
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E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982) – $1,062,887,574
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Jaws (1975) – $974,679,803
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Empire Strikes Back (1980) – $768,957,136
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Return of the Jedi (1983) – $709,474,258
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Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) – $659,021,792
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Jurassic Park (1993) – $656,349,535
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Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999) – $645,783,843
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Forrest Gump (1994) – $601,672,695
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The Lion King (1994) – $599,564,900
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