Box Office Star Records > International > Lifetime Specific Technical Role > Top International Composers
Top Grossing Composer at the International Box OfficeBETA
See also: Top Domestic Composers - Top International Art Directors - Top International Assistant Directors - Top International Assistant Editors - Top International Associate Producers - Top International Casting Directors - Top International Cinematographers - Top International Co-Producers - Top International Costume Designers - Top International Costume Supervisors - Top International Dialogue Editors - Top International Directors - Top International Editors - Top International Executive Producers - Top International Make-up and Hair Designers - Top International Music Editors - Top International Music Supervisors - Top International Producers - Top International Production Designers - Top International Re-recording Mixers - Top International Screenwriters - Top International Second Unit Directors - Top International Set Decorators - Top International Set Designers - Top International Sound Designers - Top International Sound Editors - Top International Sound Effects Editors - Top International Sound Mixers - Top International Story Creators - Top International Stunt Coordinators - Top International Supervising Sound Editors - Top International Unit Production Managers - Top International Visual Effects Supervisors - Top Worldwide Composers
This list shows the highest grossing Composers based on the international box office of the movies they worked on.
Since we are still actively researching technical roles, we consider this chart to be in beta mode. The table includes data for movies in The Numbers database. While we make every effort to collect all available data, there are inevitably omissions and errors. Please help us by sending corrections to corrections@the-numbers.com.
1
Hans Zimmer
| Best known as a Composer based on credits in that role in 112 films. |
| Top films contributed to this record: The Lion King ($1,117,816,360 in 2019), Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides ($804,642,000 in 2011), Top Gun: Maverick ($744,908,585 in 2022), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End ($651,576,067 in 2007), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest ($642,863,913 in 2006), The Dark Knight Rises ($634,089,008 in 2012), The Lion King ($564,408,500 in 1994), The Da Vinci Code ($550,284,321 in 2006), Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ($542,034,897 in 2016), Inception ($533,210,699 in 2010) |
2
John Williams
| Best known as a Composer based on credits in that role in 80 films. |
| Top films contributed to this record: Star Wars Ep. VII: The Force Awakens ($1,119,384,610 in 2015), Star Wars Ep. VIII: The Last Jedi ($702,399,689 in 2017), Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone ($645,766,367 in 2001), Jurassic Park ($643,049,687 in 1993), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ($612,720,847 in 2002), Star Wars Ep. I: The Phantom Menace ($558,938,785 in 1999), Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker ($554,749,272 in 2019), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ($533,463,548 in 2004), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ($469,534,294 in 2008), Star Wars Ep. III: Revenge of the Sith ($468,728,300 in 2005) |
3
Michael Giacchino
| Best known as a Composer based on credits in that role in 45 films. |
| Top films contributed to this record: Spider-Man: No Way Home ($1,106,395,051 in 2021), Jurassic World ($1,017,657,016 in 2015), Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom ($890,603,542 in 2018), Spider-Man: Far From Home ($740,936,182 in 2019), Zootopia ($659,609,522 in 2016), Incredibles 2 ($634,223,615 in 2018), Coco ($585,937,150 in 2017), Spider-Man: Homecoming ($544,271,773 in 2017), Rogue One: A Star Wars Story ($521,543,605 in 2016), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes ($502,098,977 in 2014) |
Complete List
| Rank | Name | International Box Office |
Movies | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hans Zimmer | $20,121,840,868 | 112 | $179,659,293 |
| 2 | John Williams | $13,939,458,146 | 80 | $174,243,227 |
| 3 | Michael Giacchino | $13,128,344,759 | 45 | $291,740,995 |
| 4 | James Newton Howard | $10,496,624,513 | 123 | $85,338,411 |
| 5 | Alan Silvestri | $10,444,363,668 | 92 | $113,525,692 |
| 6 | Brian Tyler | $9,957,417,644 | 63 | $158,054,248 |
| 7 | Danny Elfman | $9,726,608,347 | 98 | $99,251,106 |
| 8 | John Powell | $8,724,214,691 | 54 | $161,559,531 |
| 9 | James Horner | $7,760,100,633 | 101 | $76,832,680 |
| 10 | Henry Jackman | $6,882,900,368 | 35 | $196,654,296 |
| 11 | Christophe Beck | $6,616,797,505 | 76 | $87,063,125 |
| 12 | Howard Shore | $6,341,074,611 | 68 | $93,251,097 |
| 13 | Harry Gregson-Williams | $6,081,748,488 | 54 | $112,624,972 |
| 14 | Heitor Pereira | $5,626,059,894 | 31 | $181,485,803 |
| 15 | Alexandre Desplat | $5,533,038,061 | 59 | $93,780,306 |
| 16 | Thomas Newman | $5,467,108,344 | 85 | $64,318,922 |
| 17 | John Debney | $4,962,091,563 | 100 | $49,620,916 |
| 18 | Steve Jablonsky | $4,453,670,022 | 29 | $153,574,828 |
| 19 | Lorne Balfe | $4,376,472,730 | 40 | $109,411,818 |
| 20 | Marco Beltrami | $4,095,599,009 | 68 | $60,229,397 |
| 21 | Randy Newman | $3,612,145,604 | 24 | $150,506,067 |
| 22 | Rupert Gregson-Williams | $3,463,887,660 | 32 | $108,246,489 |
| 23 | Tyler Bates | $3,449,863,091 | 46 | $74,997,024 |
| 24 | Mark Mothersbaugh | $3,411,440,451 | 72 | $47,381,117 |
| 25 | Tom Holkenborg | $3,330,144,227 | 24 | $138,756,009 |
| 26 | Alan Menken | $3,244,198,366 | 13 | $249,553,720 |
| 27 | John Ottman | $3,140,224,627 | 32 | $98,132,020 |
| 28 | Patrick Doyle | $3,105,101,039 | 47 | $66,065,980 |
| 29 | David Arnold | $3,073,187,387 | 24 | $128,049,474 |
| 30 | Ludwig Göransson | $3,041,933,145 | 17 | $178,937,244 |
| 31 | Carter Burwell | $2,983,268,588 | 88 | $33,900,779 |
| 32 | Jerry Goldsmith | $2,631,204,912 | 107 | $24,590,700 |
| 33 | Trevor Rabin | $2,274,371,140 | 39 | $58,317,209 |
| 34 | Theodore Shapiro | $2,251,959,270 | 61 | $36,917,365 |
| 35 | Ramin Djawadi | $2,215,958,830 | 22 | $100,725,401 |
| 36 | Mark Mancina | $2,165,561,931 | 29 | $74,674,549 |
| 37 | Benjamin Wallfisch | $2,129,747,710 | 26 | $81,913,373 |
| 38 | David Newman | $1,906,657,889 | 76 | $25,087,604 |
| 39 | Christopher Young | $1,820,701,781 | 70 | $26,010,025 |
| 40 | Michael Kamen | $1,797,859,314 | 53 | $33,921,874 |
| 41 | Dario Marianelli | $1,729,606,442 | 30 | $57,653,548 |
| 42 | Mychael Danna | $1,722,681,222 | 50 | $34,453,624 |
| 43 | Simon Franglen | $1,718,510,641 | 3 | $572,836,880 |
| 44 | Craig Armstrong | $1,659,565,592 | 28 | $59,270,200 |
| 45 | Harald Kloser | $1,658,241,210 | 7 | $236,891,601 |
| 46 | Christopher Lennertz | $1,374,531,330 | 35 | $39,272,324 |
| 47 | Daniel Pemberton | $1,345,592,537 | 21 | $64,075,835 |
| 48 | Mark Isham | $1,322,577,863 | 98 | $13,495,692 |
| 49 | Joseph Bishara | $1,305,285,107 | 17 | $76,781,477 |
| 50 | Aaron Zigman | $1,304,974,368 | 48 | $27,186,966 |
| 51 | Nicholas Hooper | $1,284,599,705 | 5 | $256,919,941 |
| 52 | Steven Price | $1,217,406,990 | 12 | $101,450,583 |
| 53 | Geoff Zanelli | $1,214,874,612 | 22 | $55,221,573 |
| 54 | Klaus Badelt | $1,207,709,655 | 30 | $40,256,989 |
| 55 | Graeme Revell | $1,178,567,541 | 73 | $16,144,761 |
| 56 | John Paesano | $1,174,920,496 | 13 | $90,378,500 |
| 57 | Andrew Lockington | $1,141,647,451 | 15 | $76,109,830 |
| 58 | Harold Faltermeyer | $1,137,476,060 | 13 | $87,498,158 |
| 59 | Matthew Margeson | $1,047,617,641 | 11 | $95,237,967 |
| 60 | Rob Simonsen | $1,047,280,759 | 32 | $32,727,524 |
| 61 | Andrea Datzman | $1,044,112,686 | 1 | $1,044,112,686 |
| 62 | Joby Talbot | $1,013,845,861 | 5 | $202,769,172 |
| 63 | Thomas Wander | $1,008,116,754 | 5 | $201,623,351 |
| 64 | Pharrell Williams | $959,796,350 | 5 | $191,959,270 |
| 65 | Don Davis | $954,030,934 | 4 | $238,507,734 |
| 66 | Hildur Guðnadóttir | $940,653,959 | 8 | $117,581,745 |
| 67 | Randy Edelman | $938,013,902 | 17 | $55,177,288 |
| 68 | Rolfe Kent | $920,355,028 | 42 | $21,913,215 |
| 69 | Michael Andrews | $878,142,231 | 32 | $27,441,945 |
| 70 | Marc Streitenfeld | $849,843,188 | 11 | $77,258,472 |
| 71 | Joseph Trapanese | $842,723,929 | 18 | $46,817,996 |
| 72 | Pinar Toprak | $839,178,415 | 4 | $209,794,604 |
| 73 | Dominic Lewis | $816,648,603 | 11 | $74,240,782 |
| 74 | Eric Serra | $814,120,422 | 8 | $101,765,053 |
| 75 | David Holmes | $812,617,006 | 21 | $38,696,048 |
| 76 | Steve Mazzaro | $809,446,723 | 5 | $161,889,345 |
| 77 | Atticus Ross | $782,498,700 | 22 | $35,568,123 |
| 78 | Lady Gaga | $744,908,585 | 1 | $744,908,585 |
| 79 | Wan Pin Chu | $739,022,963 | 1 | $739,022,963 |
| 80 | George Fenton | $715,182,056 | 60 | $11,919,701 |
| 81 | Alberto Iglesias | $702,792,246 | 19 | $36,989,066 |
| 82 | John Murphy | $700,681,153 | 8 | $87,585,144 |
| 83 | Jeff Danna | $699,471,166 | 10 | $69,947,117 |
| 84 | Roc Chen | $669,997,814 | 3 | $223,332,605 |
| 85 | Trent Reznor | $665,585,821 | 12 | $55,465,485 |
| 86 | Dan Romer | $662,543,445 | 16 | $41,408,965 |
| 87 | Elliot Goldenthal | $657,926,967 | 10 | $65,792,697 |
| 88 | Ilan Eshkeri | $648,955,488 | 19 | $34,155,552 |
| 89 | Hong Han | $634,631,282 | 1 | $634,631,282 |
| 90 | Joe Kraemer | $631,116,615 | 4 | $157,779,154 |
| 91 | Marc Shaiman | $627,795,180 | 16 | $39,237,199 |
| 92 | Kris Bowers | $615,554,504 | 16 | $38,472,157 |
| 93 | David Buckley | $609,281,335 | 15 | $40,618,756 |
| 94 | Teddy Castellucci | $607,513,048 | 19 | $31,974,371 |
| 95 | Lucas Vidal | $607,493,130 | 10 | $60,749,313 |
| 96 | Nathaniel Mechaly | $598,494,508 | 8 | $74,811,814 |
| 97 | Clint Mansell | $594,768,654 | 26 | $22,875,717 |
| 98 | George S. Clinton | $586,004,946 | 45 | $13,022,332 |
| 99 | Lyle Workman | $580,167,947 | 12 | $48,347,329 |
| 100 | Brad Fiedel | $570,915,008 | 6 | $95,152,501 |
The International Market is defined as all territories excluding the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and Guam.
This table is updated daily to reflect the latest studio reports.
Note: This chart is not adjusted for inflation.
Image attributions
Hans Zimmer: Richard Yaussi [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
John Williams: TashTish at en.wikipedia [GFDL or CC-BY-3.0], from Wikimedia Commons
