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 116 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 ($733,430,541 in 2022), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End ($650,260,790 in 2007), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest ($641,163,499 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 ($544,000,000 in 2016), Inception ($533,210,699 in 2010) |
2
Michael Giacchino
| Best known as a Composer based on credits in that role in 47 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), Zootopia 2 ($742,200,000 in 2025), Spider-Man: Far From Home ($740,936,182 in 2019), Zootopia ($677,249,752 in 2016), Incredibles 2 ($634,223,615 in 2018), Coco ($585,675,821 in 2017), Spider-Man: Homecoming ($544,271,773 in 2017), Rogue One: A Star Wars Story ($521,543,605 in 2016) |
3
John Williams
| Best known as a Composer based on credits in that role in 79 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 ($644,703,600 in 2001), Jurassic Park ($643,049,687 in 1993), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ($612,564,723 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 ($533,380,905 in 2004), Star Wars Ep. III: Revenge of the Sith ($488,513,692 in 2005), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ($469,534,294 in 2008) |
Complete List
| Rank | Name | International Box Office |
Movies | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hans Zimmer | $21,026,707,195 | 116 | $181,264,717 |
| 2 | Michael Giacchino | $14,096,562,673 | 47 | $299,926,865 |
| 3 | John Williams | $13,772,524,833 | 79 | $174,335,757 |
| 4 | James Newton Howard | $10,517,121,448 | 123 | $85,505,052 |
| 5 | Alan Silvestri | $10,421,421,738 | 94 | $110,866,189 |
| 6 | Brian Tyler | $10,067,765,655 | 66 | $152,541,904 |
| 7 | Danny Elfman | $9,727,505,569 | 100 | $97,275,056 |
| 8 | John Powell | $9,241,021,869 | 56 | $165,018,248 |
| 9 | James Horner | $7,765,728,310 | 101 | $76,888,399 |
| 10 | Henry Jackman | $7,075,304,278 | 38 | $186,192,218 |
| 11 | Christophe Beck | $6,627,708,405 | 76 | $87,206,690 |
| 12 | Howard Shore | $6,339,802,727 | 68 | $93,232,393 |
| 13 | Alexandre Desplat | $6,086,537,606 | 62 | $98,169,961 |
| 14 | Harry Gregson-Williams | $6,084,319,314 | 55 | $110,623,988 |
| 15 | Heitor Pereira | $5,648,104,491 | 32 | $176,503,265 |
| 16 | Thomas Newman | $5,462,783,052 | 87 | $62,790,610 |
| 17 | John Debney | $5,003,683,118 | 102 | $49,055,717 |
| 18 | Lorne Balfe | $4,779,743,883 | 45 | $106,216,531 |
| 19 | Steve Jablonsky | $4,457,397,059 | 30 | $148,579,902 |
| 20 | Marco Beltrami | $4,095,480,501 | 70 | $58,506,864 |
| 21 | Mark Mothersbaugh | $3,948,003,231 | 74 | $53,351,395 |
| 22 | Tom Holkenborg | $3,616,601,175 | 24 | $150,691,716 |
| 23 | Randy Newman | $3,613,967,569 | 24 | $150,581,982 |
| 24 | Tyler Bates | $3,529,479,292 | 47 | $75,095,304 |
| 25 | Rupert Gregson-Williams | $3,500,848,105 | 33 | $106,086,306 |
| 26 | Alan Menken | $3,230,301,317 | 13 | $248,484,717 |
| 27 | John Ottman | $3,151,889,643 | 32 | $98,496,551 |
| 28 | Ludwig Göransson | $3,142,032,375 | 18 | $174,557,354 |
| 29 | Patrick Doyle | $3,131,756,362 | 47 | $66,633,114 |
| 30 | David Arnold | $3,112,081,344 | 25 | $124,483,254 |
| 31 | Carter Burwell | $2,992,172,299 | 90 | $33,246,359 |
| 32 | Mark Mancina | $2,786,634,494 | 30 | $92,887,816 |
| 33 | Wan Pin Chu | $2,716,926,839 | 2 | $1,358,463,420 |
| 34 | Benjamin Wallfisch | $2,671,083,228 | 34 | $78,561,271 |
| 35 | Jerry Goldsmith | $2,642,513,626 | 108 | $24,467,719 |
| 36 | Roc Chen | $2,590,623,355 | 4 | $647,655,839 |
| 37 | Theodore Shapiro | $2,291,783,987 | 63 | $36,377,524 |
| 38 | Ramin Djawadi | $2,283,175,073 | 24 | $95,132,295 |
| 39 | Trevor Rabin | $2,274,669,238 | 39 | $58,324,852 |
| 40 | David Newman | $1,979,958,552 | 76 | $26,052,086 |
| 41 | Rui Yang | $1,977,903,876 | 1 | $1,977,903,876 |
| 42 | Dario Marianelli | $1,900,187,781 | 32 | $59,380,868 |
| 43 | Christopher Young | $1,820,701,781 | 70 | $26,010,025 |
| 44 | Michael Kamen | $1,797,859,314 | 53 | $33,921,874 |
| 45 | Mychael Danna | $1,725,017,889 | 51 | $33,823,880 |
| 46 | Simon Franglen | $1,719,164,544 | 4 | $429,791,136 |
| 47 | Craig Armstrong | $1,659,999,847 | 28 | $59,285,709 |
| 48 | Harald Kloser | $1,658,241,210 | 7 | $236,891,601 |
| 49 | Daniel Pemberton | $1,606,590,059 | 23 | $69,851,742 |
| 50 | Christopher Lennertz | $1,378,697,917 | 36 | $38,297,164 |
| 51 | Mark Isham | $1,325,623,619 | 100 | $13,256,236 |
| 52 | Joseph Bishara | $1,322,861,291 | 17 | $77,815,370 |
| 53 | Aaron Zigman | $1,304,975,676 | 49 | $26,632,157 |
| 54 | Nicholas Hooper | $1,283,259,838 | 5 | $256,651,968 |
| 55 | Dan Romer | $1,276,850,338 | 17 | $75,108,843 |
| 56 | Steven Price | $1,251,011,407 | 16 | $78,188,213 |
| 57 | Klaus Badelt | $1,242,004,191 | 31 | $40,064,651 |
| 58 | Geoff Zanelli | $1,231,465,216 | 23 | $53,541,966 |
| 59 | John Paesano | $1,174,906,085 | 13 | $90,377,391 |
| 60 | Andrew Lockington | $1,160,160,760 | 15 | $77,344,051 |
| 61 | Rob Simonsen | $1,149,581,755 | 35 | $32,845,193 |
| 62 | Harold Faltermeyer | $1,149,298,016 | 13 | $88,407,540 |
| 63 | Graeme Revell | $1,146,618,424 | 72 | $15,925,256 |
| 64 | Matthew Margeson | $1,047,617,641 | 11 | $95,237,967 |
| 65 | Andrea Datzman | $1,045,851,588 | 1 | $1,045,851,588 |
| 66 | Joby Talbot | $1,019,377,069 | 5 | $203,875,414 |
| 67 | Thomas Wander | $1,008,116,754 | 5 | $201,623,351 |
| 68 | Pharrell Williams | $963,357,015 | 4 | $240,839,254 |
| 69 | John Murphy | $963,197,594 | 9 | $107,021,955 |
| 70 | Hildur Guðnadóttir | $958,659,396 | 11 | $87,150,854 |
| 71 | Don Davis | $954,030,934 | 4 | $238,507,734 |
| 72 | Randy Edelman | $938,013,902 | 17 | $55,177,288 |
| 73 | Rolfe Kent | $920,018,358 | 44 | $20,909,508 |
| 74 | Dominic Lewis | $906,869,816 | 14 | $64,776,415 |
| 75 | Michael Andrews | $892,141,036 | 32 | $27,879,407 |
| 76 | Atticus Ross | $862,468,732 | 24 | $35,936,197 |
| 77 | Eric Serra | $850,171,745 | 9 | $94,463,527 |
| 78 | Marc Streitenfeld | $849,838,276 | 11 | $77,258,025 |
| 79 | Joseph Trapanese | $849,414,355 | 21 | $40,448,303 |
| 80 | Pinar Toprak | $839,142,238 | 4 | $209,785,560 |
| 81 | David Holmes | $835,026,676 | 22 | $37,955,758 |
| 82 | Steve Mazzaro | $809,452,625 | 5 | $161,890,525 |
| 83 | Alberto Iglesias | $747,138,875 | 20 | $37,356,944 |
| 84 | Trent Reznor | $745,555,853 | 14 | $53,253,990 |
| 85 | Lady Gaga | $733,430,541 | 1 | $733,430,541 |
| 86 | George Fenton | $719,600,543 | 61 | $11,796,730 |
| 87 | Jeff Danna | $699,797,013 | 10 | $69,979,701 |
| 88 | Yuki Kajiura | $697,087,827 | 3 | $232,362,609 |
| 89 | Kris Bowers | $683,607,463 | 16 | $42,725,466 |
| 90 | Elliot Goldenthal | $657,926,967 | 10 | $65,792,697 |
| 91 | Ilan Eshkeri | $648,955,488 | 19 | $34,155,552 |
| 92 | Go Shiina | $645,728,902 | 1 | $645,728,902 |
| 93 | Marc Shaiman | $642,945,022 | 17 | $37,820,295 |
| 94 | Joe Kraemer | $632,086,474 | 4 | $158,021,619 |
| 95 | David Buckley | $620,946,351 | 16 | $38,809,147 |
| 96 | Joel J. Richard | $612,136,305 | 5 | $122,427,261 |
| 97 | Teddy Castellucci | $607,513,048 | 19 | $31,974,371 |
| 98 | Lucas Vidal | $607,493,130 | 10 | $60,749,313 |
| 99 | Opetaia Tavita Foa’i | $598,730,701 | 1 | $598,730,701 |
| 100 | Nathaniel Mechaly | $598,516,198 | 8 | $74,814,525 |
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
