Actor Hugh Jackman is synonymous with the role of the rageful warrior with claws Wolverine. The actor has played the Marvel superhero for seventeen years, appearing in nine out of the twelve X-Men and Deadpool films by Fox Studios. He will also reprise his role as Wolverine in the upcoming MCU film Deadpool 3.
Jackman has seen much of his commercial success in the X-Men and Wolverine films, with the franchise earning over $6 billion globally. His film X-Men: Days of Future Past was the highest-grossing X-Men film until Deadpool, earning $746 million at the box office. Jackman has also fared well outside the franchise, with many films earning big numbers. Here are five highest-grossing non-Wolverine films starring Hugh Jackman.
1. Les Misérables – $442.3 Million
On the top of Hugh Jackman’s highest-grossing films outside of the X-Men films is Tom Hooper’s adaptation of the classic epic musical Les Misérables. The film saw Jackman leading the cast as Jean Valjean, a prisoner who gets released after nineteen years. He starred along with fellow Australian actor Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, and Eddie Redmayne among others. Jackman was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for his role. The film was critically acclaimed and was a commercial success, earning $442 million at the global box office.
2. The Greatest Showman – $435 Million
Combining his love for theatrics and musicals, Hugh Jackman starred in The Greatest Showman, where he played noted entertainer and circus owner PT Barnum. Directed by Michael Gracey, the musical also featured Zac Effron, Zendaya, Michelle Williams, and Rebecca Fergusson. Jackman flexed his amazing vocal chords for the musical, earning himself a nomination for a Golden Globe for Best Actor – Musical or Comedy. The film was also a huge box office success, earning $435 million globally against a production budget of $84 million.
3. Happy Feet – $384 Million
Hugh Jackman has another animated film under his belt that made millions at the box office. Jackman voiced the penguin Memphis in Happy Feet. The film was directed by fellow Australian George Miller, who is known for his Mad Max films. Happy Feet follows a tap-dancing emperor penguin in Antarctica who goes on a journey of self-discovery to find the reason for the decline of the fish population. The film was made on a budget of $100 million and earned $384 million at the box office.
4. Rise of the Guardians – 306.9 Million
Hugh Jackman was one of the lead voice actors in Dreamworks’ fantasy animation film Rise of the Guardians. He played the role of the Easter Bunny in the film and lent his voice along with Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Jude Law, and Isla Fisher. The film follows the story of Jack Frost, who is tasked with stopping the villain Pitch Black by the Guardians i.e. Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, and the Sandman.
Rise of the Guardians was made on a budget of $145 million and grossed over $306.9 million globally. Despite the huge box office collection, the film was deemed to be a bomb as the marketing and distribution costs ran much higher. However, it is still one of Jackman’s highest-grossing films outside the X-Men.
5. Van Helsing – $300.2 Million
Hugh Jackman had his Hollywood breakthrough with X-Men, and he followed up the blockbuster X2 with the supernatural action film Van Helsing. The film was directed by The Mummy director Stephen Sommers, who created it as a tribute to Universal Pictures’ monster films of the 30s and 40s. Jackman starred as the titular Gabriel Van Helsing, a monster hunter based on the character Abraham Van Helsing who appears in Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
The film also starred Kate Beckinsale and Richard Roxburgh. It was made on a budget of $170 million and was heavily panned upon release. However, Van Helsing was a huge commercial success, earning over $300 million at the box office. It was one of the first Hugh Jackman films outside of the X-Men franchise to be such a big blockbuster.
