Summer blockbusters: 5 films that changed cinema
Last updated: July 26, 2025
From those terrifying sharks to massive space battles and all those superhero team-ups, these movies didn't just get people buying tickets. They completely changed how Hollywood does business.
Jaws
Before Jaws showed up, summer was basically where movies went to die. Studios would dump their leftover projects during the hot months while saving anything decent for fall. Then Spielberg unleashed his shark nightmare in June 1975, and the whole game changed overnight. Audiences were literally camping outside theaters, everyone talking about this film that made them terrified of their next beach trip. Jaws raked in over $260 million just in America and basically invented the modern blockbuster playbook: release everywhere at once, spend big on ads, cash in huge. It didn't just succeed – it turned summer into Hollywood's most important season.
Star Wars
Two years later, George Lucas transported everyone to that galaxy far, far away. Star Wars wasn't your typical space movie – it was a complete cultural takeover. The combo of thrills, heart, and mind-blowing visuals had people coming back again and again, bringing in over $775 million worldwide. Plus it kicked off the biggest film franchise ever created. It looked like a risky summer bet but turned into the most beloved movie series in history.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Steven Spielberg brought something different to summer cinema with E.T. Real emotion. This tale of a kid befriending an alien visitor hit people right in the feels across the globe. It totally destroyed every other movie in 1982 with more than $790 million worldwide and nothing even came close for over ten years straight. E.T. basically showed everyone that summer blockbusters could make you ugly cry just as hard as anything else.
Jurassic World
Bringing back a dead franchise is tough but Jurassic World nailed it. Set decades after the original movies, it delivered a fresh park, new faces, and even more terrifying dinosaurs. The payoff? An absolutely insane $1.67 billion worldwide. With those crazy opening weekend numbers and everyone going nuts for it globally, Jurassic World crushed its way into the record books.
Avengers: Endgame
A whole decade of waiting all came down to this. Avengers: Endgame wasn't just some comic book movie – it was basically a global event. As the huge ending to Marvel's crazy long story, it brought together every hero you could think of in this perfect mix of heartbreak and epic fights. People showed up like it was the most important thing ever, pushing that worldwide box office to $2.79 billion. It's still the biggest summer movie of all time and shows exactly what you can pull off with a franchise.
The gold standard
These blockbusters didn’t just top charts. They shifted how movies are made, promoted, and consumed. They started movements, created obsessive fanbases, and proved summer isn't just about good weather - it's about pure movie magic.
