From the very beginning of his career, Edward Norton proved himself to be an incredible talent. With performances in such acclaimed projects as American History X and Fight Club, Norton cemented himself as one of the best actors of his generation who was willing to take on bold movies.
While Norton is known for challenging movie roles, that doesn’t mean he hasn’t had considerable success at the box office. He has appeared in some surprise hits, a few recognizable franchises, and even a superhero movie. He may not be the highest-grossing star in the world, but his box office success might come as a surprise.
Updated on January 9th, 2022 by Colin McCormick: Edward Norton’s latest movie, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, may have been released on Netflix, but it already made a strong showing during its brief run in movie theaters. Norton is not the type of actor fans will often see in big blockbusters, but there have been some other notable movies throughout his career that found box office success to one degree or another. While fans can debate which of these movies is best, they represent the highest-grossing Edward Norton movies.
Isle Of Dog (2018) – $64,337,744
Norton is a frequent collaborator of filmmaker Wes Anderson and their movies together have found modest success. Isle of Dogs is a stop-motion animation movie set in Japan and focuses on a gang of dogs banished to a trash island who helps a young boy find his missing pet. Norton voices one of the dogs.
Given the quirky style and humor of Anderson’s movies, it is not surprising Isle of Dogs didn’t earn the same kind of box office as other animated talking animal movies. But the charming little adventure seemed to strike a chord with the global audience enough to earn a respectable gross.
Moonrise Kingdom (2012) – $68,264,022
Available on Peacock Premium
In their first collaboration together, Norton joined the star-studded cast of Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom. The movie follows a young boy and girl who run off together igniting a frantic search party within their small island community. Norton plays the local scoutmaster who joins the search.
Despite other big names like Bruce Willis and Bill Murray, Moonrise Kingdom kept its budget quite small at only $16 million. That translated to a healthy profit for the movie that ended up earning four times that amount worldwide.
The Illusionist (2006) – $87,892,388
Available on Peacock, Peacock Premium, AMC+, the Roku Channel, Hoopla, Vudu, Tubi, Redbox, DIRECTV, Crackle, and Pluto TV
Though The Illusionist might not be one of Norton’s more recognizable titles, it managed to outgross some of those more talked-about movies. The period piece stars Norton as a turn-of-the-century magician in Vienna who falls in love with a woman betrothed to a prince.
With a modest budget of $16 million dollars, The Illusionist became something of a sleeper hit. Strong word of mouth helped it to gross nearly $50 million in the United States, a figure which was close to doubled by its worldwide box office total.
Collateral Beauty (2016) – $88,528,280
Available on Netflix and Netflix Basic
Sometimes even the most star-studded movies can disappoint. Such is the case with Collateral Beauty stars Will Smith as a man dealing with grief by writing letters to Love, Time, and Death only to receive unexpected replies. Norton plays one of Smith’s friends who has his own motives.
Along with Oscar winners like Kate Winslet and Helen Mirren, the movie seemed like a winning drama. But the strange story direction made it critically derided. But likely the big-name talents involved still allowed it to gross nearly $90 million at the global box office.
Fight Club (1999) – $101,209,702
Available to rent on Apple TV
Though not among his top-earning movies, Fight Club remains one of Norton’s most popular movies. He stars as a man struggling with insomnia and boredom who meets an intriguing stranger (Brad Pitt) leading to them starting an underground fight club.
From David Fincher’s stunning direction to the darkly comedic script to the unforgettable final scene of the movie, Fight Club is a movie that stays with fans long after it is done. With a budget of $63 million, its $71 million gross made it financially unsuccessful, but its legacy is undeniable.
Primal Fear (1996) – $102,616,183
Available on Prime Video, Paramount+, Epix, and DIRECTV
In only his second movie role of his career, Norton earned a lot of attention and his first Oscar nomination for his role in Primal Fear. Norton plays a young man accused of murder who is defended by a high-profile lawyer (Richard Gere).
The movie went from being seen as a run-of-the-mill legal thriller to becoming one of the most-talked-about movies of the year with what some consider one of the greatest movie plot twists of all time. Grossing just over $100 million on a $30 million budget, Primal Fear made for an impressive start to Norton’s movie career.
Birdman (2014) – $103,215,094
Available to rent on Apple TV
With a stunning all-star ensemble and shot to look like one continuous long take, Birdman was a movie that captured audiences’ attention when it was released in late 2014. It stars Michael Keaton as an actor attempting to regain his artistic integrity by staging an ambitious Broadway play. Norton plays an arrogant and demanding actor co-starring in the play.
The movie went on to win the Best Picture Oscar that year, and its huge acclaim certainly helped its box office run. The $18 million dollar movie ended up with a worldwide gross of $103 million.
The Score (2001) – $113,579,918
Available on Hoopla, DIRECTV, and Pluto TV
Norton teamed up with acting legends Robert De Niro and Marlon Brando for the slick heist movie The Score. De Niro plays an aging thief looking to return when an ambitious young criminal (Norton) convinces him to pull off one last job.
Though the movie didn’t reinvent the genre, the entertaining crime story and the talent involved helped draw in a large enough audience. The movie ended up taking in more than $110 million, making it a solid hit for all the main actors.
Sausage Party (2016) – $140,705,322
Norton isn’t usually known for his comedic acting, but he joined a cast of very funny actors, such as Seth Rogen and Kristen Wiig, for the wild R-rated animated movie Sausage Party. The movie follows a group of grocery store food who are horrified to learn that humans devour them once they leave the store.
The movie was released in the summer of 2016, and its bizarre concept seemed to work in its favor. With a surprisingly small budget of $19 million, the movie managed to gross $141 million despite its R-rating.
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) – $174,600,318
Available on HBO Max and DIRECTV
Norton returned to the world of Wes Anderson for the large ensemble of the Best Picture nominee. The Grand Budapest Hotel. The movie told the story of a deadly conspiracy revolving around a priceless painting and a hotel concierge in 1930s Europe. Norton plays a military officer investigating all the madness.
With a star-studded cast, led by Ralph Fiennes, and the movie’s vibe of pure happiness, it seemed to draw the attention of fans. And as one of the best-reviewed movies of the year, it made $174 million worldwide off a $25 million budget.
The Italian Job (2003) – $176,070,171
The remake of The Italian Job assembled a talented cast including Mark Wahlberg, Jason Statham, and Charlize Theron, which resulted in a surprisingly fun heist movie. The movie revolves around a group of thieves looking to get back at the man who betrayed them (Norton).
With an early summer release in 2003, The Italian Job proved to be a fairly solid crowd-pleasing hit. With a modest $60 million budget for an action blockbuster, it went on to gross $176 million.
Red Dragon (2002) – $209,196,298
Available to rent on Apple TV
Before the series Hannibal explored their relationship on television, Red Dragon told the captivating story of FBI agent Will Graham and serial killer Hannibal Lecter. A prequel to The Silence of the Lambs, the movie focused on Will (Norton) seeking Hannibal’s help to track down a sadistic killer.
With Anthony Hopkins returning as the iconic movie villain, Red Dragon was met with plenty of excitement. With a budget of nearly $80 million, the movie still managed to become a significant worldwide hit with $209 million grossed.
Kingdom Of Heaven (2005) – $211,652,051
Several years after the success of Gladiator, Ridley Scott returned to the world of swords and battles with Kingdom of Heaven. The movie takes place during the Crusades of the 12th century and focuses on a young blacksmith who becomes an unexpected hero. Norton takes a supporting role in the movie hidden under a mask as King Baldwin.
The movie was met with a mixed reception upon its release, though its later director’s cut was praised as a huge improvement. Despite earning $211 million, its $130 million budget meant it was seen as a bit of a box office disappointment.
The Incredible Hulk (2008) – $263,427,551
Available on HBO Max and DIRECTV
It’s easy to forget that Norton was briefly a part of Marvel history, as he was the first actor to play Bruce Banner prior to the surge in popularity that comic book adaptations experienced. The Incredible Hulk was the second movie in the MCU and follows Bruce on the run while trying to find a cure to rid him of The Hulk.
Though some of the movie’s characters have continued in the MCU with rumors of a new Hulk movie, Norton left the role, which Mark Ruffalo then filled. With a budget of $150 million, the movie earned $263 million worldwide. Following the huge success of Iron Man that same summer, the movie was seen as one of the MCU’s rare missteps.
The Bourne Legacy (2012) – $276,144,750
Though Matt Damon seemingly retired from the role of Jason Bourne in The Bourne Ultimatum, the franchise was still keen to carry on without him. Jeremy Renner stepped into the lead role in The Bourne Legacy as a new character who helps to further expose the world of Treadstone’s spy program. Norton plays a supporting villain role in the movie.
Despite the lack of Damon in the movie, fans still showed up for this new adventure. However, with a budget of $125 million and a worldwide gross of $276 million, the movie failed to keep the franchise afloat without its original star.