The Godfather was one of the most successful and celebrated movies in the history of film, claiming the title for highest grossing movie of all time when it released in 1972, but that sum would be much larger today. The Godfather set a new standard in film when it hit theaters in 1972. Starring Al Pacino, Marlon Brando and James Caan to highlight just the Corleone boys, the movie was a smash hit, and despite the R rating, it claimed the top spot at the box office when the first movie made more than $270 million at the box office (via The Numbers).

Two years later, the movie received a sequel, picking up just as things were left after the first film, but despite a strong showing at the box office and a return that was significant over the initial $13 million dollar budget, it didn’t climb anywhere near the heights of the original. In 1990, the film also received a third sequel, which serves as an epilogue to the story, and takes place some time after the first two stories. However, the controversial The Godfather Part III may have pulled in a higher total number at the box office, but with inflation and the budget considered, it was significantly less successful.

The Godfather Movies’ Box Office Record Explained

One Of The Highest Earning Movies Of All Time

New movie releases moved at a much slower pace in 1972. When The Godfather was first released, it earned less than $10 million over the five-day release, and just over $10 million in the following week. It then took 18 weeks to reach the $100 million dollar window, but at the time, it became the fastest movie of all time to do so (via Variety Archive). However, an accurate box office for the initial release window is hard to decipher, as records were not as meticulous or standardized as they are today, and the film has had several re-releases which added a few million to the total earnings.

Despite all this, it did manage to earn more than any other movie of the time, and with a series of Oscar nominations for The Godfather in 1973, the film remained high on the public watch lists for months after release. After leaving theaters, the movie set records for theatrical rentals. All of this added up to the movie becoming one of the most successful movies of all time. This is even more true when the inflation numbers are taken into consideration, considering how much the value of a dollar has shifted since 1972.

The Godfather Movies’ Box Office Adjusted For Inflation

Even More Impressive Considering The Era

Looking at a straight comparison of the total box office figures for each movie in The Godfather series, and adjusting for inflation from the year of release to 2024, it provides a much clearer look at just how popular these movies were. Of course, there is a margin of error when the data for the total numbers is not concrete, but going by the figures on The Numbers, this is where these movies would stack up today. The original blockbuster movie jumped by several magnitudes with a more than 650% increase, landing at over $2 billion.

This puts it in the realm of the highest seven movies of all time at the box office, just behind Avengers: Infinity War (via Box Office Mojo). The sequels were considerably less successful, but Part II still earned more than $365 million on today’s market, which is on par with movies like Christopher Nolan’s confusing sci-fi thriller Tenet and The Nun. And Part III, with the least time for inflation to take effect, only climbs to $160 million, which is less than the top 1000 box office earners of all time (via Box Office Mojo). However, this all adds up to The Godfather franchise being one of the most successful of all time.