The 8 Highest-Grossing Steven Seagal Movies Of All Time
The exceptional martial arts star has an estimated net worth of $16 million. As a child, he found his passion in learning multiple self-defense techniques, especially Shito-Ryu karate and aikido. He moved to Japan to become an aikido master at seventeen, becoming the first non-Asian to open a dojo. After returning to LA, he contacted various agents and elite Hollywood contacts. He landed his first job in the entertainment industry as a martial arts coordinator for The Challenge (1970) and Never Say Never Again (1983). He debuted in an Andrew Davis crime/action film, Above the Law (1988), which collected $18.7 million at the box office.
Seagal’s action thrillers were phenomenal at the sales counters for weeks in the 80s and 90s. It has been reported that he took a check of $6.5 million each for his films Exit Wound (2001) and Ticker (2001).
8 Under Siege (1992) – $156 Million
An action-packed military thriller that shook the box office collections worldwide by collecting $156 million. Steven essays the role of Casey Ryback, a Navy seal turned chef onboard the USS Missouri. He single-handedly takes down the terrorist hijackers who are after the nuclear weapons stored on the ship. Director Andrew Davis once again pairs with his muse to create this blockbuster phenomenon. It is one of the highest-rated films on IMDB and the highest-grosser of all time in the actor’s career graph. The film also stars Oscar winner Tommy Lee Jones in a pivotal role.
7 Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995) – $105 Million
Navy Seal Casey Ryback returns with a nail-biting sequel to his earlier worldwide grosser. A group of mercenaries hijacks a passenger train to unleash deadly weaponry on Washington DC via a scenic Rocky Mountain route. Only one man can stop the mayhem, and he is onboard the luxury express with his beautiful niece. Seagal was one of the film’s producers, and he took a paycheck of $15 million for reprising his action-hero role in the sequel. According to IMDB, the action entertainer opened to $12,624,402 at the US and Canada box office. It went on to make $105 million in worldwide collections.
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6 Exit Wounds (2001) – $80 Million
A comeback film for the supreme action star, the thriller flick quickly took over the number one slot at the box office on its release weekend. According to LA Times, it crossed $19 million on the opening weekend, breaking many records of Steven’s films, making it the top grosser of the early 2000s, collecting $16.1 million more than Fire Down Below (1997) and $20.4 million than The Glimmer Man (1996), respectively. The story revolves around a rebel cop who takes down the drug system and exposes the corruption weakening the law department. The film also stars rapper DMX in a prominent role.
5 Hard To Kill (1990) – $59 Million
The crime drama was directed by Bruce Malmuth, with a budget of approximately $11 million. It went on to collect $59 million globally at the box office, becoming an instant commercial success. The film revolves around an honest undercover detective trying to expose a deadly mob and a corrupt senator. The edge-of-the-seat thriller is an all-out action flick from beginning to end.
4 Marked For Death (1990) – $58 Million
The $58 million worldwide grosser was considered an average Seagal action film by critics. But the film, directed by Dwight H. Little, conquered by making $11,790,047 on the opening weekend. According to Movies Fandom, it remained in the number one position, dominating ticket sales for three weeks straight. Domestically the film made a sensational $43 million. The plot traces the journey of a retired DEA agent who returns to his hometown to avenge the death of his partner in Columbia.
3 Out For Justice (1991) – $40 Million
Marking actress Julianna Margulies big screen debut, the crime revenge thriller is directed by John Flynn and produced by Steven Seagal. The story involves a police detective on a personal vendetta against the mafia. The action-packed flick created a storm at the opening box office by debuting at number one. It was the third consecutive hit for the actor globally, collecting a gross of $40 million. The estimated budget was $14,000,000, and it made $10,524,026 on the opening weekend in the US and Canada.
2 On Deadly Ground (1994) – $39 Million
This $50 million estimated budget film was directed by Seagal and made a total run of $39 million at the worldwide box office. It became the first and last action thriller directed by the martial arts actor; however, according to TV Tropes, the film remains one of his cult favorites. The plot revolves around an environmental agent who seeks to avenge the CEO of an oil drilling company when he turns against nature. The film also stars Michael Caine and Joan Chen.
1 The Glimmer Man (1996) – $20 Million
The action thriller is directed by John Gray on a budget of $45 million, and the film grossed approximately $20 million worldwide. The psychological whodunnit follows two cops trying to solve a string of serial killings committed by a psychopath known as the family man. The film came with mixed reviews from the public and critics. Steven lost his clout as the action box office supreme during this period.
Reigning for more than one decade, the martial arts expert dominated the revenge thriller scene on the big screen. He continued to produce films throughout the 2000s and made around $600 million worth of wealth through these ventures.
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Sources: IMDB, LA Times, Movies Fandom, TV Tropes
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