The Biggest International Blockbusters of 2022 (So Far)

While Hollywood looms large in the film world, it is by no means the only presence. Increasingly, other countries are adopting the model of the blockbuster film and making larger and larger splashes in the global market in recent decades.

There are three major players in the blockbuster scene outside North America. The first, of course, is China, whose continuously growing financial prowess gives its film industry more and more money to play with each year. In 2020 and 2021, in fact, China was the #1 largest film market in the world, though it is largely insular — China imports fewer movies from abroad each year, and its own films tend not to perform well outside its borders.

The second international film superpower is India, which has been home to one of the world’s most prolific film industries for many decades. And the final major blockbuster producer is South Korea, whose so-called Korean Wave, a tsunami of pop culture products, has launched the country toward the top of the global media sphere in the past 20 years.

Every year, international blockbusters get bigger and bigger. For fans of the genre, this is a great opportunity to find movies outside the very limited superhero or action films of the United States. Listed below are the six highest-grossing films of 2022 made outside of North America, ranked by gross.

Battle at Lake Changjin 2

The Battle at Lake Changjin 2 (also known as Water Gate Bridge) is the sequel to the titanic Battle at Lake Changjin, the highest-grossing film in Chinese history that raked in almost a billion dollars. Both films depict major events in the Chinese army’s successful attempts to reverse the fortunes of the Korean War and repel the United States Army out of North Korea.

The Battle at Lake Changjin 2 is co-directed and produced by three legendary figures in the world of Chinese cinema: Chen Kaige (Farewell My Concubine), Tsui Hark (Once Upon a Time in China, A Better Tomorrow), and Dante Lam (Operation Mekong, Operation Red Sea). The film was released on February 1, 2022, Chinese New Year’s, and so far has made $626 million worldwide.

Too Cool to Kill

Too Cool to Kill is a Chinese action comedy directed by, written by, and starring Wei Xiang in his directorial debut. In it, an aspiring actor scores the role of a lifetime as a slick hitman across from a famous female co-star; however, he quickly realizes that he’s been drawn into a dangerous conspiracy and must use his action-hero acting skills to save himself.

The film, released on February 1, 2022, has grossed $217 million so far and is available to stream on Rakuten Viki.

Nice View

Nice View is a Chinese drama directed by Wen Muye and starring Jackson Yee, one of the country’s biggest stars. Its story follows Jing Hao, a desperate young man who embarks on a series of increasingly risky business ventures in order to pay for his younger sister’s expensive surgery.

The film was released on February 1, 2022, and has grossed $211 million.

K.G.F.: Chapter 2

K.G.F.: Chapter 2 is an Indian period action film written and directed by Prashanth Neel. Its predecessor, K.G.F.: Chapter 1, followed an assassin on a mission to kill the owner of the ruthlessly run Kolar Gold Fields and take over the mine. In the sequel, the assassin Rocky must now fight off enemies on every side and maintain control of the gold mine.

Its cinematography and intense action sequences received critical praise, including the desert-based car combat that at times feels reminiscent of Mad Max: Fury Road.

The film was released on April 14, 2022, and grossed around $160 million worldwide, making it the third highest-grossing Indian film of all time. It is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video in the United States.

RRR

The two main characters of RRR hold each other, wrist-to-wrist, over a river on fire. — Variance Films

RRR is the Indian period action film that became an international sensation when it was released on Netflix. It depicts a revolutionary struggle to save a young Indian girl from the British colonial governor who kidnapped her, filmed with a contagious passion and explosive style.

RRR was directed by the powerhouse S. S. Rajamouli and stars two of India’s biggest actors, N. T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan. It was released in theaters on March 25, 2022, and Netflix on May 20, 2022.

How much money the film made from its Netflix release is unknown because of the streaming company’s secretive sales data. But it officially grossed $150-160 million theatrically, making it the 4th highest-grossing Indian film of all time (just barely behind K.G.F.: Chapter 2).

RRR is available to stream on Netflix.

The Roundup

The Roundup is a crime action film from South Korea, directed by Lee Sang-yong and starring Ma Dong-seok from Train to Busan (2016). It is the sequel to The Outlaws (2017) and follows the familiar detectives on a mission to track down a killer targeting Korean tourists in Vietnam. Critics praised the intense action and the performance of Ma Dong-seok as the tough-as-nails detective.

The film was released on May 18, 2022, and grossed $100 million, making it the third highest-grossing Korean film of all time.