POLL: What Is Your All-Time Favorite Summer Blockbuster?

Originally published June 22, 2023. This article answers what the most popular summer blockbuster movie of all time is, according to poll readers.

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The summer blockbuster is a staple of pop culture. Some of our greatest works of cinema have been released in the summer! From super hero and sci-fi franchises to horror legends and big dinosaurs, there’s a lot to choose from. Not to mention the soon-to-be-released Supergirl and Spider-Man movies!

But is there one summer blockbuster that stands out above the rest? That’s what we’re here to find out. Now, there’s been a lotta summers and a lotta blockbusters. To narrow it down, we’ve limited our list to releases between June and August.

First take our poll below then keep reading for info on your favorite summer blockbusters!

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The Best Summer Blockbusters of All Time

The following successful movies are beloved entries in fan-favorite franchises. They feature a whole range of characters and genres, but each stands tall in the records of pop culture. Here’s a little info about each cinematic entry.

Jaws

Release Date: June 20, 1975
Director: Steven Spielberg
Fan Fact: As the first film to ever surpass $100 million in theatrical rentals, Jaws is considered the first summer blockbuster — blowing the idea that summer releases perform the worst right out of the water.

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

Release Date: June 12, 1981
Director: Steven Spielberg
Fan Fact: The galaxy far, far away is never that far away! Golden engravings of C-3PO and R2-D2 can be spotted on a pillar in the Well of Souls scene.

Ghostbusters

Release Date: June 8, 1984
Director: Ivan Reitman
Fan Fact: Moviegoers could call a 1-800 number during the film’s original release and hear a recording of Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd, in character, saying, “Hi! We’re out catching ghosts right now.”

Back to the Future

Release Date: July 3, 1985
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Fan Fact: In the Spanish dub of the film, Marty McFly is called “Levi Strauss” when he travels back to 1955.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Release Date: July 3, 1991
Director: James Cameron
Fan Fact: The T-1000’s screams during his death scene are actually from the director himself, James Cameron.

Jurassic Park

Release Date: June 11, 1993
Director: Steven Spielberg
Fan Fact: The T-rex’s infamous roar is a combination of low and high-frequency animal sounds from a dog, a penguin, a tiger, an alligator, and a baby elephant.

Barbie

Release Date: July 21, 2023
Director: Greta Gerwig
Fan Fact: Barbie is the first film directed by a woman to earn (over) a billion at the box office.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Release Date: July 9, 2003
Director: Gore Verbinski
Fan Fact: This film, starring Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, was the first movie to ever have its premiere on the Disneyland premises in California.

The Dark Knight

Release Date: July 18, 2008
Director: Christopher Nolan
Fan Fact: In typical Nolan fashion, the director used practical effects for many action sequences — a bus actually crashes through the wall of the bank set and a real 18-wheeler truck was flipped for the film’s big chase scene.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Release Date: July 15, 2011
Director: David Yates
Fan Fact: This final installment in the Harry Potter saga was the only film in the franchise to gross over $1 billion worldwide.

Superman

Release Date: July 11, 2025
Director: James Gunn
Fan Fact: Kal-El’s rowdy, super-powered dog Krypto is based on James Gunn’s real-life dog!

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Release Date: June 2, 2023
Director: Joaquim Dos Santos / Kemp Powers / Justin K. Thompson
Fan Fact: Across the Spider-Verse is now the longest American animated film, with Miles Morales’ multiversal adventure clocking in at two hours and 20 minutes total.

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Have you seen all these summer blockbusters? And did we miss any of your favorites? There’s always intense psychological thrillers like Inception, and other big super hero releases like Wonder Woman, Guardians of the Galaxy, and plenty of other Spider-Man movies!

Join the conversation with other movie fans over at Sideshow Social Network or at side.show/geekgroup, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!