Top Sci‑Fi Film Adaptations and Their Box Office Earnings

Adapting a book into a movie is never easy. Balancing fidelity to the original work with the need to condense and reshape the story into a satisfying cinematic experience requires skill and restraint.

Science fiction presents some of the toughest adaptation challenges: passionate fanbases, complex concepts, and the need for convincing special effects. Yet many filmmakers have succeeded brilliantly. Below are some of the best science-fiction books adapted into films, along with key details about each adaptation and what they achieved at the box office.

30. Jumper by Steven Gould

First published: 1992

Movie: Jumper

Director: Doug Liman

Starring: Hayden Christensen, Jamie Bell, Samuel L. Jackson, Rachel Bilson, Diane Lane, Michael Rooker

Release date: Feb. 14, 2018

Budget: $85 million

Box office: $225.1 million

Bottom line: Jumper brought Steven Gould’s inventive teleportation premise to a broad audience and leveraged mainstream star power. It recouped its sizable production cost but didn’t quite generate momentum for an immediate sequel.

29. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

First published: 1985

Movie: Ender’s Game

Director: Gavin Hood

Starring: Asa Butterfield, Ben Kingsley, Harrison Ford, Viola Davis, Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin

Release date: Nov. 1, 2013

Budget: $115 million

Box office: $125.5 million

Bottom line: A polished film adaptation that struggled under the weight of controversy about the author’s public views. Despite solid production values and casting, the film was hindered by negative publicity and underperformed expectations.

28. Solaris by Stanislaw Lem

First published: 1961

Movie: Solaris

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Starring: George Clooney

Release date: Nov. 29, 2002

Budget: $47 million

Box office: $30 million

Bottom line: Soderbergh’s contemplative take on Lem’s philosophical novel did not find a large holiday audience. The film’s introspective tone and themes of isolation and grief made it divisive, but it remains a thoughtful adaptation of a beloved classic.

27. A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs

First published: 1912

Movie: John Carter

Director: Andrew Stanton

Starring: Taylor Kitsch, Dominic West, Lynn Collins, Samantha Morton, Mark Strong, Ciaran Hinds, James Purefoy, Willem Dafoe

Release date: March 9, 2012

Budget: $350 million

Box office: $284 million

Bottom line: A high-budget attempt to launch a franchise based on Burroughs’ seminal Mars series. Despite rich source material and production value, the film underperformed and became a costly lesson in marketing and naming strategy.

26. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

First published: 2011

Movie: Ready Player One

Director: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, T.J. Miller, Simon Pegg, Mark Rylance

Release date: March 29, 2018

Budget: $175 million

Box office: $583 million

Bottom line: Spielberg faced a daunting adaptation task translating Ernest Cline’s pop-culture-rich novel to film. The result was visually energetic and commercially successful, even if some fans missed elements from the book.

25. Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons

First published: 1986

Movie: Watchmen

Director: Zack Snyder

Starring: Patrick Wilson, Billy Crudup, Malin Akerman, Matthew Goode, Carla Gugino, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan

Release date: March 6, 2009

Budget: $130 million

Box office: $185.3 million

Bottom line: A devoted, visually striking adaptation of one of the greatest graphic novels ever written. The film remained faithful for much of its runtime but made notable changes—especially the ending—that divided fans and critics.

24. Under the Skin by Michel Faber

First published: 2000

Movie: Under the Skin

Director: Jonathan Glazer

Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy McWilliams, Adam Pearson

Release date: March 14, 2014

Budget: $13.3 million

Box office: $7.3 million

Bottom line: A haunting, unflinching adaptation that challenges audiences rather than comforts them. Glazer’s film is provocative and uncompromising, and while it didn’t find commercial success, it stands out as a daring, artful work.

23. Metropolis by Thea Von Harbou

First published: 1925

Movie: Metropolis

Director: Fritz Lang

Starring: Alfred Abel, Brigitte Helm, Gustav Frohlich, Rudolf Klein-Rogge

Release date: Jan. 10, 1927

Box office: N/A

Bottom line: One of cinema’s foundational sci-fi works, Metropolis stunned early audiences with its visionary designs and pioneering special effects. Over the decades it has been released in multiple cuts and restorations, cementing its status as a classic.

22. The Girl with All the Gifts by Mike Carey

First published: 2014

Movie: The Girl with All the Gifts

Director: Colm McCarthy

Starring: Gemma Arterton, Glenn Close, Paddy Considine, Sennia Nanua

Release date: Feb. 24, 2017

Budget: $5 million

Box office: $4.08 million

Bottom line: A thoughtful, science-focused take on the zombie subgenre that explores fungal infection and the search for a cure. The film found its audience largely on streaming platforms, where many viewers discovered its emotional and intellectual depth.

21. War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells

First published: 1897

Movie: War of the Worlds

Director: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Miranda Otto, Tim Robbins, Justin Chatwin, Morgan Freeman (voice)

Release date: June 29, 2005

Budget: $132 million

Box office: $603.9 million

Bottom line: H.G. Wells’ influential manifesto of alien invasion continues to inspire filmmakers. Spielberg’s modern adaptation updated the story for a global audience and became a major box-office success.

20. The Iron Man: A Children’s Story in Five Nights by Ted Hughes

First published: 1968

Movie: The Iron Giant

Director: Brad Bird

Starring: Vin Diesel, Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick Jr., James Gammon, Cloris Leachman, John Mahoney

Release date: Aug. 6, 1999

Budget: $50 million

Box office: $31.3 million

Bottom line: Although it initially flopped at the box office, The Iron Giant became a beloved animated classic through home video and word of mouth. It launched director Brad Bird’s prolific career in animation and storytelling.

19. The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells

First published: 1897

Movie: The Invisible Man

Director: Leigh Whannell

Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Aldis Hodge, Storm Reid, Harriet Dyer, Michael Dorman, Oliver Jackson-Cohen

Release date: Feb. 28, 2020

Budget: $7 million

Box office: $143.2 million

Bottom line: A modern reimagining that transformed Wells’ classic into a tense psychological thriller. The film’s smart, resourceful approach and Elisabeth Moss’s performance made it a standout release just before the global pandemic shifted theatrical distribution.

18. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

First published: 2005

Movie: Never Let Me Go

Director: Mark Romanek

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley

Release date: Sept. 5, 2010

Budget: $15 million

Box office: $9.5 million

Bottom line: Ishiguro’s elegiac novel became a sorrowful, haunting film about cloned lives and lost futures. Strong performances anchor a bleak, poignant adaptation that emphasizes character and moral complexity.

17. Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer

First published: 2014

Movie: Annihilation

Director: Alex Garland

Starring: Natalie Portman, Oscar Isaac, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson

Release date: Feb. 23, 2018

Budget: $50 million (estimated)

Box office: $43.1 million

Bottom line: A bold, enigmatic adaptation of VanderMeer’s novel that impressed critics and cultivated a devoted fanbase despite underperforming at the box office. It showcases strong direction, striking visuals, and a haunting tone.

16. Logan’s Run by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson

First published: 1967

Movie: Logan’s Run

Director: Michael Anderson

Starring: Michael York, Jenny Agutter, Richard Jordan, Roscoe Lee Browne, Farrah Fawcett, Peter Ustinov

Release date: June 23, 1976

Budget: $7.5 million

Box office: $25 million

Bottom line: A cult classic of 1970s sci-fi that continues to inspire remakes and reimaginings. The film combines striking production design with a provocative dystopian premise.

15. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

First published: 2008

Movie: The Hunger Games

Director: Gary Ross

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Donald Sutherland, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks

Release date: March 23, 2012

Budget: $78 million

Box office: $694.4 million

Bottom line: Suzanne Collins’ trilogy launched a cultural phenomenon. The film’s casting of Jennifer Lawrence helped propel it into a major franchise and ensured massive box-office returns.

14. Contact by Carl Sagan

First published: 1985

Movie: Contact

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Starring: Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey, James Woods, John Hurt, Tom Skerritt

Release date: July 11, 1997

Budget: $90 million

Box office: $171.1 million

Bottom line: A thoughtful, science-minded film that followed Zemeckis’ massive success with Forrest Gump. Contact balances emotional storytelling with big ideas about communication and humanity’s place in the cosmos.

13. Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley

First published: 1818

Movie: Young Frankenstein

Director: Mel Brooks

Starring: Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman, Cloris Leachman, Teri Garr, Madeline Kahn

Release date: Dec. 15, 1974

Budget: $2.8 million

Box office: $86.2 million

Bottom line: Among many film adaptations of Shelley’s novel, Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein stands out for mixing reverence and parody. Its comedic brilliance has made it a perennial favorite.

12. Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein

First published: 1959

Movie: Starship Troopers

Director: Paul Verhoeven

Starring: Casper Van Dien, Jake Busey, Dina Meyer, Denise Richards, Michael Ironside

Release date: Nov. 7, 1997

Budget: $105 million

Box office: $121.2 million

Bottom line: Verhoeven’s satirical, bombastic adaptation turned Heinlein’s novel into a sharp, visually arresting film that comments on militarism and media spectacle.

11. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

First published: 1954

Movie: I Am Legend

Director: Francis Lawrence

Starring: Will Smith, Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, Willow Smith

Release date: Dec. 14, 2007

Budget: $150 million

Box office: $585.3 million

Bottom line: Matheson’s influential novel has inspired multiple screen versions. The 2007 film starring Will Smith was a commercial hit and brought the story’s emotional core to a modern blockbuster audience.

10. The Children of Men by P.D. James

First published: 1992

Movie: Children of Men

Director: Alfonso Cuarón

Starring: Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine, Chiwetel Ejiofor

Release date: Dec. 25, 2006

Budget: $70 million

Box office: $76.5 million

Bottom line: Cuarón’s powerful dystopian film captures P.D. James’s bleak premise with striking long takes and strong performances. It remains a landmark in contemporary cinematic world-building.

9. World War Z by Max Brooks

First published: 2006

Movie: World War Z

Director: Marc Forster

Starring: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, James Badge Dale, Matthew Fox

Release date: June 21, 2013

Budget: $230 million (estimated)

Box office: $540.5 million

Bottom line: The film transformed Brooks’ oral-history novel into a global-scale action-thriller. Despite production challenges, it became a major international success.

8. The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney

First published: 1955

Movie: Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Director: Philip Kaufman

Starring: Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Leonard Nimoy, Jeff Goldblum, Veronica Cartwright

Release date: Dec. 22, 1978

Budget: $3.5 million

Box office: $24.9 million

Bottom line: The 1978 adaptation is a tense, paranoid take on Finney’s story and remains a seasonal favorite for its atmosphere, performances, and social allegory.

7. Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle

First published: 1963

Movie: Planet of the Apes

Director: Franklin J. Schaffner

Starring: Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter

Release date: April 3, 1968

Budget: $5.8 million

Box office: $33.4 million

Bottom line: The 1968 film delivered iconic moments and an unforgettable twist ending, solidifying its place in sci-fi history and inspiring numerous successors and reboots.

6. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

First published: 1968

Movie: Blade Runner

Director: Ridley Scott

Starring: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young

Release date: June 25, 1982

Budget: $30 million

Box office: $41.5 million

Bottom line: Ridley Scott’s film grew from a modest theatrical performer to a cultural touchstone, influencing visuals and themes across decades. It remains one of the most influential sci-fi films ever made.

5. Snowpiercer (Le Transperceneige) by Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand and Jean-Marc Rochette

First published: 1982

Movie: Snowpiercer

Director: Bong Joon-ho

Starring: Chris Evans, Song Kang-ho, Tilda Swinton, Ed Harris, John Hurt

Release date: July 29, 2013

Budget: $40 million

Box office: $86.8 million

Bottom line: Bong’s gritty, claustrophobic adaptation of the French graphic novel is a relentless, politically charged thriller that found international acclaim and enduring interest.

4. All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka

First published: 2004

Movie: Edge of Tomorrow

Director: Doug Liman

Starring: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson

Release date: June 6, 2014

Budget: $178 million

Box office: $370.5 million

Bottom line: A smart, energetic action-sci-fi film built around a time-loop premise. Stellar chemistry between Cruise and Blunt helped the movie become a critical and commercial success.

3. The Martian by Andy Weir

First published: 2011

Movie: The Martian

Director: Ridley Scott

Starring: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Donald Glover

Release date: Dec. 2, 2015

Budget: $108 million

Box office: $630.2 million

Bottom line: Andy Weir’s self-published phenomenon became a blockbuster and awards contender. The film’s blend of science, humor, and human resilience resonated widely.

2. Dune by Frank Herbert

First published: 1965

Movie: Dune: Part One

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Oscar Isaac, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Josh Brolin

Release date: Oct. 21, 2021

Budget: $165 million

Box office: $300 million (through Nov. 1, 2021)

Bottom line: Villeneuve’s adaptation captured the scale and complexity of Herbert’s novel while splitting the story across multiple films. Its critical and commercial success secured a theatrical sequel and renewed mainstream interest in the classic epic.

1. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

First published: 1990

Movie: Jurassic Park

Director: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Samuel L. Jackson

Release date: June 11, 1993

Budget: $63 million

Box office: $1.034 billion

Bottom line: Spielberg’s groundbreaking adaptation combined cutting-edge effects with broad appeal to become a generational blockbuster. Jurassic Park established a durable franchise and reshaped expectations for cinematic spectacle.

Note: This list includes graphic novels but excludes novellas, short stories, and comic books unless otherwise specified.