See the most successful action/adventure movie franchises accounting for inflation.
Design by John Gara.
James Bond (1962-2012)
Daniel Craig's Skyfall ($1.1B in global grosses, adjusted for inflation) is the Bond saga's best, but Connery's Thunderball ($1.0B) is a close second.
Going Deeper: The left grey sliver is the original Casino Royale from 1967 with David Niven as 007. The right one is 1983's Never Say Never Again which did actually feature Sean Connery, but it was not produced by Eon Productions and consequently is considered as a stand alone film based on Thunderball, the Ian Fleming novel.
Star Wars (1977-2008)
The top Star Wars movie is oldest but the fourth chronologically in Lucas' universe. A New Hope ($3.0B) is not only the top earner in this franchise, but the biggest of the whole data set to boot. There are also plans for Episodes VII through IX and spin-off movies beginning in 2015!
Going Deeper: The small sliver on the right is The Clone Wars, a 2008 theatrical release for the pilot of the ongoing animated series of the same name.
Harry Potter (2001-2011)
Hogwarts' valedictorian is the final installment, The Deathly Hallows Part II ($1.4B). All but the third film cracked $1B, but only having seven hit that mark seems to fit within JK Rowling's universe.
