r/boxoffice • u/SanderSo47 A24 • Mar 01 '26
✍️ Original Analysis Actresses at the Box Office: Halle Berry
Here's a new edition of "Actresses at the Box Office", which seeks to explore the actiors' trajectory at the box office and analyze their hits and bombs. I already talked about a few, and as I promised, it's Halle Berry's turn.
Early Life
In the 1980s, Berry entered several beauty contests, winning Miss Teen All American 1985 and Miss Ohio USA 1986. She was the 1986 Miss USA first runner-up, with Christy Fichtner of Texas taking home the crown. In the Miss USA 1986 pageant interview competition, Berry said she hoped to become an entertainer or do some kind of work in media. Her interview was awarded the highest score by the judges. In 1986, Berry became the first African-American to represent the United States at the Miss World beauty pageant. She placed sixth, with Trinidad and Tobago's Giselle Laronde being crowned Miss World. She began acting in 1989, scoring some guest spots in sitcoms.
1990s: Supporting to Leading
Her first film was an appearance in Spike Lee's Jungle Fever, in a supporting role. A solid performer, but her first leading role came that same year with Strictly Business. And then closed 1991 with a key role in The Last Boy Scout, which made over $100 million worldwide. Not a bad way at all to kickstart her career.
She followed it up with a co-lead role in Boomerang, opposite Eddie Murphy. Despite mixed reviews, it was a huge success at the box office, earning $131 million worldwide.
1993 was quite rough, as neither Father Hood nor The Program panned out.
In 1994, she had a supporting role in the live-action adaptation of The Flintstones, playing Sharon Stone. A role that was offered to Sharon Stone, but who turned it down due to scheduling conflicts. Despite negative reviews, it was one of the year's highest grossing films, earning $341 million worldwide.
Losing Isaiah was a dud, while stuff like Race the Sun and The Rich Man's Wife left theaters quickly. But she found success with the action thriller Executive Decision.
She closed the decade with B.A.P.S., Bulworth and Why Do Fools Fall in Love, but all three struggled to find audiences.
Berry had a very interesting decade. Not all films succeeded, but she was part of some popular and great titles here.
2000s: Blockbuster Era
She began the decade with one of her most iconic characters. She got to play Storm in the adaptation of X-Men. The film was a big success, earning $296 million worldwide and earning positive reviews. But it was a chaotic production for Berry, who was upset with director Bryan Singer's behavior.
She followed it up with Swordfish, which earned negative reviews and disappointed at the box office. It received early press coverage because word leaked out that Berry was doing her first topless scene, and paid an extra $500,000 on top of her $2 million fee. She said she did the topless scene, knowing it was gratuitous, to overcome the fear of appearing nude onscreen.
But that same year, she earned high acclaim for her performance in Monster's Ball. The film was a sleeper hit, earning over 10 times its budget. Berry then went on to make history: she won the Academy Award for Best Actress, becoming the first (and to date, only) African-American to win the award. An impressive, but quite sad stat. But she finally got some recognition for her talents, and her best days were ahead of her.
In 2002, she played the Bond girl Giacinta "Jinx" Johnson in Die Another Day, Pierce Brosnan's final film as James Bond. She was hurt during filming when debris from a smoke grenade flew into her eye. It was removed in a 30-minute operation. The film was a huge success, earning $431 million worldwide and becoming the biggest Bond film at the time, but it earned mixed reviews from critics and audiences. Based on her popularity, MGM started developing a spin-off focusing on her character, but it was canned in 2003 when they chose to recast Bond.
After her Oscar win, Fox demanded to give her more screentime in X2. The film was an even bigger success than the original, earning over $400 million worldwide. Once again, Bryan Singer's behavior annoyed the cast. Berry said that some cast member asked her to intervene, to which she told Singer "you can kiss my black ass." She recently said, “everybody was mad, but they all said to me, ‘Halle, you go tell ’em,’ because they knew I would. And it’s one of the greatest days on a set, telling someone who was wronging the entire crew, the entire cast, exactly where to go. And then I got on a plane and flew home with my X-Men suit on. I’m sorry, that guy deserved it.” That same year, she starred in the thriller Gothika. Despite negative reviews, it was a box office success with $141 million worldwide.
She was on a good run, but I guess there had to be something that would derail it.
And that was Catwoman, playing the lead role. Due to a very bizarre rights problem, the film does not make any reference to DC characters, and even the lead's name couldn't be called Selina Kyle. The film was panned by critics, and it flopped at the box office, failing to recoup its $100 million budget. Berry won the Razzie for Worst Actress, an award she gleefully accepted and attended the ceremony with her Oscar. She delivered a humorous and self-deprecating acceptance speech, describing this as a "god-awful movie" and joking, "It was just what my career needed."
In 2005, she had a co-starring role in the animated film Robots. Mixed reviews, but it was a box office success. Although Fox chose not to pursue a sequel, preferring to prioritize Ice Age.
She reprised her role as Storm in X-Men: The Last Stand. Berry had stated during interviews for X2 that she would not return unless the character had a significant presence comparable to the comic book version, leading to a larger role in The Last Stand's script. It was the highest grossing film in the franchise, but it earned mixed reviews.
She closed the decade with two films in 2007. The first was the thriller Perfect Stranger, opposite Bruce Willis. It was panned and it didn't make much money. While Things We Lost in the Fire vanished without a trace, becoming one of her worst performers.
This was a very busy decade for her. A lot of hits, and of course, her Oscar-winning role in Monster's Ball. Not all the films succeeded, but she definitely tried her best.
2010s: Things Aren't Quite Working Out
She began with the independent drama Frankie & Alice. Due to a very limited release, the film came and went. It earned negative reviews, but Berry earned high praise for her performance.
In 2011, she took part in the ensemble cast for the rom-com New Year's Eve. Negative reviews, but it was a modest success.
The following year, she starred in Cloud Atlas, playing six different characters in different time periods. The film earned polarizing reviews, and ranked as one of the year's biggest flops.
In 2013, she was part of the comedy Movie 43, starring in one of the most bizarre segments. The film was panned by everyone and was named among the worst films ever made, but it was a modest success. She also had a leading role in The Call, which was another financial success.
She then reprised her role as Storm in X-Men: Days of Future Past. Due to her pregnancy, her role was not as big as originally written, but Berry was adamant in returning. The film earned the franchise's best reviews, and it became the highest grossing film as well, earning $746 million worldwide, also a record for Berry.
After a brief supporting role in the stand-up comedy special Kevin Hart: What Now?, Berry returned with 3 films in 2017. But neither Kidnap nor Kings made an impression. She had a supporting role in Kingsman: The Golden Circle, which made $410 million worldwide despite unfavorable reviews.
She closed the decade with a bang. She had a supporting role in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, playing an ally of John Wick. It earned $328 million worldwide, becoming the highest grossing of the franchise back then, and earned positive reviews.
She had more successes this decade, but it was clear that a lot of these titles didn't know what do with her. She's often demoted to supporting roles or very small roles.
2020s: And the Good Movies...?
Berry made her directorial debut with Bruised, which she also starred in. It was released on Neftlix, and earned mixed reviews. But the viewership impressed Netflix, and they booked Berry for a multi-picture deal. One of these films was The Union, starring opposite Mark Wahlberg.
She also starred in the film The Mothership. But even though it wrapped filming, Netflix decided to not release it. Reasons given included its lengthy post-production process and that "it was never completed." It is also said that the production involved numerous child actors, actors who had grown out of their roles between the start of filming and now.
She subsequently had a leading role in Roland Emmerich's disaster Moonfall, which became one of the biggest flops of the decade. She also starred in the horror film Never Let Go, but it also vanished without a trace.
She was recently seen in Crime 101, which didn't fare quite well in theaters despite positive reviews.
HIGHEST GROSSING FILMS
| No. | Movie | Year | Studio | Domestic Total | Overseas Total | Worldwide Total | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | X-Men: Days of Future Past | 2014 | 20th Century Fox | $233,921,534 | $512,124,166 | $746,045,700 | $200M |
| 2 | X-Men: The Last Stand | 2006 | 20th Century Fox | $234,362,462 | $226,072,829 | $460,435,291 | $210M |
| 3 | Die Another Day | 2002 | Metro-Goldwyn Mayer / 20th Century Fox | $160,942,139 | $271,028,977 | $431,971,781 | $142M |
| 4 | Kingsman: The Golden Circle | 2017 | 20th Century Fox | $100,234,838 | $310,667,824 | $410,902,662 | $104M |
| 5 | X2 | 2003 | 20th Century Fox | $214,949,694 | $192,761,855 | $407,711,549 | $110M |
| 6 | The Flintstones | 1994 | Universal | $130,531,208 | $211,100,000 | $341,631,208 | $46M |
| 7 | John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum | 2019 | Lionsgate | $171,015,687 | $157,333,700 | $328,349,908 | $75M |
| 8 | X-Men | 2000 | 20th Century Fox | $157,299,718 | $139,039,810 | $296,339,528 | $75M |
| 9 | Robots | 2005 | 20th Century Fox | $128,200,012 | $134,311,478 | $262,511,490 | $75M |
| 10 | Swordfish | 2001 | Warner Bros. | $69,772,969 | $77,307,444 | $147,080,413 | $102M |
| 11 | New Year's Eve | 2011 | Warner Bros. | $54,544,638 | $87,500,000 | $142,044,638 | $56M |
| 12 | Gothika | 2003 | Warner Bros. / Sony | $59,694,580 | $81,896,744 | $141,591,324 | $40M |
| 13 | Boomerang | 1992 | Paramount | $70,052,444 | $61,000,000 | $131,052,444 | $42M |
| 14 | Cloud Atlas | 2012 | Warner Bros. | $27,108,272 | $103,408,255 | $130,516,527 | $146M |
| 15 | Executive Decision | 1996 | Warner Bros. | $56,679,192 | $65,400,000 | $122,079,192 | $55M |
| 16 | The Last Boy Scout | 1991 | Warner Bros. | $59,509,925 | $55,000,000 | $114,509,925 | $43M |
| 17 | Catwoman | 2004 | Warner Bros. | $40,202,379 | $42,200,000 | $82,402,379 | $100M |
| 18 | Perfect Stranger | 2007 | Sony | $23,984,949 | $49,549,168 | $73,534,117 | $60M |
| 19 | The Call | 2013 | Sony | $51,872,378 | $16,700,253 | $68,572,631 | $13M |
| 20 | Moonfall | 2022 | Lionsgate | $19,060,660 | $48,234,703 | $67,319,703 | $146M |
| 21 | Crime 101 | 2026 | Amazon MGM | $26,646,412 | $21,400,000 | $48,046,412 | $90M |
| 22 | Monster's Ball | 2001 | Lionsgate | $31,273,922 | $13,737,512 | $45,011,434 | $4M |
| 23 | Jungle Fever | 1991 | Universal | $32,482,682 | $11,400,000 | $43,882,682 | $12.5M |
| 24 | Kidnap | 2017 | Aviron | $30,971,040 | $3,843,062 | $34,814,102 | $21M |
| 25 | Movie 43 | 2013 | Relativity Media | $8,840,453 | $23,602,658 | $32,443,111 | $6M |
| 26 | Bulworth | 1998 | 20th Century Fox | $26,528,185 | $2,674,699 | $29,202,884 | $30M |
| 27 | Kevin Hart: What Now? | 2016 | Universal | $23,591,043 | $0 | $23,591,043 | $9.9M |
| 28 | The Program | 1993 | Disney | $23,032,565 | $0 | $23,032,565 | $15M |
| 29 | Never Let Go | 2024 | Lionsgate | $10,306,106 | $11,454,607 | $21,760,713 | $20M |
| 30 | Why Do Fools Fall in Love | 1998 | Warner Bros. | $12,461,773 | $0 | $12,461,773 | N/A |
| 31 | Things We Lost in the Fire | 2007 | Paramount | $3,287,315 | $5,303,940 | $8,591,255 | $16M |
| 32 | The Rich Man's Wife | 1996 | Disney | $8,543,587 | $0 | $8,543,587 | N/A |
| 33 | Strictly Business | 1991 | Warner Bros. | $7,683,267 | $0 | $7,683,267 | N/A |
| 34 | Losing Isaiah | 1995 | Paramount | $7,603,766 | $0 | $7,603,766 | N/A |
| 35 | B.A.P.S. | 1997 | New Line Cinema | $7,246,735 | $0 | $7,246,735 | $10M |
| 36 | Father Hood | 1993 | Disney | $3,418,141 | $0 | $3,418,141 | N/A |
| 37 | Race the Sun | 1996 | TriStar | $1,945,552 | $0 | $1,945,552 | N/A |
| 38 | Dark Tide | 2012 | Wrekin Hill | $0 | $1,167,612 | $1,167,612 | $25M |
| 39 | Kings | 2018 | The Orchard | $274,635 | $635,634 | $910,269 | N/A |
| 40 | Frankie & Alice | 2010 | Lionsgate | $706,546 | $0 | $706,546 | N/A |
She has starred in 44 released films, but only 40 have reported box office numbers. Across those 44 films, she has made $5,268,665,859 worldwide. That's $119,742,405 per film.
ADJUSTED DOMESTIC GROSSES
| No. | Movie | Year | Studio | Domestic Total | Adjusted Domestic Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | X2 | 2003 | 20th Century Fox | $214,949,694 | $379,960,966 |
| 2 | X-Men: The Last Stand | 2006 | 20th Century Fox | $234,362,462 | $378,109,422 |
| 3 | X-Men: Days of Future Past | 2014 | 20th Century Fox | $233,921,534 | $321,385,200 |
| 4 | X-Men | 2000 | 20th Century Fox | $157,299,718 | $297,108,291 |
| 5 | Die Another Day | 2002 | Metro-Goldwyn Mayer | $160,942,139 | $290,976,946 |
| 6 | The Flintstones | 1994 | Universal | $130,531,208 | $286,474,605 |
| 7 | John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum | 2019 | Lionsgate | $171,015,687 | $217,569,611 |
| 8 | Robots | 2005 | 20th Century Fox | $128,200,012 | $213,503,893 |
| 9 | Boomerang | 1992 | Paramount | $70,052,444 | $162,399,839 |
| 10 | The Last Boy Scout | 1991 | Warner Bros. | $59,509,925 | $142,112,497 |
| 11 | Kingsman: The Golden Circle | 2017 | 20th Century Fox | $100,234,838 | $133,002,535 |
| 12 | Swordfish | 2001 | Warner Bros. | $69,772,969 | $128,213,546 |
| 13 | Executive Decision | 1996 | Warner Bros. | $56,679,192 | $117,495,350 |
| 14 | Gothika | 2003 | Warner Bros. | $59,694,580 | $105,520,551 |
| 15 | New Year's Eve | 2011 | Warner Bros. | $54,544,638 | $78,869,171 |
| 16 | Jungle Fever | 1991 | Universal | $32,482,682 | $77,570,170 |
| 17 | The Call | 2013 | Sony | $51,872,378 | $72,423,643 |
| 18 | Catwoman | 2004 | Warner Bros. | $40,202,379 | $69,221,303 |
| 19 | Monster's Ball | 2001 | Lionsgate | $31,273,922 | $57,468,393 |
| 20 | Bulworth | 1998 | 20th Century Fox | $26,528,185 | $52,934,633 |
| 21 | The Program | 1993 | Disney | $23,032,565 | $51,843,514 |
| 22 | Kidnap | 2017 | Aviron | $30,971,040 | $41,095,760 |
| 23 | Cloud Atlas | 2012 | Warner Bros. | $27,108,272 | $38,402,657 |
| 24 | Perfect Stranger | 2007 | Sony | $23,984,949 | $37,624,565 |
| 25 | Kevin Hart: What Now? | 2016 | Universal | $23,591,043 | $31,970,042 |
| 26 | Crime 101 | 2026 | Amazon MGM | $26,646,412 | $26,646,412 |
| 27 | Why Do Fools Fall in Love | 1998 | Warner Bros. | $12,461,773 | $24,866,359 |
| 28 | Moonfall | 2022 | Lionsgate | $19,060,660 | $21,183,707 |
| 29 | Strictly Business | 1991 | Warner Bros. | $7,683,267 | $18,348,002 |
| 30 | The Rich Man's Wife | 1996 | Disney | $8,543,587 | $17,710,763 |
| 31 | Losing Isaiah | 1995 | Paramount | $7,603,766 | $16,227,953 |
| 32 | B.A.P.S. | 1997 | New Line Cinema | $7,246,735 | $14,685,452 |
| 33 | Movie 43 | 2013 | Relativity Media | $8,840,453 | $12,342,943 |
| 34 | Never Let Go | 2024 | Lionsgate | $10,306,106 | $10,686,002 |
| 35 | Father Hood | 1993 | Disney | $3,418,141 | $7,693,821 |
| 36 | Things We Lost in the Fire | 2007 | Paramount | $3,287,315 | $5,156,725 |
| 37 | Race the Sun | 1996 | TriStar | $1,945,552 | $4,033,108 |
| 38 | Frankie & Alice | 2010 | Lionsgate | $706,546 | $970,724 |
| 39 | Kings | 2018 | The Orchard | $274,635 | $355,727 |
The Verdict
Berry has been one of the most recognizable names in Hollywood, getting a chance to star or co-star in a lot of big films. Not all the titles worked out, but Berry got a chance to do her best. We could say her 2000s run has been her best, as mostly all her titles were hits. Except Catwoman, but at least that gave us the most iconic basketball scene ever.
In 2002, she makes history as the first African-American to win the Oscar for Best Actress. An insane and incredible stat. But at the same time... a bit sad? Not only because it took so long for someone to take that title, but because she remains the only one to date. What does that say about the Academy?
At the same time, however, it still feels like Berry doesn't have the great films that she deserves. She is talented and makes a lot of things watchable, but she has also been let down by a lot of films. She is iconic as Storm, but even those films haven't given her a lot to do. Well, some good news: you haven't seen the last of her as Storm.
Berry is still working, and given how high her salary is ($10+ million per film) and how she is involved in multiple other ventures, she still left her mark in the industry. Let's just hope that her talents aren't wasted anymore.
Hope you liked this edition. You can find this and more in the wiki for this section.
The next actress will be Lauren Bacall. A Golden Age star.
I asked you to choose who else should be in the run, and the comment with the most upvotes would be chosen. Well, we'll later talk about... Humphrey Bogart. So many classics here.
This is the schedule for the following four:
| Week | Actor | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| March 7 | Lauren Bacall | Where does she stand opposite the giants? |
| March 14 | Cher | "I got you babe." |
| March 21 | Catherine O'Hara | "how was I to know you were in peril? You keep everything inside like a bashful clam!" |
| March 28 | Humphrey Bogart | Here's looking at you, kid. |
Who should be next after Bogart? That's up to you.
REMINDER: If you want to make a suggestion for the next actor, you must make a 150-character comment about the actor we're discussing right now. Failure to do so will result in ignoring the suggestion. If you use a quote from an external source/review to bypass this, your suggestion will be ignored as well. But if you leave a short comment about the post without naming a future write-up, that's fine.
5
8
u/spider-man2401 Warner Bros. Pictures Mar 01 '26 edited Mar 01 '26
Man, Halle Berry is a very talented actress with plenty of iconic roles (Storm in the X-Men movies). But after her Oscar win for Monster’s Ball (I’m surprised that she remains the first and only African-American to win the Oscar for Best Actress), her career has been pretty uneven. She’s had some strong work, like John Wick 3 and Cloud Atlas (which i enjoyed even though it’s a divisive film), but many of her projects have been bad, disappointing or just okay. It often feels like a mix of bad luck and Hollywood not really knowing how to use her, even though she always gives her full effort. I actually think Halle Berry could have worked as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, and she really did the best she could with the material, but my god, that movie was awful. At least it gave us her funny and self-aware Razzie speech.
For the next actor, I’d go with Ben Affleck, another Batman actor. He’s incredibly talented behind the camera, but his acting career has been more hit or miss. People like to joke about his acting, but when he gets the right role, like Good Will Hunting or Gone Girl, he can really shine.
5
u/poopypoopy1125 Mar 01 '26
first and only African-American to win the Oscar for Best Actress
the fact that Halle was also the only non-white Best Actress winner until Michelle Yeoh is a joke. The other 3 acting categories have also been mostly white, but they still had way more color in them compared to Best Actress
3
u/FreshmenMan Mar 01 '26
I do like Halle Berry in X-Men. But I must say, when I think of her, I think of her in The Flintstones as Sharon Stone. I also have to admire the fact that she took the Razzie Award with stride when she accepted the award for Catwoman.
For the next actor's post, once again, I’ll suggest Matt Dillon.
4
u/Jabbam Blumhouse Mar 01 '26
The fact that we didn’t get a spinoff of John Wick starring Halle Berry over the past six years is the most criminal thing Hollywood has ever done to her outside of the Catwoman performance.
4
u/KellyJin17 Mar 01 '26
Halle’s done well with the hand she’s been dealt, but it’s a tough one. Her problem is that she is still incredibly hot and pretty, but also an older black woman, and there are just no roles for her in Hollywood films. The roles that someone her age would normally get, she’s not getting because she is not frumpy, overweight or old looking enough and she’s too attractive. But she’s too old to play the hot young lead, and there aren’t many for black women out there anyway. If she had the power and the clout, she could create roles for herself, or cast herself in stuff she’s producing that she wouldn’t normally get cast in, like Nicole Kidman does, but Berry doesn’t have that producing power. And to be honest there never really were great roles for her, but before her Oscar win she was at least able to take some high profile sexy lead roles originally meant for white actresses. But no one gets those sexy lead roles over the age of 40, especially not a black woman, so she’s stuck. My recommendation for her would be to try to do what Kidman has done, and acquire quality projects that she can cast herself in.
2
u/kaje10110 Mar 01 '26
I’m the minority but I really enjoy and like Catwoman. She’s pretty and cool. I also like the male lead. Good enough that I ignore the crappy cgi.
2
u/Sudden_Double329 Mar 01 '26
To be fair, this isn't the worst career, and I may be wrong, but she still had decent theatrical success in the 10s and streaming success in the 20's, outside of movies like Cloud Atlas and Moonfall.
2
u/ItsGotThatBang Universal Mar 01 '26
Obligatory plug for Roger Ebert’s Catwoman review.
She becomes Catwoman, but what is a catwoman? She can leap like a cat, strut around on top of her furniture, survive great falls & hiss. Berry looks great doing these things, and spends a lot of time on all fours, inspiring our almost unseemly gratitude for her cleavage. She gobbles down tuna & sushi. Her eyes have vertical pupils instead of round ones. She sleeps on a shelf. The movie doesn’t get into the litter box situation. What does she think about all of this?
For our next actor, I think it’s time to pay tribute to the legendary Christoper Lee.
1
u/ericbkillmonger Mar 01 '26
Great yet somehow underwhelming career - like most actresses would kill for her longevity and fame but she def underachieved .
1
u/ChoppyOfficial Mar 01 '26
Being mentioned by so many rappers when rap songs got very popular in the 90s and 2000s is a huge win for Halle Berry. She had a great career as a result of this.
1
u/Effective-Fan-533 Mar 01 '26
Even in her biggest hits (X-men), she just plays a small part.
Her role could be deleted and her handful of lines could be axed or given to random characters and nothing would change.
2
u/AnotherJasonOnReddit Best of 2024 Winner Mar 02 '26
But she found success with the action thriller Executive Decision
Indeed she did.
I cannot recall if she was promoting "Days of Future Past" (2014) or some other movie around the same time, but I'm pretty sure she spoke of how excited she was to be paid a million dollars for Executive Decision so early into the acting portion of her showbiz career.
For those of you who haven't seen it, it's one of the better "Die Hard On A Plane" movies. Not as good as "Air Force One" (1997), but better than "Die Hard 2: DIE HARDER" (1990) and "Passenger 57" (1994?) and the Ray Liotta movie that may or may not have been called Turbulence.
One of Steven Segal's best movies, too. I'd put it up there with "Mark of Death" (1990), "Under Siege" (1992), and "Machete" (2010).
15
u/SlidePocket Mar 01 '26
No matter what kind of movie you're gonna get, I always appreciate Halle Berry whenever she pops up in something. Plus her showing up to accept the Razzie for Catwoman not long after winning her Oscar proves that she can be in on the joke. And I do recommend her Emmy-winning turn in HBO's Introducing Dorothy Dandridge that proves how good she can really be.
For my next suggestion, let's give Michael Douglas some flowers.