The Biggest Bradley Cooper Movies Of All Time

Bradley Cooper has done a little bit of everything in his time as an A-list leading man. After "The Hangover" took off like a rocket with the general public, he could've easily opted to just do rehashes of that movie until the end of time. But Cooper quickly zigged when everyone expected him to zag by delving into dramas like "Silver Linings Playbook" and "American Hustle." As a result, he's managed to headline several box office hits and score a quartet of Oscar nominations, while also working with acclaimed auteurs ranging from Guillermo del Toro to Clint Eastwood. As a result of his versatility, he's developed an impressive career, the success of which is reflected in his box office track record.

The biggest movies of Bradley Cooper's career at the worldwide box office make up an eclectic selection that highlights the broad spectrum of genres he has dabbled in. Some of these titles serve as reminders that before Cooper was a leading man, he was once a regular supporting player in mainstream studio comedies.

One note before moving forward: the various Marvel Cinematic Universe movies featuring Cooper as Rocket are not included here since they're voiceover performances, and we have elected to focus on his live-action work.

The big-screen film adaptation of a classic TV show is a trend that has largely died out in Hollywood, going the way of silent cinema or beach party movies. Today, beloved TV shows like "Gilmore Girls" or "Sex and the City" get revived through streamers ordering new seasons that bring back the original cast members. It wasn't so long ago, though, that Hollywood loved turning older TV programs into feature film adaptations, ones that saw famous faces inhabiting the familiar characters on programs like "The Brady Bunch" or "The Beverly Hillbillies." This approach is what inspired "The A-Team," a Joe Carnahan film starring Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper.

The explosion in streaming platforms and the normalization of reuniting casts of programs like "Full House" undoubtedly played a role in ending this type of movie adaptation. However, the lackluster box office of films such as "The A-Team" certainly couldn't have helped the long-term viability of this domain. "The A-Team" only grossed $177.2 million worldwide, less than double its $100 million budget. The presence of famous faces like Cooper (who headlined this film as one of his first post-"Hangover" projects) wasn't enough to get over the fatigue moviegoers had for film adaptations of old TV shows. Arriving a decade after the original "Charlie's Angels" movie, "The A-Team" felt like it was chasing a trend that had already overstayed its welcome.

Throw enough big-name actors into one project, you're bound to get a hit movie, right? After all, with so many famous people around, there must be somebody for each prospective moviegoer. "He's Just Not That Into You" covered its bases with its sizeable cast by not just casting Bradley Cooper but also drawing Ben Affleck, Scarlett Johansson, Justin Long, and Drew Barrymore, among many others, into its story. These buzzy names were enough to turn the production into a notable Valentine's Day 2009 hit, which grossed $181 million worldwide.

Making nearly five times its budget, "He's Just Not That Into You" centered its marketing on big names like Cooper as well as a cynical attitude towards romance (as indicated by the title) and memorable gags that could get laughs even in 15-second commercials. Perhaps the most interesting thing about its box office success, in retrospect, is Cooper's presence. Today, Cooper would've been prominently featured on all the posters and commercials. But in February 2009, four months before "The Hangover" debuted, he was overshadowed by figures like Jennifer Aniston. What a difference more than a decade of box office success can make. Cooper's shift towards auteur-driven dramas like "Licorice Pizza" also makes it unlikely he'd show up in a film like "He's Just Not That Into You" again, though this projects box office success suggests returning to this kind of film wouldn't tarnish his financial reputation.

You can't just make a hit movie by basing it on a famous holiday. Just ask "Fred Claus" or any number of countless other features. But it doesn't hurt to have your film be inspired by a beloved holiday if that specific day doesn't have a ton of movies based on it. Lots of romantic movies have opened over Valentine's Day, but it's been rare to find films that are all about this romantic holiday. Thus, "Valentine's Day," the 2010 Garry Marshall movie, was filling a niche in the marketplace, which explains why it was a monster hit.

It didn't hurt that the movie packed so many famous actors into one movie thanks to an ensemble cast that was intentionally crowded with stars that people associated with the romantic comedy genre. Bradley Cooper was just one of the big people in here, with Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx, Taylor Swift, Ashton Kutcher, and Anne Hathaway (among many others) being a part of the sprawling cast. With all these famous faces around, it's no wonder "Valentine's Day" managed to secure $217.5 million worldwide, a massive achievement given its budget and a testament to what happens if you manage to properly tie your motion picture into a famous holiday.

It's hard to remember now, but Bradley Cooper didn't just emerge as a leading man in his acting exploits. For many years, Cooper was a supporting fixture in comedies, someone you'd hire to be the aggressive enemy or, in the case of the Jim Carrey comedy "Yes Man," the best friend. Released just six months before "The Hangover" would substantially overhaul the public's perception of this actor, "Yes Man" gives Cooper lots of screentime but he's never the focus of the movie. Watching this title in December 2008, it's doubtful many moviegoers would've imagined Cooper being a viable comedy leading man, let alone someone who would go on to direct Best Picture nominated dramas.

"Yes Man" grossed $225.9 million globally, actually a good haul for a $50 million budgeted comedy. If there was a downside here, though, it's that it was beneath the worldwide box office grosses of past Jim Carrey movies. Though not substantially lower than his past star vehicles, "Yes Man" did come in behind the likes of "Dumb and Dumber" and "The Truman Show" from more than a decade earlier. Carrey's schtick still had some pull, but it was also not quite as reliably popular as it had been in earlier years. While "Yes Man" would be one of Carrey's last traditional comedies, Cooper was just getting his career started and he'd soon leave supporting roles in projects like "Yes Man" far, far behind.

Though Bradley Cooper had solidified himself as a comedic leading man with the first two "Hangover" movies, it was still questionable what his box office chops were when it came to headlining movies that weren't in that raunchy comedy wheelhouse. His first true test in his ability to lure in audiences in dramatic fare came with the 2012 film "Silver Linings Playbook." Pairing Cooper up with Jennifer Lawrence in the first of their several collaborations, the film turned out to be a big enough hit to cement Cooper's box office prowess.

"Silver Linings Playbook" benefited from a genius release date, which launched its theatrical run over Thanksgiving 2012. Debuting here in limited release meant it could expand its theater count and build on positive word-of-mouth throughout the holiday season. This release date choice also ensured that "Silver Linings Playbook" played like gangbusters well into early 2013, when it received a slew of Oscar nominations (including Cooper's first Best Actor nod) that guaranteed it would continue to run in theaters. Even before all those factors came into play, though, the presence of Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Robert De Niro on the posters for "Silver Linings Playbook" guaranteed that this drama had enough star power to immediately clinch the attention of prospective moviegoers.

Eventually amassing a remarkable $236.4 million globally on just a $21 million budget, "Silver Linings Playbook" cemented that Cooper was here to stay as a reliable box office draw.

Bradley Cooper didn't have to wait long to find another adult drama box office hit after "Silver Linings Playbook." Thirteen months after that feature debuted, Cooper reunited with director David O. Russell for "American Hustle." This ensemble cast drama proved to be a hit with award season voters and moviegoers alike. Grossing $257.8 million worldwide, "American Hustle" outgrossed previous Russell movies like "Silver Linings Playbook" and "The Fighter," while also proving a winner for Cooper financially, giving him another box office success that cleared $200 million globally.

Putting a ton of big-name actors (including Cooper, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, and Jennifer Lawrence) into one movie released at Christmastime proved to be a perfect strategy. "American Hustle" immediately grabbed people with its star-studded posters and maintained the attention of audiences with an onslaught of positive reviews. A release strategy that allowed it to debut in theaters just as it was picking up steam at awards shows only added to its hype. All of these factors, plus the enduring allure of crime dramas to mainstream audiences, ensured a lucrative box office run and the continued success of Cooper in darker fare than his earlier R-rated comedies.

One of the big success stories of the summer of 2005 came from a movie about a couple of dudes who love to crash weddings. A simple premise, but an effective one, as seen by the $283.2 million worldwide gross of "Wedding Crashers." That haul primarily came from its domestic gross, and the film benefited mightily from the positive word-of-mouth surrounding the rapport between leading men Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson. Combining a rugged motormouth with a laidback dude turned out to be just the comedic pairing moviegoers wanted out of an R-rated comedy that summer.

Interestingly, in retrospect, one of the biggest actors in the film was barely mentioned in the marketing for "Wedding Crashers." The film's antagonist was played by Bradley Cooper: His biggest film role before "The Hangover." It was a part emblematic of how Cooper was regularly a supporting player in comedies during his early career. His minimal presence in the advertising of "Wedding Crashers" means that even Cooper himself would admit he's not the reason the film became a massive hit. But soon, Cooper would be appearing in even bigger movies than "Wedding Crashers," and with substantially more screentime to boot.

You can only go back so many times to a well before it dries up. The same is true for movie franchises. Just ask the "Police Academy" series, which went from being an excuse to print money to pure box office poison. Ditto the "Paranormal Activity" films, which were also reliable moneymakers ... until they abruptly weren't. The same problem plagued the "Hangover" films, which started as record-breaking R-rated comedies that redefined what such movies could do at the global box office. However, the negative reception to "The Hangover: Part II" led to its follow-up, "The Hangover: Part III," suffering financially.

Grossing only $362 million worldwide, "The Hangover: Part III" made less than both of its predecessors by a notable margin. Its domestic gross was especially paltry, only $108 million, less than half of the second "Hangover's" North American haul. And opening directly against "Fast & Furious 6" didn't help matters: Whereas "The Hangover: Part II" was the biggest event movie of its opening weekend, "The Hangover: Part III" had to share the spotlight.

In October 2018, Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga ensured that none of us would ever be able to hear the word "Shallow" the same way again with the duo's remake of "A Star is Born." The directorial debut of Cooper was the latest iteration of an oft-reimagined Hollywood film, and the box office success of this version was a reminder of why this story has proven to be so enduring. Not only does it strike a chord with audiences, but it's a reliable source of box office success.

For this take on "A Star is Born," such success manifested in a $431.8 million worldwide gross, much of which could be attributed to the star power of the film's two leads. Not every Cooper movie is a success (just ask "Aloha" and "Burnt"), but the ones where he's paired up with an especially compelling story have worked like gangbusters. Combine that with the gargantuan pop culture presence of Lady Gaga, and "A Star is Born" was practically destined to become one of the biggest Cooper star vehicles in history.

Sometimes, famous actors have to star in more than one star vehicle before they score a box office hit. Adam Sandler, for instance, didn't become an instant box office sensation with "Going Overboard," he had to wait for his mid-1990s features. Bradley Cooper, though, was a different story. With his first wide release, leading man role in "The Hangover," Cooper scored the kind of box office hit that often serves as a launching pad to superstardom.

Released in June 2009, "The Hangover" immediately trounced all pre-release expectations with a gargantuan $45 million domestic opening weekend. From there, it proved to be one of the most enduring films of the year, with tiny weekend-to-weekend drops and a shockingly large international haul for an American R-rated comedy. Made on only a $30 million budget, "The Hangover" took in $465.4 million worldwide. The cast of this comedy, including Cooper, received praise that contributed to the positive aura that surrounded this feature, as did its irresistible concept.

R-rated movies have often been seen by Hollywood as an inherently unprofitable proposition. Because they limit their audiences to people above the age of 17 (largely ignoring the valuable teenage demographic in the process), R-rated films are perceived as less financially viable than family-friendly productions. Several R-rated films throughout the 2010s challenged this notion strongly through their remarkable box office performances, with one of the standout examples of this trend being Bradley Cooper's 2014 film "American Sniper."

Given what a large pop culture presence Chris Kyle had developed in the wake of his tragic passing, it was inevitable that a film about his life and time in the U.S. Military would garner attention from moviegoers. What nobody could've expected was "American Sniper" grossing $547.3 million worldwide, including a staggering $357 million domestically. The latter figure made "Sniper" the biggest film of 2014 in North America, surpassing the newest Marvel Cinematic Universe and "Hunger Games" installments for that honor. It also beat "Saving Private Ryan" to become the highest-grossing war film of all time, cementing the box office potential films with this restrictive rating could score.

"The Hangover" redefined the box office success R-rated comedies could have at the worldwide box office, so it shouldn't be a surprise that a direct follow-up would also prove a lucrative enterprise. Coming just two years after all the buzz spurred by the first "Hangover," "The Hangover: Part II" entered the summer 2011 marketplace as a reigning champion people couldn't get enough of. It was inevitable that such a property would be a hit, but even the most optimistic box office forecasts couldn't have imagined just how enormously successful "The Hangover: Part II" would end up being.

"The Hangover: Part II" seized a massive $586.7 million worldwide, a sum that put it 25% ahead of the original film's global total. This impressive haul kicked off with one of the biggest Memorial Day opening weekends ever in North America and the largest five-day bow for an R-rated title. It would eventually stand as the eighth-biggest movie released in theaters in 2011, outgrossing significantly more expensive projects from 2011 like "Cars 2" and "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows." One could rattle on for ages all the box office achievements that "The Hangover: Part II' scored, but the science behind this one's box office glory is simple. The reputation of a beloved movie like "The Hangover" inspired people to give the sequel a shot, while returning elements like leading man Bradley Cooper helping to assure audiences they'd get just what they liked last time around.