Ryan Gosling has been a Hollywood staple for over two decades, and his filmography is as varied as it gets. From brooding indie darlings to pink-drenched blockbusters, the Canadian actor has done it all. But not every movie translates to box office gold, and the gap between his lowest and highest-earning films is genuinely staggering. So how do his movies actually stack up when the numbers do the talking? Here’s a ranking of Ryan Gosling’s movies by worldwide box office earnings, from least to most, covering his most notable roles.
The Nice Guys (2016) — $71.2 Million
Shane Black’s The Nice Guys paired physical comedy with noir stylings and carried the kind of energy critics instantly admired. Russell Crowe and Gosling were each paid $7 million for the film. The two leads played mismatched private eyes chasing a missing girl through a tangle of murder and mayhem in 1970s Los Angeles. Critics adored it, audiences loved it, and yet the release timing undercut the film’s box office potential, as The Angry Birds Movie and Neighbors 2 both premiered in the same window, pulling attention away from an otherwise well-reviewed movie. A cult classic that deserved far better.
Drive (2011) — ~$76 Million
Nicolas Winding Refn’s neon-soaked thriller cast Gosling as a near-silent Hollywood stunt driver with a dangerous side hustle. The film earned around $76 million worldwide against a modest budget, making it a solid if unspectacular financial performer. Critics, however, were mesmerized. Drive sits at 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and is widely regarded as one of the best films of the 2010s. Gosling barely speaks throughout the entire runtime, and somehow that makes it even more compelling.
Fracture (2007) — ~$90 Million
One of Gosling’s earlier dramatic roles came in the 2007 film Fracture, directed by Gregory Hoblit, in which he co-starred alongside Anthony Hopkins. On a budget of just $10 million, Fracture grossed $11 million in its debut weekend domestically, pulling in a total of $39 million in North America, while its $50 million overseas gross brought its total box office haul to just under $90 million. Critics were mostly positive, noting the thrill of watching a young Gosling go toe-to-toe with Hopkins in what amounted to a high-stakes legal chess match. Not a blockbuster, but a quietly impressive early career win.
Gangster Squad (2013) — $104 Million
Gangster Squad earned $104,100,903 at the worldwide box office. The film arrived with enormous hype thanks to a cast that included Gosling, Emma Stone, Josh Brolin, Sean Penn, and Anthony Mackie. The public did not receive the film well, expecting more from the writing, given the excellent cast. Critics were largely disappointed too, calling it stylish but hollow. It barely recouped its budget and is widely regarded as the worst-reviewed film in Gosling’s top earners list.
First Man (2018) — ~$105 Million
After their award-winning collaboration on La La Land, Gosling teamed up once again with director Damien Chazelle for First Man, a biopic about astronaut Neil Armstrong and the events that led to him being the first man to walk on the moon. On a $60 million budget, First Man grossed $44 million domestically and $60 million internationally, for a $ 104 million global gross. The film was another praised work that deserved more recognition, but in comparison to La La Land, it was a financial disappointment. Gosling’s restrained, deeply internal performance was widely praised, even if general audiences didn’t quite show up.
The Notebook (2004) — ~$116 Million
In 2004, Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams starred in what would become one of the most beloved romance movies of all time. The Notebook earned $115,937,163 at the worldwide box office. It’s the film that made Gosling a household name. The Notebook was a major success upon its release, with particular praise aimed at its two stars. Even two decades after its release, The Notebook is still considered the quintessential romance. Against a production budget of just $29 million, those numbers represent a remarkable return.
The Big Short (2015) — ~$133 Million
The Big Short grossed $133.4 million worldwide. Adam McKay’s satirical drama about the 2008 housing crash is one of those films that somehow makes financial collapse both funny and enraging. Gosling plays Jared Vennett, a slick, fourth-wall-breaking Wall Street banker, and he’s electric in the role. The Big Short was not only a financial success, but it also landed well with critics, who hailed the film’s ability to tackle a particularly sensitive topic with both poise and humor.
Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011) — ~$146 Million
Crazy, Stupid, Love earned $146,493,974 at the worldwide box office. The film was particularly successful for a romantic comedy, a genre that doesn’t typically bring in large box office earnings. To this day, it is hailed as one of the better modern rom-coms, particularly for its twist ending. Gosling plays the impossibly smooth Jacob Palmer, a bachelor who takes a recently divorced Steve Carell under his wing. The chemistry between the cast, including Emma Stone and Julianne Moore, is effortless, and the film holds up brilliantly on rewatch.
The Fall Guy (2024) — ~$181 Million
The Fall Guy grossed $181 million against a reported $150 million budget and was estimated to have lost Universal Pictures $50 to 60 million during its theatrical run. That’s a shame, because the film itself is genuinely entertaining. Gosling plays a Hollywood stuntman pulled into a dangerous conspiracy, and his chemistry with Emily Blunt is effortless throughout. Reviews were favorable, with the movie holding a “fresh” 81% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and earning a stellar A-minus CinemaScore from opening-day audiences. A box office misfire that’s far better than its grosses suggest.
Blade Runner 2049 (2017) — ~$258 Million
Blade Runner 2049 opened to $32 million in North America and went on to gross $92 million domestically and $165 million overseas, for a total of $257 million. Though it is among the highest-grossing films of Gosling’s career, 2049 is widely seen as a box office failure, given its immense $185 million production budget and the fact that it likely didn’t break even after accounting for marketing costs. None of that diminishes the film itself. Denis Villeneuve delivered a visually breathtaking sci-fi epic that has since grown into a modern classic.
La La Land (2016) — ~$523 Million
La La Land was a massive success in 2016, turning the musical into a global sensation and awards darling. Its small $30 million budget turned into over $500 million worldwide, proving it was a hit that still has fans talking to this day. Gosling and Emma Stone play two dreamers falling in love in Los Angeles, and the result is one of the most emotionally satisfying films of the century so far. This colorful homage to jazz took home six of the 11 Academy Awards it was up for, though most people remember that night for the wrong reason entirely.
Project Hail Mary (2026) — $420+ Million and Counting
Project Hail Mary has become only the third Ryan Gosling movie to ever hit the $400 million global milestone, comprising over $217 million from domestic theatres and an additional $203 million from international markets. Based on Andy Weir’s 2021 novel, Gosling plays Ryland Grace, a man who wakes up on a spacecraft with no idea how he got there. The critic and viewer ratings on Rotten Tomatoes are nearly identical, both over 95 percent Fresh. It’s still running in theatres and climbing fast, with a shot at surpassing La La Land as his second-highest-grossing film ever.
Barbie (2023) — $1.44 Billion
Against a production budget of $145 million, Barbie needed roughly $300 million to break even, but it exceeded every projection, grossing $1.44 billion to become the highest-grossing film of 2023. Gosling took home $12.5 million for playing Ken. His performance as the existentially confused, deeply lovable Ken is nothing short of a comedic masterclass. Gosling was the Ken in Barbie who went toe-to-toe with Oppenheimer at the box office. He may be the closest thing to a bankable movie star Hollywood has right now. And with over $4.5 billion in career box office earnings to his name, it’s hard to argue with that.
