Zoe Saldana becomes highest-grossing movie star of all time

LOS ANGELES

Multi-franchise actress Zoe Saldana is now the highest-grossing movie star worldwide of all time, surpassing Scarlett Johansson.

“I just want to express my sincerest gratitude for the extraordinary journey that has led me to become the highest grossing film actor of all time today. An achievement made possible entirely by the incredible franchises and the collaborators that I have been fortunate enough to be a part of,” Saldana said on social media on Jan. 13.

The movies Saldana has appeared in have grossed more than $15.47 billion worldwide, overtaking Johansson, whose films have brought in just over $15.4 billion globally, according to movie industry data site The Numbers.

Saldana’s top-grossing films, including the recent “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” are all franchise productions. She plays the lead character Neytiri in James Cameron’s “Avatar” films and has also portrayed Gamora in Marvel movies produced by Disney, as well as Lt. Uhura in “Star Trek” films released since 2009.

Johansson, meanwhile, starred in Marvel movies as Black Widow. The two actresses appeared together in “Avengers: Endgame” and “Avengers: Infinity War.” Johansson’s other high-grossing franchise films include “Jurassic World Rebirth,” “Sing” and “Sing 2.”

Despite losing the global lead, Johansson remains ahead of Saldana at the U.S. domestic box office. Johansson ranks second all time with more than $5.67 billion in ticket sales, behind fellow Marvel actor Samuel L. Jackson, who leads with over $5.85 billion, according to The Numbers.

Robert Downey Jr. follows Johansson in third place with more than $5.47 billion in U.S. box office earnings, while Saldana ranks fourth with over $5.42 billion.