[mrkurt]

Big budgets mean big ticket sales. They also mean action. Thus, killing.

[protomyth]

Let's look at the top 10 (I will use US sales): Avatar (2009) - Yep, Titanic (1997)- Yep, The Dark Knight (2008) - Yep, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) - Yep, Shrek 2 (2004) - Nope, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) - Nope, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) - Yep, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) - Yep, Spider-Man (2002) - Yep, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) - Yep

So 9 for 10

[pyre]

I count 8:

  Avatar (2009) - Yep
  Titanic (1997) - Yep
  The Dark Knight (2008) - Yep
  Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) - Yep
  Shrek 2 (2004) - Nope
  E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) - Nope
  Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) - Yep
  Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) - Yep
  Spider-Man (2002) - Yep
  Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) - Yep

[jerf]

Shrek 2 might be borderline. The giant gingerbread man bites it, and while he is depicted as a moron, he does speak.

[protomyth]

yeah, I switched Shrek from yes to no and forgot to update the count - I am a little iffy on the sentientence of the Giant Gingerbread Man.

[protomyth]

I have been reminded that the fairy godmother gets blown up. So 9 for 10.

So, it looks like the top US grossers only 1 was made without showing someone being killed.