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Action box office · 1977

Action Box Office 1977: Highest-Grossing Action Movies

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) is the highest-grossing action movie released in 1977, with $775.4M worldwide, ahead of Smokey and the Bandit (1977) at $126.8M and The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) at $46.9M. 8 action films released in 1977 report a worldwide gross, $1B in all, 69% of it from the US & Canada. 2 films crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is 9.6 times the total of 1976, whose releases took $104.8M. By language, English leads with $1B across 7 action releases.

1977 releases with a gross
8
combined worldwide
$1B
films crossed $100M
2
vs 1976
×9.6
Top 5

What Were the Biggest Action Hits of 1977?

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) leads with $775.4M, 77% of the total. The top 5 together took $1B, almost all of what the 8 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) movie poster Number 1
    $775.4M Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
    $461M US & Canada · 59% $314.4M elsewhere · 41%
  2. Smokey and the Bandit (1977) movie poster Number 2
    $126.8M Smokey and the Bandit (1977)
    $126.7M US & Canada · 100% $13K elsewhere · <1%
  3. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) movie poster Number 3
    $46.9M The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
    $46.8M US & Canada · 100% $37.7K elsewhere · <1%
  4. Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977) movie poster Number 4
    $29M Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977)
    $29M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. The Gauntlet (1977) movie poster Number 5
    $26.4M The Gauntlet (1977)
    $26.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Action Release of 1977, Ranked by Worldwide Gross

Lifetime worldwide grosses in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation; domestic means the US & Canada. Films are grouped by their release date in 1977.

  1. 1 Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) movie poster
    Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) May 25, 1977 · English · Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi $775.4M worldwide
    May 25, 1977 US and Canada: $461M Rest of the world: $314.4M Worldwide: $775.4M
  2. 2 Smokey and the Bandit (1977) movie poster
    Smokey and the Bandit (1977) May 27, 1977 · English · Action, Comedy $126.8M worldwide
    May 27, 1977 US and Canada: $126.7M Rest of the world: $13K Worldwide: $126.8M
  3. 3 The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) movie poster
    The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) Aug 3, 1977 · English · Action, Adventure, Thriller $46.9M worldwide
    Aug 3, 1977 US and Canada: $46.8M Rest of the world: $37.7K Worldwide: $46.9M
  4. 4 Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977) movie poster
    Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977) Jun 24, 1977 · English · Action, Adventure, Comedy $29M worldwide
    Jun 24, 1977 US and Canada: $29M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $29M
  5. 5 The Gauntlet (1977) movie poster
    The Gauntlet (1977) Dec 21, 1977 · English · Action, Thriller, Crime $26.4M worldwide
    Dec 21, 1977 US and Canada: $26.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $26.4M
  6. 6 Crime Busters (1977) movie poster
    Crime Busters (1977) Apr 1, 1977 · Italian · Comedy, Action $33.6K worldwide
    Apr 1, 1977 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $33.6K
  7. 7 Rollercoaster (1977) movie poster
    Rollercoaster (1977) Jun 10, 1977 · English · Action, Thriller $908 worldwide
    Jun 10, 1977 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $908
  8. 8 Backroads (1977) movie poster
    Backroads (1977) Jun 27, 1977 · English · Action, Drama $105 worldwide
    Jun 27, 1977 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $105
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in 1977?

Of the top 8, Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) made 41% of its gross abroad. Across all 8 films, $690M (69%) came from the US & Canada. 3 films of the top 8 report no US & Canada figure.

  1. 1 Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) $775.4M
    $461M US & Canada · 59% $314.4M elsewhere · 41%
  2. 2 Smokey and the Bandit (1977) $126.8M
    $126.7M US & Canada · 100% $13K elsewhere · <1%
  3. 3 The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) $46.9M
    $46.8M US & Canada · 100% $37.7K elsewhere · <1%
  4. 4 Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977) $29M
    $29M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. 5 The Gauntlet (1977) $26.4M
    $26.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  6. 6 Crime Busters (1977) $33.6K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  7. 7 Rollercoaster (1977) $908
    No US & Canada figure reported
  8. 8 Backroads (1977) $105
    No US & Canada figure reported
By release month

Which Month of 1977 Earned the Most?

May releases took the most, $902.1M from 2 films, led by Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). April was the quietest month ($33.6K). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.

  1. January Jan No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  2. February Feb No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  3. March Mar No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  4. April Apr Crime Busters (1977) $33.6K Crime Busters (1977)
  5. May May Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) $902.1M Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
  6. June Jun Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977) $29M Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977)
  7. July Jul No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  8. August Aug The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) $46.9M The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
  9. September Sep No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  10. October Oct No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  11. November Nov No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  12. December Dec The Gauntlet (1977) $26.4M The Gauntlet (1977)
Last 10 years

How Does 1977 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1977 earned the most: $1B from 8 films, led by Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977).

Year Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
1968 3 films 3 $3.6M – Coogan’s Bluff (1968) $3.1M
1969 6 films · +748% 6 $30.7M +748% On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) $22.8M
1970 3 films · +289% 3 $119.5M +289% Airport (1970) $100.5M
1971 6 films · −6% 6 $112.6M −6% The French Connection (1971) $51.7M
1972 8 films · −16% 8 $94.5M −16% The Poseidon Adventure (1972) $84.6M
1973 10 films · −11% 10 $84.1M −11% Magnum Force (1973) $39.8M
1974 11 films · +184% 11 $238.7M +184% The Towering Inferno (1974) $116M
1975 8 films · −88% 8 $28.9M −88% The Eiger Sanction (1975) $14.2M
1976 8 films · +262% 8 $104.8M +262% Silver Streak (1976) $51.1M
1977 8 films · +858% 8 $1B +858% Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) $775.4M
By language

Which Languages Do the Biggest Action Movies Speak in 1977?

English-language action films took $1B across 7 films, 100% of the total, ahead of Italian-language action films ($33.6K).

1977 Action Box Office by Language

  1. English $1B
    7 films · #1 Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
  2. Italian $33.6K
    1 film · #1 Crime Busters (1977)
Archive

Action Box Office Year by Year

Every year from 1924 to 2026 with its total and its biggest film. 2017 leads with $20.6B, led by Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017).

2020s 7 years · $61.4B
2010s 10 years · $152.6B
2000s 10 years · $73.2B
1990s 10 years · $32.6B
1980s 10 years · $10.7B
1970s 10 years · $2.8B
1960s 10 years · $286.3M
1950s 7 years · $3.2M
1940s 2 years · $2.3M
1930s 2 years · $5.8K
1920s 2 years · $1.8K
FAQ

Action Box Office 1977: Questions & Answers

The chart's numbers in short: the #1 film, the total, the billion-dollar hits and the US & Canada share, answered from the same 8 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing action movie in 1977?

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) leads with $775.4M worldwide, $461M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Smokey and the Bandit (1977) at $126.8M and The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) at $46.9M.

How much did action movies released in 1977 earn?

8 action films released in 1977 report a worldwide gross, $1B in all, or $125.6M per film on average. 1976 releases took $104.8M.

How many action movies released in 1977 made $1 billion?

None. 2 films crossed $100 million, led by Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) with $775.4M.

How much of the 1977 Action box office came from the US and Canada?

$690M of the $1B total, or 69%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 3 films of the 8 report no domestic figure.

How is the 1977 action box office chart ranked and where do the numbers come from?

Films are ranked by lifetime worldwide gross in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation, and grouped by their release date in 1977. The figures are the reported box office grosses in our database. A gross that looks misattributed, such as one figure shared by two unrelated films or a blockbuster total on an obscure title, is left out rather than shown as a fact.

How often is the 1977 action box office chart updated?

Grosses change while films are in theaters and whenever a new figure is reported; this chart reads the latest numbers in our database, so an older film can still move after a re-release.