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Action box office · 1978

Action Box Office 1978: Highest-Grossing Action Movies

Superman (1978) is the highest-grossing action movie released in 1978, with $300.5M worldwide, ahead of Every Which Way But Loose (1978) at $85.2M and Hooper (1978) at $78M. 12 action films released in 1978 report a worldwide gross, $509.4M in all, 67% of it from the US & Canada. One film crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is down 49% on 1977, whose releases took $1B. By language, English leads with $182.2M across 9 action releases.

1978 releases with a gross
12
combined worldwide
$509.4M
film crossed $100M
1
vs 1977
−49%
Superman (1978) movie poster #1 of 12
#1 action movie of 1978

Superman (1978)

1978 · Action, Adventure

$300.5M worldwide · 59% of the chart's total

$134.5M US & Canada · 45% $166M elsewhere · 55%
Top 5

What Were the Biggest Action Hits of 1978?

Superman (1978) leads with $300.5M, 59% of the total. The top 5 together took $493.7M, 97% of what all 12 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. Superman (1978) movie poster Number 1
    $300.5M Superman (1978)
    $134.5M US & Canada · 45% $166M elsewhere · 55%
  2. Every Which Way But Loose (1978) movie poster Number 2
    $85.2M Every Which Way But Loose (1978)
    $85.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  3. Hooper (1978) movie poster Number 3
    $78M Hooper (1978)
    $78M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. Convoy (1978) movie poster Number 4
    $22.8M Convoy (1978)
    $22.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. Force 10 from Navarone (1978) movie poster Number 5
    $7.2M Force 10 from Navarone (1978)
    $7.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Action Release of 1978, 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 1978.

  1. 1 Superman (1978) movie poster
    Superman (1978) Dec 15, 1978 · Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi $300.5M worldwide
    Dec 15, 1978 US and Canada: $134.5M Rest of the world: $166M Worldwide: $300.5M
  2. 2 Every Which Way But Loose (1978) movie poster
    Every Which Way But Loose (1978) Dec 20, 1978 · English · Action, Comedy $85.2M worldwide
    Dec 20, 1978 US and Canada: $85.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $85.2M
  3. 3 Hooper (1978) movie poster
    Hooper (1978) Jul 28, 1978 · English · Action, Comedy $78M worldwide
    Jul 28, 1978 US and Canada: $78M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $78M
  4. 4 Convoy (1978) movie poster
    Convoy (1978) Jun 28, 1978 · Action, Drama $22.8M worldwide
    Jun 28, 1978 US and Canada: $22.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $22.8M
  5. 5 Force 10 from Navarone (1978) movie poster
    Force 10 from Navarone (1978) Dec 8, 1978 · English · Action, Drama, War $7.2M worldwide
    Dec 8, 1978 US and Canada: $7.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $7.2M
  6. 6 Gray Lady Down (1978) movie poster
    Gray Lady Down (1978) Mar 10, 1978 · English · Drama, Thriller, Action $5.4M worldwide
    Mar 10, 1978 US and Canada: $5.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.4M
  7. 7 Brass Target (1978) movie poster
    Brass Target (1978) Dec 22, 1978 · English · Action $5M worldwide
    Dec 22, 1978 US and Canada: $5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5M
  8. 8 Caravans (1978) movie poster
    Caravans (1978) Nov 2, 1978 · Romance, Action, Adventure $3.9M worldwide
    Nov 2, 1978 US and Canada: $3.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $3.9M
  9. 9 Skateboard (1978) movie poster
    Skateboard (1978) Mar 5, 1978 · English · Comedy, Action $1.3M worldwide
    Mar 5, 1978 US and Canada: $1.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.3M
  10. 10 Stunt Rock (1978) movie poster
    Stunt Rock (1978) Jun 30, 1978 · English · Drama, Music, Action $9.5K worldwide
    Jun 30, 1978 US and Canada: $9.5K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $9.5K
  11. 11 The Driver (1978) movie poster
    The Driver (1978) Jul 28, 1978 · English · Action, Thriller, Crime $1.3K worldwide
    Jul 28, 1978 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.3K
  12. 12 Capricorn One (1978) movie poster
    Capricorn One (1978) Jun 2, 1978 · English · Action, Adventure, Drama $402 worldwide
    Jun 2, 1978 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $402
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in 1978?

Of the top 10, Every Which Way But Loose (1978) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Superman (1978) made 55% of its gross abroad. Across all 12 films, $343.4M (67%) came from the US & Canada.

  1. 1 Superman (1978) $300.5M
    $134.5M US & Canada · 45% $166M elsewhere · 55%
  2. 2 Every Which Way But Loose (1978) $85.2M
    $85.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  3. 3 Hooper (1978) $78M
    $78M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. 4 Convoy (1978) $22.8M
    $22.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. 5 Force 10 from Navarone (1978) $7.2M
    $7.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  6. 6 Gray Lady Down (1978) $5.4M
    $5.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  7. 7 Brass Target (1978) $5M
    $5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  8. 8 Caravans (1978) $3.9M
    $3.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  9. 9 Skateboard (1978) $1.3M
    $1.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  10. 10 Stunt Rock (1978) $9.5K
    $9.5K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Gross bands

How Many 1978 Releases Crossed $100 Million?

1 of 12 films crossed $100M and took $300.5M between them, 59% of the total. 8 films, 67% of the list, earned under $10M.

  • $1B or more 0 films, 0% of the list No films
  • $500M to $1B 0 films, 0% of the list No films
  • $100M to $500M 1 film, 8% of the list $300.5M · 59% of the gross
  • $10M to $100M 3 films, 25% of the list $186M · 37% of the gross
  • Under $10M 8 films, 67% of the list $22.9M · 5% of the gross
By release month

Which Month of 1978 Earned the Most?

December releases took the most, $397.9M from 4 films, led by Superman (1978). November was the quietest month ($3.9M). 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 Gray Lady Down (1978) $6.8M Gray Lady Down (1978)
  4. April Apr No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  5. May May No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  6. June Jun Convoy (1978) $22.8M Convoy (1978)
  7. July Jul Hooper (1978) $78M Hooper (1978)
  8. August Aug No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  9. September Sep No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  10. October Oct No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  11. November Nov Caravans (1978) $3.9M Caravans (1978)
  12. December Dec Superman (1978) $397.9M Superman (1978)
Last 10 years

How Does 1978 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). 1978 took $509.4M.

Year Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
1969 6 films 6 $30.7M – 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
1978 12 films · −49% 12 $509.4M −49% Superman (1978) $300.5M
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 1978: 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 12 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing action movie in 1978?

Superman (1978) leads with $300.5M worldwide, $134.5M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Every Which Way But Loose (1978) at $85.2M and Hooper (1978) at $78M.

How much did action movies released in 1978 earn?

12 action films released in 1978 report a worldwide gross, $509.4M in all, or $42.4M per film on average. 1977 releases took $1B.

How many action movies released in 1978 made $1 billion?

None. 1 film crossed $100 million, led by Superman (1978) with $300.5M.

How much of the 1978 Action box office came from the US and Canada?

$343.4M of the $509.4M total, or 67%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 2 films of the 12 report no domestic figure.

How is the 1978 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 1978. 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 1978 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.