#1 of 11 #1 action movie of May 2011
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
2011 · Action, Adventure
$1B worldwide · 46% of the chart's total
$241.1M US & Canada · 23% $805.6M elsewhere · 77%
Action box office · May 2011
Action Box Office, May 2011: Top-Grossing Releases
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) is the highest-grossing action movie released in May 2011, with $1B worldwide, ahead of Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) at $665.7M and Thor (2011) at $449.3M. 11 action films released in May 2011 report a worldwide gross, $2.3B in all, 27% of it from the US & Canada. 1 film crossed $1 billion and 3 crossed $100 million. That is up 117% on April 2011, whose releases took $1B. By language, English leads with $2.3B across 6 action releases.
- May 2011 releases with a gross
- 11
- combined worldwide
- $2.3B
- films crossed $100M
- 3
- vs April 2011
- +117%
#1 of 11 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Action Hits of May 2011?
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) leads with $1B, 46% of the total. The top 5 together took $2.3B, almost all of what the 11 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.
- Number 1 $1B Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)$241.1M US & Canada · 23% $805.6M elsewhere · 77%
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Number 2 -
Number 3 -
Number 4 -
Number 5
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Action Release of May 2011, 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 May 2011.
- 1 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)May 20, 2011 US and Canada: $241.1M Rest of the world: $805.6M Worldwide: $1B
May 20, 2011 · English · Action, Adventure, Fantasy $1B worldwide - 2 May 26, 2011 US and Canada: $165.2M Rest of the world: $500.4M Worldwide: $665.7M
- 3 May 6, 2011 US and Canada: $181M Rest of the world: $268.3M Worldwide: $449.3M
- 4 May 13, 2011 US and Canada: $29.1M Rest of the world: $49.2M Worldwide: $78.3M
- 5 May 20, 2011 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $11.9M
- 6
May 13, 2011 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $3.5M - 7
May 6, 2011 US and Canada: $703.4K Rest of the world: $45.1K Worldwide: $748.5K - 8
May 5, 2011 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $520.6K - 9
May 26, 2011 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $418.3K - 10
May 13, 2011 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $352.9K - 11
May 7, 2011 US and Canada: $35.8K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $35.8K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in May 2011?
Of the top 10, Hobo with a Shotgun (2011) earned the biggest share at home (94% in the US & Canada), while Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) made 77% of its gross abroad. Across all 11 films, $617.2M (27%) came from the US & Canada. 5 films of the top 10 report no US & Canada figure.
- 1 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) $1B $241.1M US & Canada · 23% $805.6M elsewhere · 77%
- 2 Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) $665.7M $165.2M US & Canada · 25% $500.4M elsewhere · 75%
- 3 Thor (2011) $449.3M $181M US & Canada · 40% $268.3M elsewhere · 60%
- 4 Priest (2011) $78.3M $29.1M US & Canada · 37% $49.2M elsewhere · 63%
- 5 Blitz (2011) $11.9M No US & Canada figure reported
- 6 True Legend (2011) $3.5M No US & Canada figure reported
- 7 Hobo with a Shotgun (2011) $748.5K $703.4K US & Canada · 94% $45.1K elsewhere · 6%
- 8 Punished (2011) $520.6K No US & Canada figure reported
- 9 Head (2011) $418.3K No US & Canada figure reported
- 10 Shagird (2011) $352.9K No US & Canada figure reported
Gross bands
How Many May 2011 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
3 of 11 films crossed $100M and took $2.2B between them, 96% of the total. 6 films, 55% of the list, earned under $10M.
46% 29% 20%
- $1B or more 1 film, 9% of the list $1B · 46% of the gross
- $500M to $1B 1 film, 9% of the list $665.7M · 29% of the gross
- $100M to $500M 1 film, 9% of the list $449.3M · 20% of the gross
- $10M to $100M 2 films, 18% of the list $90.2M · 4% of the gross
- Under $10M 6 films, 55% of the list $5.6M · <1% of the gross
By release week
Which Week of May 2011 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 21 (May 15–21) took $1.1B, led by Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 19 Wk 19 May 1–7 Thor (2011) $450.6M Thor (2011)
- Week 20 Wk 20 May 8–14 Priest (2011) $82.1M Priest (2011)
- Week 21 Wk 21 May 15–21 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) $1.1B Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
- Week 22 Wk 22 May 22–28 Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) $666.1M Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)
- Week 23 Wk 23 May 29–Jun 4 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does May 2011 Compare With May in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, May 2011 earned the most: $2.3B from 11 films, led by Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011).
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2002 11 films | 11 | $1.7B | – | Spider-Man (2002) $825.8M |
| May 2003 8 films · −20% | 8 | $1.4B | −20% | The Matrix Reloaded (2003) $741.8M |
| May 2004 7 films · −2% | 7 | $1.4B | −2% | The Day After Tomorrow (2004) $552.6M |
| May 2005 10 films · −11% | 10 | $1.2B | −11% | Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) $905.6M |
| May 2006 10 films · −6% | 10 | $1.1B | −6% | X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) $460.4M |
| May 2007 11 films · +75% | 11 | $2B | +75% | Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) $961.7M |
| May 2008 13 films · −3% | 13 | $1.9B | −3% | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) $786.6M |
| May 2009 14 films · −16% | 14 | $1.6B | −16% | Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009) $413.1M |
| May 2010 12 films · −37% | 12 | $1B | −37% | Iron Man 2 (2010) $623.9M |
| May 2011 11 films · +123% | 11 | $2.3B | +123% | Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) $1B |
By language
Which Languages Do the Biggest Action Movies Speak in May 2011?
English-language action films took $2.3B across 6 films, 100% of the total, ahead of Chinese-language action films ($3.5M) and Cantonese-language action films ($520.6K).
May 2011 Action Box Office by Language
Archive
Action Box Office in 2011, Month by Month
The months of 2011 with their totals: May leads with $2.3B, led by Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011).
- January $455.8M #1 The Green Hornet (2011)
- February $316.8M #1 I Am Number Four (2011)
- March $635.9M #1 Rango (2011)
- April $1B #1 Fast Five (2011)
- May $2.3B #1 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
- June $1.7B #1 Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)
- July $644.2M #1 Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
- August $840.8M #1 Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
- September $480M #1 Contagion (2011)
- October $493.2M #1 Real Steel (2011)
- November $458.2M #1 Immortals (2011)
- December $1.3B #1 Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
FAQ
Action Box Office May 2011: 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 11 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing action movie in May 2011?
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) leads with $1B worldwide, $241.1M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) at $665.7M and Thor (2011) at $449.3M.
How much did action movies released in May 2011 earn?
11 action films released in May 2011 report a worldwide gross, $2.3B in all, or $205.2M per film on average. April 2011 releases took $1B.
How many action movies released in May 2011 made $1 billion?
1 film crossed $1 billion worldwide: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011). 3 crossed $100 million.
How is the May 2011 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 May 2011. 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 May 2011 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.