#1 of 15 #1 action movie of May 2021
2021 · Action, Thriller
$233.5M worldwide · 52% of the chart's total
$86.1M US & Canada · 37% $147.4M elsewhere · 63%
Action box office · May 2021
Action Box Office, May 2021: Top-Grossing Releases
Cruella (2021) is the highest-grossing action movie released in May 2021, with $233.5M worldwide, ahead of Wrath of Man (2021) at $104M and Break Through the Darkness (2021) at $52.7M. 15 action films released in May 2021 report a worldwide gross, $452M in all, 27% of it from the US & Canada. 2 films crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is down 43% on April 2021, whose releases took $796.3M. By language, English leads with $359.1M across 7 action releases.
- May 2021 releases with a gross
- 15
- combined worldwide
- $452M
- films crossed $100M
- 2
- vs April 2021
- −43%
#1 of 15 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Action Hits of May 2021?
Cruella (2021) leads with $233.5M, 52% of the total. The top 5 together took $443.5M, 98% of what all 15 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.
- Number 1
-
Number 2 -
Number 3 -
Number 4 -
Number 5
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Action Release of May 2021, 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 2021.
- 1 May 28, 2021 US and Canada: $86.1M Rest of the world: $147.4M Worldwide: $233.5M
- 2 May 7, 2021 US and Canada: $27.5M Rest of the world: $76.5M Worldwide: $104M
- 3 May 1, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $52.7M
- 4 May 25, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $34.2M
- 5 May 14, 2021 US and Canada: $7.4M Rest of the world: $11.7M Worldwide: $19.1M
- 6
May 14, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $2.3M - 7
May 14, 2021 US and Canada: $77.1K Rest of the world: $1.9M Worldwide: $2M - 8
May 12, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.9M - 9
May 26, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1M - 10
May 14, 2021 US and Canada: $8.1K Rest of the world: $894.5K Worldwide: $902.6K - 11
May 7, 2021 US and Canada: $112.7K Rest of the world: $5.7K Worldwide: $118.4K - 12
May 11, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $101.4K - 13
May 28, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $68.2K - 14
May 7, 2021 US and Canada: $15.9K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $15.9K - 15
May 19, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $9.2K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in May 2021?
Of the top 10, Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021) earned the biggest share at home (39% in the US & Canada), while There Is No Evil (2021) made 99% of its gross abroad. Across all 15 films, $121.2M (27%) came from the US & Canada. 5 films of the top 10 report no US & Canada figure.
- 1 Cruella (2021) $233.5M $86.1M US & Canada · 37% $147.4M elsewhere · 63%
- 2 Wrath of Man (2021) $104M $27.5M US & Canada · 26% $76.5M elsewhere · 74%
- 3 Break Through the Darkness (2021) $52.7M No US & Canada figure reported
- 4 Deliver Us from Evil (2021) $34.2M No US & Canada figure reported
- 5 Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021) $19.1M $7.4M US & Canada · 39% $11.7M elsewhere · 61%
- 6 High Ground (2021) $2.3M No US & Canada figure reported
- 7 Riders of Justice (2021) $2M $77.1K US & Canada · 4% $1.9M elsewhere · 96%
- 8 Radhe (2021) $1.9M No US & Canada figure reported
- 9 Pipeline (2021) $1M No US & Canada figure reported
- 10 There Is No Evil (2021) $902.6K $8.1K US & Canada · <1% $894.5K elsewhere · 99%
Gross bands
How Many May 2021 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
2 of 15 films crossed $100M and took $337.5M between them, 75% of the total. 10 films, 67% of the list, earned under $10M.
75% 23%
- $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 2 films, 13% of the list $337.5M · 75% of the gross
- $10M to $100M 3 films, 20% of the list $106M · 23% of the gross
- Under $10M 10 films, 67% of the list $8.5M · 2% of the gross
By release week
Which Week of May 2021 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 22 (May 23–29) took $268.8M, led by Cruella (2021). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 18 Wk 18 Apr 25–May 1 Break Through the Darkness (2021) $52.7M Break Through the Darkness (2021)
- Week 19 Wk 19 May 2–8 Wrath of Man (2021) $104.1M Wrath of Man (2021)
- Week 20 Wk 20 May 9–15 Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021) $26.3M Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021)
- Week 21 Wk 21 May 16–22 Tourist (2021) $9.2K Tourist (2021)
- Week 22 Wk 22 May 23–29 Cruella (2021) $268.8M Cruella (2021)
- Week 23 Wk 23 May 30–Jun 5 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does May 2021 Compare With May in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, May 2013 earned the most: $2.8B from 13 films, led by Iron Man 3 (2013). May 2021 took $452M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2012 9 films | 9 | $2.5B | – | The Avengers (2012) $1.5B |
| May 2013 13 films · +11% | 13 | $2.8B | +11% | Iron Man 3 (2013) $1.2B |
| May 2014 10 films · −27% | 10 | $2B | −27% | X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) $746M |
| May 2015 17 films · +28% | 17 | $2.6B | +28% | Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) $1.4B |
| May 2016 21 films · −12% | 21 | $2.2B | −12% | Captain America: Civil War (2016) $1.2B |
| May 2017 19 films · +6% | 19 | $2.4B | +6% | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) $863.8M |
| May 2018 20 films · −45% | 20 | $1.3B | −45% | Deadpool 2 (2018) $785.9M |
| May 2019 22 films · −37% | 22 | $826M | −37% | Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) $387.3M |
| May 2020 8 films · −98% | 8 | $16.1M | −98% | Nightfire (2020) $14.3M |
| May 2021 15 films · +2713% | 15 | $452M | +2713% | Cruella (2021) $233.5M |
By language
Which Languages Do the Biggest Action Movies Speak in May 2021?
English-language action films took $359.1M across 7 films, 79% of the total, ahead of Chinese-language action films ($52.7M) and Korean-language action films ($35.3M).
May 2021 Action Box Office by Language
-
English $359.1M7 films · #1 Cruella (2021) -
Chinese $52.7M1 film · #1 Break Through the Darkness (2021) -
Korean $35.3M2 films · #1 Deliver Us from Evil (2021) -
Danish $2M1 film · #1 Riders of Justice (2021) -
Hindi $1.9M1 film · #1 Radhe (2021) -
Persian $902.6K1 film · #1 There Is No Evil (2021) -
Russian $110.5K2 films · #1 The Final Stand (2021)
Archive
Action Box Office in 2021, Month by Month
The months of 2021 with their totals: December leads with $2.3B, led by Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).
- January $57.7M #1 The Marksman (2021)
- February $739.4M #1 Detective Chinatown 3 (2021)
- March $588M #1 Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
- April $796.3M #1 Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train (2021)
- May $452M #1 Cruella (2021)
- June $830.5M #1 F9: The Fast Saga (2021)
- July $1.1B #1 Black Widow (2021)
- August $701.1M #1 Free Guy (2021)
- September $496.6M #1 Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
- October $1.8B #1 No Time to Die (2021)
- November $515.1M #1 Eternals (2021)
- December $2.3B #1 Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
FAQ
Action Box Office May 2021: 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 15 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing action movie in May 2021?
Cruella (2021) leads with $233.5M worldwide, $86.1M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Wrath of Man (2021) at $104M and Break Through the Darkness (2021) at $52.7M.
How much did action movies released in May 2021 earn?
15 action films released in May 2021 report a worldwide gross, $452M in all, or $30.1M per film on average. April 2021 releases took $796.3M.
How many action movies released in May 2021 made $1 billion?
None. 2 films crossed $100 million, led by Cruella (2021) with $233.5M.
How is the May 2021 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 2021. 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 2021 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.