Skip to content
What's After the Movie?
Adventure box office · 1979

Adventure Box Office 1979: Highest-Grossing Adventure Movies

Moonraker (1979) is the highest-grossing adventure movie released in 1979, with $210.3M worldwide, ahead of Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) at $82.7M and The Muppet Movie (1979) at $66.5M. 11 adventure films released in 1979 report a worldwide gross, $450.6M in all, 68% of it from the US & Canada. One film crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is down 24% on 1978, whose releases took $596.2M. By language, English leads with $407.2M across 9 adventure releases.

1979 releases with a gross
11
combined worldwide
$450.6M
film crossed $100M
1
vs 1978
−24%
Moonraker (1979) movie poster #1 of 11
#1 adventure movie of 1979

Moonraker (1979)

1979 · Action, Adventure

$210.3M worldwide · 47% of the chart's total

$70.3M US & Canada · 33% $140M elsewhere · 67%
Top 5

What Were the Biggest Adventure Hits of 1979?

Moonraker (1979) leads with $210.3M, 47% of the total. The top 5 together took $418.9M, 93% of what all 11 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. Moonraker (1979) movie poster Number 1
    $210.3M Moonraker (1979)
    $70.3M US & Canada · 33% $140M elsewhere · 67%
  2. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) movie poster Number 2
    $82.7M Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
    $82.6M US & Canada · 100% $72.1K elsewhere · <1%
  3. The Muppet Movie (1979) movie poster Number 3
    $66.5M The Muppet Movie (1979)
    $66.5M US & Canada · 100% $1.3K elsewhere · <1%
  4. The Black Stallion (1979) movie poster Number 4
    $37.8M The Black Stallion (1979)
    $37.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979) movie poster Number 5
    $21.7M Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979)
    $21.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Adventure Release of 1979, 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 1979.

  1. 1 Moonraker (1979) movie poster
    Moonraker (1979) Jun 29, 1979 · English · Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi $210.3M worldwide
    Jun 29, 1979 US and Canada: $70.3M Rest of the world: $140M Worldwide: $210.3M
  2. 2 Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) movie poster
    Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) Dec 7, 1979 · English · Adventure, Sci-Fi, Mystery $82.7M worldwide
    Dec 7, 1979 US and Canada: $82.6M Rest of the world: $72.1K Worldwide: $82.7M
  3. 3 The Muppet Movie (1979) movie poster
    The Muppet Movie (1979) Jun 22, 1979 · English · Adventure, Comedy, Family $66.5M worldwide
    Jun 22, 1979 US and Canada: $66.5M Rest of the world: $1.3K Worldwide: $66.5M
  4. 4 The Black Stallion (1979) movie poster
    The Black Stallion (1979) Oct 13, 1979 · Adventure, Sport, Family $37.8M worldwide
    Oct 13, 1979 US and Canada: $37.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $37.8M
  5. 5 Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979) movie poster
    Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979) Sep 20, 1979 · English · Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi $21.7M worldwide
    Sep 20, 1979 US and Canada: $21.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $21.7M
  6. 6 The Great Train Robbery (1979) movie poster
    The Great Train Robbery (1979) Feb 2, 1979 · English · Adventure, Drama, Thriller $13M worldwide
    Feb 2, 1979 US and Canada: $13M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $13M
  7. 7 The Prisoner of Zenda (1979) movie poster
    The Prisoner of Zenda (1979) Aug 17, 1979 · English · Comedy, Adventure, Action $7.7M worldwide
    Aug 17, 1979 US and Canada: $7.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $7.7M
  8. 8 Cuba (1979) movie poster
    Cuba (1979) Dec 21, 1979 · Adventure, Thriller, Romance $5.6M worldwide
    Dec 21, 1979 US and Canada: $5.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.6M
  9. 9 Hanover Street (1979) movie poster
    Hanover Street (1979) Sep 13, 1979 · English · Action, Adventure, Drama $3M worldwide
    Sep 13, 1979 US and Canada: $3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $3M
  10. 10 Zulu Dawn (1979) movie poster
    Zulu Dawn (1979) May 14, 1979 · English · Drama, Adventure, War $1.9M worldwide
    May 14, 1979 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.9M
  11. 11 Beyond the Reef (1979) movie poster
    Beyond the Reef (1979) Dec 20, 1979 · English · Adventure, Romance, Horror $549.9K worldwide
    Dec 20, 1979 US and Canada: $547.5K Rest of the world: $2.4K Worldwide: $549.9K
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in 1979?

Of the top 10, The Black Stallion (1979) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Moonraker (1979) made 67% of its gross abroad. Across all 11 films, $308.7M (68%) came from the US & Canada. 1 film of the top 10 reports no US & Canada figure.

  1. 1 Moonraker (1979) $210.3M
    $70.3M US & Canada · 33% $140M elsewhere · 67%
  2. 2 Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) $82.7M
    $82.6M US & Canada · 100% $72.1K elsewhere · <1%
  3. 3 The Muppet Movie (1979) $66.5M
    $66.5M US & Canada · 100% $1.3K elsewhere · <1%
  4. 4 The Black Stallion (1979) $37.8M
    $37.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. 5 Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979) $21.7M
    $21.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  6. 6 The Great Train Robbery (1979) $13M
    $13M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  7. 7 The Prisoner of Zenda (1979) $7.7M
    $7.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  8. 8 Cuba (1979) $5.6M
    $5.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  9. 9 Hanover Street (1979) $3M
    $3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  10. 10 Zulu Dawn (1979) $1.9M
    No US & Canada figure reported
Gross bands

How Many 1979 Releases Crossed $100 Million?

1 of 11 films crossed $100M and took $210.3M between them, 47% of the total. 5 films, 45% 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, 9% of the list $210.3M · 47% of the gross
  • $10M to $100M 5 films, 45% of the list $221.6M · 49% of the gross
  • Under $10M 5 films, 45% of the list $18.7M · 4% of the gross
Last 10 years

How Does 1979 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1977 earned the most: $1.4B from 15 films, led by Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). 1979 took $450.6M.

Year Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
1970 6 films 6 $251.8M – The Aristocats (1970) $191M
1971 3 films · −100% 3 $476.6K −100% The Red Tent (1971) $473.9K
1972 7 films · +17845% 7 $85.5M +17845% The Poseidon Adventure (1972) $84.6M
1973 3 films · −58% 3 $35.5M −58% Live and Let Die (1973) $35.4M
1974 8 films · +71% 8 $60.5M +71% Benji (1974) $39.6M
1975 9 films · +747% 9 $513.1M +747% Jaws (1975) $477.9M
1976 1 film · −90% 1 $52.6M −90% King Kong (1976) $52.6M
1977 15 films · +2502% 15 $1.4B +2502% Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) $775.4M
1978 11 films · −56% 11 $596.2M −56% Superman (1978) $300.5M
1979 11 films · −24% 11 $450.6M −24% Moonraker (1979) $210.3M
Archive

Adventure Box Office Year by Year

Every year from 1923 to 2026 with its total and its biggest film. 2019 leads with $20.5B, led by Avengers: Endgame (2019).

2020s 7 years · $64.6B
2010s 10 years · $150.8B
2000s 10 years · $71.5B
1990s 10 years · $23B
1980s 10 years · $8.9B
1970s 10 years · $3.4B
1960s 10 years · $759.7M
1950s 10 years · $325.9M
1940s 6 years · $5.3M
1930s 5 years · $25.7M
1920s 6 years · $122.1K
FAQ

Adventure Box Office 1979: 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 adventure movie in 1979?

Moonraker (1979) leads with $210.3M worldwide, $70.3M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) at $82.7M and The Muppet Movie (1979) at $66.5M.

How much did adventure movies released in 1979 earn?

11 adventure films released in 1979 report a worldwide gross, $450.6M in all, or $41M per film on average. 1978 releases took $596.2M.

How many adventure movies released in 1979 made $1 billion?

None. 1 film crossed $100 million, led by Moonraker (1979) with $210.3M.

How much of the 1979 Adventure box office came from the US and Canada?

$308.7M of the $450.6M total, or 68%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 1 film of the 11 report no domestic figure.

How is the 1979 adventure 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 1979. 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 1979 adventure 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.