#1 of 2 #1 biography movie of 1978
1978 · Biography, Drama
$35M worldwide · 71% of the chart's total
$35M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Biography box office · 1978
Biography Box Office 1978: Highest-Grossing Biography Movies
Midnight Express (1978) is the highest-grossing biography movie released in 1978, with $35M worldwide, ahead of The Buddy Holly Story (1978) at $14.4M. 2 biography films released in 1978 report a worldwide gross, $49.4M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada.
- 1978 releases with a gross
- 2
- combined worldwide
- $49.4M
- Midnight Express (1978), the #1
- $35M
- earned in the US & Canada
- 100%
#1 of 2 The chart
Every Biography 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 Oct 6, 1978 US and Canada: $35M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $35M
- 2
May 18, 1978 US and Canada: $14.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $14.4M
Archive
Biography Box Office Year by Year
Every year from 1929 to 2026 with its total and its biggest film. 2018 leads with $2.3B, led by Bohemian Rhapsody (2018).
2020s 7 years · $4.7B
2010s 10 years · $13.3B
- 2019 $1.3B #1 Ford v Ferrari (2019)
- 2018 $2.3B #1 Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
- 2017 $1.6B #1 The Greatest Showman (2017)
- 2016 $1.6B #1 Dangal (2016)
- 2015 $1.6B #1 Everest (2015)
- 2014 $1.7B #1 American Sniper (2014)
- 2013 $2.1B #1 The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
- 2012 $511.3M #1 Lincoln (2012)
- 2011 $319.8M #1 The Iron Lady (2011)
- 2010 $341.2M #1 The Social Network (2010)
2000s 10 years · $5.9B
- 2009 $1B #1 The Blind Side (2009)
- 2008 $330.9M #1 The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)
- 2007 $638.4M #1 Charlie Wilson's War (2007)
- 2006 $775.2M #1 The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
- 2005 $671M #1 Walk the Line (2005)
- 2004 $683.8M #1 The Aviator (2004)
- 2003 $165.3M #1 Monster (2003)
- 2002 $674.3M #1 Catch Me If You Can (2002)
- 2001 $541.6M #1 A Beautiful Mind (2001)
- 2000 $385.6M #1 Erin Brockovich (2000)
1990s 10 years · $2.7B
- 1999 $347.4M #1 The Hurricane (1999)
- 1998 $301.1M #1 Patch Adams (1998)
- 1997 $214.7M #1 Seven Years in Tibet (1997)
- 1996 $219.4M #1 Evita (1996)
- 1995 $385.1M #1 Braveheart (1995)
- 1994 $52.6M #1 Wyatt Earp (1994)
- 1993 $652.9M #1 Schindler's List (1993)
- 1992 $106.3M #1 Malcolm X (1992)
- 1991 $291.7M #1 JFK (1991)
- 1990 $102.9M #1 Goodfellas (1990)
1980s 10 years · $1.2B
- 1989 $212.2M #1 Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
- 1988 $172.8M #1 Good Morning, Vietnam (1988)
- 1987 $105.8M #1 La Bamba (1987)
- 1986 $3.5M #1 Sid and Nancy (1986)
- 1985 $254.3M #1 Out of Africa (1985)
- 1984 $2.9M #1 Phar Lap (1984)
- 1983 $129.6M #1 Gandhi (1983)
- 1982 $73.3M #1 Chariots of Fire (1982)
- 1981 $61.5M #1 Reds (1981)
- 1980 $135.5M #1 Coal Miner's Daughter (1980)
1970s 8 years · $358M
1960s 7 years · $271.4M
1950s 2 years · $21.4M
1940s 1 year · $3K
1930s 1 year · $4.9K
1920s 1 year · $22.7K
FAQ
Biography 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 2 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing biography movie in 1978?
Midnight Express (1978) leads with $35M worldwide, $35M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Buddy Holly Story (1978) at $14.4M.
How much did biography movies released in 1978 earn?
2 biography films released in 1978 report a worldwide gross, $49.4M in all, or $24.7M per film on average.
How many biography movies released in 1978 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Midnight Express (1978), earned $35M.
How is the 1978 biography 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 biography 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.