#1 of 4,018 Highest-grossing documentary movie ever
2009 · Music, Documentary
$268M worldwide
$72.1M US & Canada · 27% $195.9M elsewhere · 73%
Documentary box office · All time
Highest-Grossing Documentary Movies of All Time, Page 4
This Is It (2009) is the highest-grossing documentary movie in our database, with $268M worldwide, ahead of Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) at $222.4M and Jackass 3-D (2010) at $178.1M. 4,018 documentary films in our database report a worldwide gross, $5.8B in all, 52% of it from the US & Canada. 7 films crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. By language, English leads with $4.7B across 2,792 documentary releases.
- films with a reported gross
- 4,018
- combined worldwide
- $5.8B
- films crossed $100M
- 7
- earned in the US & Canada
- 52%
#1 of 4,018 Page 4 of 81
All 4,018 Documentary Movies, Ranked by Worldwide Gross
Ranks 151 to 200 of 4,018. Lifetime worldwide grosses in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation; domestic means the US & Canada.
- 151
Jul 29, 2005 US and Canada: $6.4M Rest of the world: $432.3K Worldwide: $6.8M - 152
Mar 30, 2001 US and Canada: $227.6K Rest of the world: $6.5M Worldwide: $6.7M - 153
Sep 21, 2018 US and Canada: $6.4M Rest of the world: $321.9K Worldwide: $6.7M - 154
Aug 28, 2009 US and Canada: $3.8M Rest of the world: $2.6M Worldwide: $6.4M - 155
Sep 24, 2010 US and Canada: $6.4M Rest of the world: $16.6K Worldwide: $6.4M - 156
Jan 16, 2020 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $6.4M - 157
Apr 16, 2010 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $6.2M - 158
Oct 10, 2014 US and Canada: $6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $6M - 159
Mar 27, 2015 US and Canada: $1.3M Rest of the world: $4.6M Worldwide: $6M - 160
Aug 3, 2018 US and Canada: $5.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.9M - 161
Jun 14, 2013 US and Canada: $4.9M Rest of the world: $892.9K Worldwide: $5.8M - 162
Oct 15, 2021 US and Canada: $151K Rest of the world: $5.5M Worldwide: $5.6M - 163
Aug 5, 2022 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $5.5M - 164
Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain (2021)Jul 16, 2021 US and Canada: $5.4M Rest of the world: $137K Worldwide: $5.5M
Jul 16, 2021 · English · Documentary $5.5M worldwide - 165
Jul 28, 2017 US and Canada: $3.5M Rest of the world: $1.9M Worldwide: $5.4M - 166
Apr 16, 2010 US and Canada: $3.3M Rest of the world: $2.1M Worldwide: $5.4M - 167
Oct 30, 2015 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $5.4M - 168
Apr 25, 2003 US and Canada: $3.8M Rest of the world: $1.5M Worldwide: $5.3M - 169
Sep 13, 1980 US and Canada: $5.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.3M - 170
May 10, 2019 US and Canada: $4.4M Rest of the world: $903.7K Worldwide: $5.3M - 171
Jul 25, 2008 US and Canada: $3M Rest of the world: $2.3M Worldwide: $5.3M - 172
Jan 30, 2026 US and Canada: $3.9M Rest of the world: $1.2M Worldwide: $5.2M - 173
Aug 15, 2014 US and Canada: $45K Rest of the world: $5M Worldwide: $5.1M - 174
The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara (2003)Dec 19, 2003 US and Canada: $4.2M Rest of the world: $840.3K Worldwide: $5M Dec 19, 2003 · English · War, Documentary $5M worldwide - 175
Feb 10, 2017 US and Canada: $2.8M Rest of the world: $2.2M Worldwide: $5M - 176
The Power of Nightmares: The Rise of the Politics of Fear (2005)Dec 9, 2005 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $5M Dec 9, 2005 · English · Documentary $5M worldwide - 177
That's Entertainment, Part II (1976)May 17, 1976 US and Canada: $5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5M May 17, 1976 · English · Family, Musical, Documentary $5M worldwide - 178
Jun 16, 2017 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $4.9M - 179
Apr 22, 2005 US and Canada: $4.1M Rest of the world: $782.5K Worldwide: $4.9M - 180
Jun 12, 2004 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $4.8M - 181
Mar 1, 1999 US and Canada: $4.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $4.8M - 182
May 10, 2002 US and Canada: $4.2M Rest of the world: $588.6K Worldwide: $4.8M - 183
Apr 5, 2007 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $4.8M - 184
Dec 23, 2015 US and Canada: $3.8M Rest of the world: $837.5K Worldwide: $4.7M - 185
Jun 24, 2005 US and Canada: $3.3M Rest of the world: $1.3M Worldwide: $4.6M - 186
Jun 12, 2009 US and Canada: $4.4M Rest of the world: $188.5K Worldwide: $4.6M - 187
Jun 4, 2004 US and Canada: $3.5M Rest of the world: $1.1M Worldwide: $4.6M - 188
Jul 6, 2018 US and Canada: $3M Rest of the world: $1.6M Worldwide: $4.6M - 189
Jan 20, 2006 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $4.6M - 190
Jun 7, 2014 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $4.5M - 191
Jun 17, 2011 US and Canada: $4M Rest of the world: $409.8K Worldwide: $4.4M - 192
Mar 1, 2013 US and Canada: $1.1M Rest of the world: $3.3M Worldwide: $4.4M - 193
Aug 24, 2012 US and Canada: $2.7M Rest of the world: $1.8M Worldwide: $4.4M - 194
Dec 5, 2017 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $4.4M - 195
Mar 30, 2012 US and Canada: $4.1M Rest of the world: $269K Worldwide: $4.4M - 196
Nov 2, 2016 US and Canada: $3.2M Rest of the world: $1.2M Worldwide: $4.4M - 197
Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice (2019)Sep 6, 2019 US and Canada: $4.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $4.3M Sep 6, 2019 · English · Music, Documentary $4.3M worldwide - 198
Jun 7, 2025 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $4.2M - 199
Aug 8, 2012 US and Canada: $3.4M Rest of the world: $796.7K Worldwide: $4.2M - 200
Oct 9, 2009 US and Canada: $4.2M Rest of the world: $5.9K Worldwide: $4.2M
Archive
Documentary Box Office Year by Year
Every year from 1918 to 2026 with its total and its biggest film. 2013 leads with $696.2M, led by Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013).
2020s 7 years · $644.6M
2010s 10 years · $2.7B
- 2019 $145.4M #1 Apollo 11 (2019)
- 2018 $257.3M #1 Believer (2018)
- 2017 $172.8M #1 Reset (2017)
- 2016 $149.8M #1 A Beautiful Planet (2016)
- 2015 $203.5M #1 Northern Limit Line (2015)
- 2014 $126.7M #1 Bears (2014)
- 2013 $696.2M #1 Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013)
- 2012 $288M #1 Switch (2012)
- 2011 $288.8M #1 Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (2011)
- 2010 $338.6M #1 Jackass 3-D (2010)
2000s 10 years · $2.1B
- 2009 $401.6M #1 This Is It (2009)
- 2008 $118.2M #1 U2 3D (2008)
- 2007 $137.8M #1 Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure (2007)
- 2006 $286.9M #1 Deep Sea (2006)
- 2005 $284.9M #1 March of the Penguins (2005)
- 2004 $339.9M #1 Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
- 2003 $123.3M #1 Bugs! (2003)
- 2002 $239M #1 Space Station 3D (2002)
- 2001 $39.4M #1 Shackleton’s Antarctic Adventure (2001)
- 2000 $81.4M #1 The Original Kings of Comedy (2000)
1990s 10 years · $226.1M
- 1999 $50.2M #1 Buena Vista Social Club (1999)
- 1998 $60.8M #1 Mysteries of Egypt (1998)
- 1997 $22M #1 Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun (1997)
- 1996 $5.9M #1 When We Were Kings (1996)
- 1995 $13.9M #1 Born to Be Wild (1995)
- 1994 $26.8M #1 Hoop Dreams (1994)
- 1993 $733.8K #1 The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl (1993)
- 1992 $7.2M #1 My Crasy Life (1992)
- 1991 $37.7M #1 Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991)
- 1990 $785.7K #1 Listen Up: The Lives of Quincy Jones (1990)
1980s 10 years · $174.2M
- 1989 $9.3M #1 Roger & Me (1989)
- 1988 $15.3M #1 U2: Rattle and Hum (1988)
- 1987 $54.3M #1 Eddie Murphy: Raw (1987)
- 1986 $1.4M #1 Home of the Brave: A Film by Laurie Anderson (1986)
- 1985 $1.8M #1 The Dream Is Alive (1985)
- 1984 $24.1M #1 Stop Making Sense (1984)
- 1983 $16.2M #1 Richard Pryor: Here and Now (1983)
- 1982 $44.4M #1 Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip (1982)
- 1981 $2.1M #1 This Is Elvis (1981)
- 1980 $5.3M #1 Divine Madness (1980)
1970s 9 years · $33.9M
- 1978 $363.8K #1 The Last Waltz (1978)
- 1977 $298.5K #1 ABBA: The Movie (1977)
- 1976 $5M #1 That's Entertainment, Part II (1976)
- 1975 $40.9K #1 Grey Gardens (1975)
- 1974 $27.2M #1 That's Entertainment! (1974)
- 1973 $16.7K #1 Wattstax (1973)
- 1972 $676.7K #1 Elvis on Tour (1972)
- 1971 $31.4K #1 Bushman (1971)
- 1970 $357.4K #1 Woodstock (1970)