#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 79
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 79 of 81
All 4,018 Documentary Movies, Ranked by Worldwide Gross
Ranks 3,901 to 3,950 of 4,018. Lifetime worldwide grosses in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation; domestic means the US & Canada.
- 3901
Jun 20, 2023 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $716 - 3902
Feb 18, 2018 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $711 - 3903
Feb 17, 2017 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $708 - 3904
Oct 29, 2015 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $704 - 3905
Mar 24, 1972 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $692 - 3906
Oct 10, 2017 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $679 - 3907
Jul 26, 2022 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $670 - 3908
Nov 13, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $638 - 3909
Jun 20, 2024 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $635 - 3910
The Prosecutor, the Defender, the Father and his Son (2015)Nov 25, 2015 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $635
Nov 25, 2015 · English · Drama, Documentary $635 worldwide - 3911
Nov 22, 2022 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $629 - 3912
Nov 9, 2018 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $614 - 3913
Feb 24, 2016 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $609 - 3914
Dec 3, 2004 US and Canada: $604 Rest of the world: Worldwide: $604 - 3915
Oct 18, 2019 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $602 - 3916
Gottfried Helnwein and the Dreaming Child (2012)Nov 23, 2012 US and Canada: $601 Rest of the world: Worldwide: $601 Nov 23, 2012 · English · Documentary $601 worldwide - 3917
Mar 25, 2016 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $600 - 3918
Aug 12, 2015 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $600 - 3919
Jun 25, 1974 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $598 - 3920
Sep 20, 2016 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $594 - 3921
Feb 16, 2018 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $586 - 3922
Oct 30, 2020 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $584 - 3923
Feb 9, 2007 US and Canada: $577 Rest of the world: Worldwide: $577 - 3924
Feb 16, 2024 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $573 - 3925
Dec 6, 1965 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $568 - 3926
Oct 7, 2016 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $566 - 3927
Dec 12, 2007 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $563 - 3928
Feb 26, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $553 - 3929
Nov 3, 2018 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $552 - 3930
Sep 25, 2020 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $552 - 3931
Nov 9, 2021 US and Canada: $552 Rest of the world: Worldwide: $552 - 3932
Nov 11, 2005 US and Canada: $549 Rest of the world: Worldwide: $549 - 3933
Sep 26, 2008 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $549 - 3934
Sep 13, 2018 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $545 - 3935
Nov 11, 2022 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $538 - 3936
Sep 26, 2017 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $536 - 3937
1973 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $535 - 3938
Sep 5, 1981 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $533 - 3939
Oct 2, 2022 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $532 - 3940
Jul 4, 2019 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $502 - 3941
A Walk Into the Sea: Danny Williams and the Warhol Factory (2007)Sep 19, 2007 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $502 Sep 19, 2007 · English · Documentary, History $502 worldwide - 3942
Sep 24, 2015 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $485 - 3943
Oct 23, 2016 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $482 - 3944
Jun 6, 1988 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $472 - 3945
Mar 12, 2024 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $472 - 3946
Oct 14, 2022 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $468 - 3947
Nov 20, 2008 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $458 - 3948
Jun 23, 2018 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $445 - 3949
The Decline of Western Civilization (1981)Jul 5, 1981 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $440 Jul 5, 1981 · English · History, Music, Documentary $440 worldwide - 3950
Jan 20, 2023 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $419
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)