#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 9
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 9 of 81
All 4,018 Documentary Movies, Ranked by Worldwide Gross
Ranks 401 to 450 of 4,018. Lifetime worldwide grosses in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation; domestic means the US & Canada.
- 401
Oct 11, 1996 US and Canada: $1.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.4M - 402
Sep 15, 2006 US and Canada: $1.1M Rest of the world: $298.9K Worldwide: $1.4M - 403
Jan 31, 2003 US and Canada: $732.4K Rest of the world: $674.6K Worldwide: $1.4M - 404
Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man (2006)Jun 21, 2006 US and Canada: $1M Rest of the world: $357.7K Worldwide: $1.4M
Jun 21, 2006 · English · Biography, Music, Documentary $1.4M worldwide - 405
Sep 13, 1995 US and Canada: $1.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.4M - 406
Mar 14, 2025 US and Canada: $1.4M Rest of the world: $30.7K Worldwide: $1.4M - 407
Jul 26, 2019 US and Canada: $43.8K Rest of the world: $1.4M Worldwide: $1.4M - 408
Aug 27, 2024 US and Canada: $1.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.4M - 409
Jun 5, 2020 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.4M - 410
Sep 8, 2000 US and Canada: $1.2M Rest of the world: $170K Worldwide: $1.4M - 411
Jun 27, 2024 US and Canada: $1.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.4M - 412
Nov 9, 2012 US and Canada: $1.3M Rest of the world: $30.2K Worldwide: $1.4M - 413
Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse (1991)May 1, 1991 US and Canada: $1.3M Rest of the world: $14.9K Worldwide: $1.3M May 1, 1991 · English · Documentary $1.3M worldwide - 414
Oct 26, 2005 US and Canada: $815.8K Rest of the world: $515.5K Worldwide: $1.3M - 415
Jul 26, 2019 US and Canada: $815.1K Rest of the world: $499.2K Worldwide: $1.3M - 416
Jun 8, 1995 US and Canada: $1.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.3M - 417
Sep 9, 1992 US and Canada: $1.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.3M - 418
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (2024)Oct 25, 2024 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.3M
Oct 25, 2024 · Norwegian · Documentary, Animation, Biography $1.3M worldwide - 419
Sep 6, 2019 US and Canada: $611.6K Rest of the world: $682.8K Worldwide: $1.3M - 420
Oct 25, 2019 US and Canada: $1.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.3M - 421
Jul 30, 2004 US and Canada: $1.2M Rest of the world: $107.7K Worldwide: $1.3M - 422
Mar 14, 2015 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.3M - 423
The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist (2026)Mar 27, 2026 US and Canada: $1.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.3M Mar 27, 2026 · English · Documentary $1.3M worldwide - 424
Feb 28, 2008 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.3M - 425
Sep 17, 2010 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.3M - 426
Sep 11, 2017 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.3M - 427
The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble (2016)Jun 10, 2016 US and Canada: $1.2M Rest of the world: $82.8K Worldwide: $1.3M Jun 10, 2016 · English · Music, Documentary $1.3M worldwide - 428
May 3, 2013 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.3M - 429
Home of the Brave: A Film by Laurie Anderson (1986)Apr 27, 1986 US and Canada: $1.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.3M Apr 27, 1986 · English · Documentary, Music $1.3M worldwide - 430
Jun 18, 2021 US and Canada: $648.7K Rest of the world: $600.5K Worldwide: $1.2M - 431
Sep 20, 2019 US and Canada: $705.3K Rest of the world: $537.8K Worldwide: $1.2M - 432
Sep 29, 2017 US and Canada: $1.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.2M - 433
Mar 20, 2020 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.2M - 434
Jul 31, 2015 US and Canada: $3.5K Rest of the world: $1.2M Worldwide: $1.2M - 435
Apr 14, 2008 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.2M - 436
Sep 1, 1988 US and Canada: $1.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.2M - 437
Jun 11, 2008 US and Canada: $944.9K Rest of the world: $260.5K Worldwide: $1.2M - 438
Sep 27, 2013 US and Canada: $1.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.2M - 439
Feb 3, 2011 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.2M - 440
Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest (2011)Jul 8, 2011 US and Canada: $1.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.2M Jul 8, 2011 · English · Music, Documentary $1.2M worldwide - 441
Nov 1, 2007 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.2M - 442
Apr 9, 2010 US and Canada: $246.1K Rest of the world: $948.1K Worldwide: $1.2M - 443
Nov 2, 2007 US and Canada: $248.4K Rest of the world: $945.1K Worldwide: $1.2M - 444
Jul 22, 2023 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.2M - 445
Jul 31, 2009 US and Canada: $857K Rest of the world: $330.4K Worldwide: $1.2M - 446
Feb 12, 2010 US and Canada: $23.7K Rest of the world: $1.2M Worldwide: $1.2M - 447
Black and White Stripes: The Juventus Story (2016)Oct 10, 2016 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.2M
Oct 10, 2016 · Italian · Documentary $1.2M worldwide - 448
Apr 6, 2018 US and Canada: $951.1K Rest of the world: $227.9K Worldwide: $1.2M - 449
Oct 21, 2016 US and Canada: $120.9K Rest of the world: $1.1M Worldwide: $1.2M - 450
Mystify: Michael Hutchence (2020)Jan 7, 2020 US and Canada: $289.6K Rest of the world: $885.2K Worldwide: $1.2M Jan 7, 2020 · English · Biography, Music, Documentary $1.2M worldwide
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)