#1 of 3 #1 documentary movie of September 1988
1988 · Music, Documentary
$3.8M worldwide · 75% of the chart's total
$3.8M US & Canada · 100% $296 elsewhere · <1%
Documentary box office · September 1988
Documentary Box Office, September 1988: Top-Grossing Releases
Imagine: John Lennon (1988) is the highest-grossing documentary movie released in September 1988, with $3.8M worldwide, ahead of The Thin Blue Line (1988) at $1.2M and Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky (1988) at $27.4K. 3 documentary films released in September 1988 report a worldwide gross, $5M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada.
- September 1988 releases with a gross
- 3
- combined worldwide
- $5M
- Imagine: John Lennon (1988), the #1
- $3.8M
- earned in the US & Canada
- 100%
#1 of 3 Top 3
What Were the Biggest Documentary Hits of September 1988?
Imagine: John Lennon (1988) leads with $3.8M, 75% of the total. The top 3 together took $5M, almost all of what the 3 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.
- Number 1
-
Number 2 -
Number 3
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Documentary Release of September 1988, 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 September 1988.
- 1 Sep 30, 1988 US and Canada: $3.8M Rest of the world: $296 Worldwide: $3.8M
- 2 Sep 1, 1988 US and Canada: $1.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.2M
- 3 Sep 23, 1988 US and Canada: $22.2K Rest of the world: $5.2K Worldwide: $27.4K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in September 1988?
Of the top 3, The Thin Blue Line (1988) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky (1988) made 19% of its gross abroad. Across all 3 films, $5M (100%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Imagine: John Lennon (1988) $3.8M $3.8M US & Canada · 100% $296 elsewhere · <1%
- 2 The Thin Blue Line (1988) $1.2M $1.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky (1988) $27.4K $22.2K US & Canada · 81% $5.2K elsewhere · 19%
By release week
Which Week of September 1988 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 40 (Sep 25–Oct 1) took $3.8M, led by Imagine: John Lennon (1988). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 36 Wk 36 Aug 28–Sep 3 The Thin Blue Line (1988) $1.2M The Thin Blue Line (1988)
- Week 37 Wk 37 Sep 4–10 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 38 Wk 38 Sep 11–17 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 39 Wk 39 Sep 18–24 Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky (1988) $27.4K Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky (1988)
- Week 40 Wk 40 Sep 25–Oct 1 Imagine: John Lennon (1988) $3.8M Imagine: John Lennon (1988)
Earlier years
How Does September 1988 Compare With September in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, September 1980 earned the most: $5.3M from 1 film, led by Divine Madness (1980). September 1988 took $5M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 1979 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| September 1980 1 film | 1 | $5.3M | – | Divine Madness (1980) $5.3M |
| September 1981 1 film · −100% | 1 | $533 | −100% | The Killing of America (1981) $533 |
| September 1982 1 film · +207836% | 1 | $1.1M | +207836% | Say Amen, Somebody (1982) $1.1M |
| September 1983 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| September 1984 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| September 1985 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| September 1986 1 film | 1 | $124.1K | – | Sherman's March (1986) $124.1K |
| September 1987 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| September 1988 3 films | 3 | $5M | – | Imagine: John Lennon (1988) $3.8M |
Archive
Documentary Box Office in 1988, Month by Month
The months of 1988 with their totals: November leads with $8.6M, led by U2: Rattle and Hum (1988).
- January $17.9K #1 Francis Bacon (1988)
- February $592.6K #1 Powaqqatsi (1988)
- March $21.7K #1 Jane B. by Agnès V. (1988)
- April $193.2K #1 Mondo New York (1988)
- May No grosses
- June $374.2K #1 The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (1988)
- July No grosses
- August No grosses
- September $5M #1 Imagine: John Lennon (1988)
- October $518.9K #1 Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser (1988)
- November $8.6M #1 U2: Rattle and Hum (1988)
- December No grosses
FAQ
Documentary Box Office September 1988: 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 3 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing documentary movie in September 1988?
Imagine: John Lennon (1988) leads with $3.8M worldwide, $3.8M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Thin Blue Line (1988) at $1.2M and Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky (1988) at $27.4K.
How much did documentary movies released in September 1988 earn?
3 documentary films released in September 1988 report a worldwide gross, $5M in all, or $1.7M per film on average.
How many documentary movies released in September 1988 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Imagine: John Lennon (1988), earned $3.8M.
How is the September 1988 documentary 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 September 1988. 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 September 1988 documentary 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.