#1 of 6 #1 documentary movie of May 2003
Capturing the Friedmans (2003)
2003 · Biography, Mystery
$4.1M worldwide · 83% of the chart's total
$3.1M US & Canada · 77% $957.9K elsewhere · 23%
Documentary box office · May 2003
Documentary Box Office, May 2003: Top-Grossing Releases
Capturing the Friedmans (2003) is the highest-grossing documentary movie released in May 2003, with $4.1M worldwide, ahead of The Soul of a Man (2003) at $592.9K and Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) (2003) at $160.6K. 6 documentary films released in May 2003 report a worldwide gross, $4.9M in all, 68% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 88% on April 2003, whose releases took $42.8M. By language, English leads with $4.9M across 5 documentary releases.
- May 2003 releases with a gross
- 6
- combined worldwide
- $4.9M
- Capturing the Friedmans (2003), the #1
- $4.1M
- vs April 2003
- −88%
#1 of 6 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Documentary Hits of May 2003?
Capturing the Friedmans (2003) leads with $4.1M, 83% of the total. The top 5 together took $4.9M, almost all of what the 6 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 -
Number 4 -
Number 5
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Documentary Release of May 2003, 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 May 2003.
- 1 May 30, 2003 US and Canada: $3.1M Rest of the world: $957.9K Worldwide: $4.1M
- 2 May 16, 2003 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $592.9K
- 3 May 23, 2003 US and Canada: $160.6K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $160.6K
- 4 May 9, 2003 US and Canada: $57.6K Rest of the world: $6.2K Worldwide: $63.8K
- 5 S21: The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine (2003)May 17, 2003 US and Canada: $22.6K Rest of the world: $944 Worldwide: $23.6K
May 17, 2003 · French · History, War, Documentary $23.6K worldwide - 6
May 16, 2003 US and Canada: $11.3K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $11.3K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in May 2003?
Of the top 6, Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) (2003) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Capturing the Friedmans (2003) made 23% of its gross abroad. Across all 6 films, $3.4M (68%) came from the US & Canada. 1 film of the top 6 reports no US & Canada figure.
- 1 Capturing the Friedmans (2003) $4.1M $3.1M US & Canada · 77% $957.9K elsewhere · 23%
- 2 The Soul of a Man (2003) $592.9K No US & Canada figure reported
- 3 Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) (2003) $160.6K $160.6K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 Only the Strong Survive (2003) $63.8K $57.6K US & Canada · 90% $6.2K elsewhere · 10%
- 5 S21: The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine (2003) $23.6K $22.6K US & Canada · 96% $944 elsewhere · 4%
- 6 Cinemania (2003) $11.3K $11.3K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
By release week
Which Week of May 2003 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 22 (May 25–31) took $4.1M, led by Capturing the Friedmans (2003). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 18 Wk 18 Apr 27–May 3 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 19 Wk 19 May 4–10 Only the Strong Survive (2003) $63.8K Only the Strong Survive (2003)
- Week 20 Wk 20 May 11–17 The Soul of a Man (2003) $627.8K The Soul of a Man (2003)
- Week 21 Wk 21 May 18–24 Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) (2003) $160.6K Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) (2003)
- Week 22 Wk 22 May 25–31 Capturing the Friedmans (2003) $4.1M Capturing the Friedmans (2003)
Earlier years
How Does May 2003 Compare With May in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, May 2000 earned the most: $21.7M from 4 films, led by Michael Jordan to the Max (2000). May 2003 took $4.9M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1994 1 film | 1 | $1.1K | – | Katatsumori (1994) $1.1K |
| May 1995 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| May 1996 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| May 1997 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| May 1998 1 film | 1 | $13.5M | – | Africa’s Elephant Kingdom (1998) $13.5M |
| May 1999 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| May 2000 4 films | 4 | $21.7M | – | Michael Jordan to the Max (2000) $21.5M |
| May 2001 4 films · −90% | 4 | $2.2M | −90% | Startup.com (2001) $1.8M |
| May 2002 5 films · +163% | 5 | $5.7M | +163% | Ultimate X: The Movie (2002) $4.8M |
| May 2003 6 films · −14% | 6 | $4.9M | −14% | Capturing the Friedmans (2003) $4.1M |
Archive
Documentary Box Office in 2003, Month by Month
The months of 2003 with their totals: April leads with $42.8M, led by Ghosts of the Abyss (2003).
- January $2.5M #1 Lost in La Mancha (2003)
- February $2.5M #1 Ocean Wonderland 3D (2003)
- March $711.8K #1 Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie (2003)
- April $42.8M #1 Ghosts of the Abyss (2003)
- May $4.9M #1 Capturing the Friedmans (2003)
- June $863K #1 The Weather Underground (2003)
- July $29.5M #1 Bugs! (2003)
- August $4.2M #1 Step Into Liquid (2003)
- September $18.3M #1 To Be and to Have (2003)
- October $388.9K #1 Bus 174 (2003)
- November $11.5M #1 Tupac: Resurrection (2003)
- December $5.1M #1 The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara (2003)
FAQ
Documentary Box Office May 2003: 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 6 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing documentary movie in May 2003?
Capturing the Friedmans (2003) leads with $4.1M worldwide, $3.1M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Soul of a Man (2003) at $592.9K and Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) (2003) at $160.6K.
How much did documentary movies released in May 2003 earn?
6 documentary films released in May 2003 report a worldwide gross, $4.9M in all, or $821.5K per film on average. April 2003 releases took $42.8M.
How many documentary movies released in May 2003 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Capturing the Friedmans (2003), earned $4.1M.
How is the May 2003 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 May 2003. 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 May 2003 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.