#1 of 21 #1 documentary movie of September 2012
2012 · Adventure, Documentary
$47.2M worldwide · 86% of the chart's total
No US & Canada figure reported
Documentary box office · September 2012
Documentary Box Office, September 2012: Top-Grossing Releases
Switch (2012) is the highest-grossing documentary movie released in September 2012, with $47.2M worldwide, ahead of Palme (2012) at $3.3M and Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel (2012) at $1.7M. 21 documentary films released in September 2012 report a worldwide gross, $54.9M in all, 4% of it from the US & Canada. That is up 132% on August 2012, whose releases took $23.7M. By language, English leads with $50M across 13 documentary releases.
- September 2012 releases with a gross
- 21
- combined worldwide
- $54.9M
- Switch (2012), the #1
- $47.2M
- vs August 2012
- +132%
#1 of 21 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Documentary Hits of September 2012?
Switch (2012) leads with $47.2M, 86% of the total. The top 5 together took $53.4M, 97% of what all 21 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 September 2012, 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 2012.
- 1 Sep 21, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $47.2M
- 2 Sep 14, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $3.3M
- 3 Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel (2012)Sep 21, 2012 US and Canada: $1M Rest of the world: $703.9K Worldwide: $1.7M
Sep 21, 2012 · English · Biography, Documentary $1.7M worldwide - 4 Sep 11, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $830.2K
- 5 Sep 7, 2012 US and Canada: $390K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $390K
- 6
Sep 14, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $387.4K - 7
Sep 28, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $291.6K - 8
Sep 28, 2012 US and Canada: $245K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $245K - 9
Sep 28, 2012 US and Canada: $135.2K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $135.2K - 10
Sep 21, 2012 US and Canada: $132.1K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $132.1K - 11
Sep 30, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $110.4K - 12
Sep 28, 2012 US and Canada: $79.6K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $79.6K - 13
Sep 21, 2012 US and Canada: $24.1K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $24.1K - 14
Sep 28, 2012 US and Canada: $23.1K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $23.1K - 15
Sep 21, 2012 US and Canada: $22.9K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $22.9K - 16
Sep 13, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $22.7K - 17
Sep 7, 2012 US and Canada: $21.2K Rest of the world: $1.2K Worldwide: $22.4K - 18
Sep 21, 2012 US and Canada: $14.1K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $14.1K - 19
Sep 3, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $13.3K - 20
Sep 11, 2012 US and Canada: $10.3K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $10.3K - 21
Sep 28, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $2.7K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in September 2012?
Of the top 10, Detropia (2012) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel (2012) made 41% of its gross abroad. Across all 21 films, $2.1M (4%) came from the US & Canada. 5 films of the top 10 report no US & Canada figure.
- 1 Switch (2012) $47.2M No US & Canada figure reported
- 2 Palme (2012) $3.3M No US & Canada figure reported
- 3 Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel (2012) $1.7M $1M US & Canada · 59% $703.9K elsewhere · 41%
- 4 The Green Planet (2012) $830.2K No US & Canada figure reported
- 5 Detropia (2012) $390K $390K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 6 Tropicália (2012) $387.4K No US & Canada figure reported
- 7 Kuningas Litmanen (2012) $291.6K No US & Canada figure reported
- 8 The Waiting Room (2012) $245K $245K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 9 The Other Dream Team (2012) $135.2K $135.2K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 10 How to Survive a Plague (2012) $132.1K $132.1K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Gross bands
How Many September 2012 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
None of the 21 films reached $100M. 20 films, 95% of the list, earned under $10M. Each band shows its films and its share of the $54.9M total.
86% 14%
- $1B or more 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $500M to $1B 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $100M to $500M 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $10M to $100M 1 film, 5% of the list $47.2M · 86% of the gross
- Under $10M 20 films, 95% of the list $7.7M · 14% of the gross
By release week
Which Week of September 2012 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 38 (Sep 16–22) took $49.1M, led by Switch (2012). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 35 Wk 35 Aug 26–Sep 1 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 36 Wk 36 Sep 2–8 Detropia (2012) $425.7K Detropia (2012)
- Week 37 Wk 37 Sep 9–15 Palme (2012) $4.5M Palme (2012)
- Week 38 Wk 38 Sep 16–22 Switch (2012) $49.1M Switch (2012)
- Week 39 Wk 39 Sep 23–29 Kuningas Litmanen (2012) $777.3K Kuningas Litmanen (2012)
- Week 40 Wk 40 Sep 30–Oct 6 The Day That Lasted 21 Years (2012) $110.4K The Day That Lasted 21 Years (2012)
Earlier years
How Does September 2012 Compare With September in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, September 2006 earned the most: $88.7M from 16 films, led by Jackass Number Two (2006). September 2012 took $54.9M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2003 4 films | 4 | $18.3M | – | To Be and to Have (2003) $16.1M |
| September 2004 10 films · −94% | 10 | $1M | −94% | Earth from Above (2004) $399.1K |
| September 2005 7 films · +4123% | 7 | $43.9M | +4123% | Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D (2005) $40.3M |
| September 2006 16 films · +102% | 16 | $88.7M | +102% | Jackass Number Two (2006) $84.6M |
| September 2007 16 films · −40% | 16 | $53.3M | −40% | Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure (2007) $50.7M |
| September 2008 7 films · −99% | 7 | $614.1K | −99% | It’s Hard Being Loved by Jerks (2008) $305.3K |
| September 2009 15 films · +3597% | 15 | $22.7M | +3597% | Capitalism: A Love Story (2009) $17.4M |
| September 2010 19 films · −30% | 19 | $15.8M | −30% | Waiting for 'Superman' (2010) $6.4M |
| September 2011 29 films · +4% | 29 | $16.4M | +4% | Rebirth (2011) $14.1M |
| September 2012 21 films · +235% | 21 | $54.9M | +235% | Switch (2012) $47.2M |
By language
Which Languages Do the Biggest Documentary Movies Speak in September 2012?
English-language documentary films took $50M across 13 films, 91% of the total, ahead of Swedish-language documentary films ($3.3M) and German-language documentary films ($852.9K).
September 2012 Documentary Box Office by Language
- English $50M13 films · #1 Switch (2012)
-
Swedish $3.3M1 film · #1 Palme (2012) -
German $852.9K2 films · #1 The Green Planet (2012) -
Portuguese $497.8K2 films · #1 Tropicália (2012) -
Finnish $291.6K1 film · #1 Kuningas Litmanen (2012) -
Russian $13.3K1 film · #1 Anton’s Right Here (2012) -
Hebrew $2.7K1 film · #1 Six Million and One (2012)
Archive
Documentary Box Office in 2012, Month by Month
The months of 2012 with their totals: July leads with $73.4M, led by 2016: Obama's America (2012).
- January $4.4M #1 Documentary of AKB48 Show Must Go On (2012)
- February $1.7M #1 The Outraged (2012)
- March $9.1M #1 Bully (2012)
- April $62.8M #1 Chimpanzee (2012)
- May $3.7M #1 First Position (2012)
- June $42.8M #1 The Dream Team (2012)
- July $73.4M #1 2016: Obama's America (2012)
- August $23.7M #1 The Green Wave (2012)
- September $54.9M #1 Switch (2012)
- October $1.8M #1 The Flat (2012)
- November $8.1M #1 A Man's Story (2012)
- December $1.7M #1 Tale of a Forest (2012)
FAQ
Documentary Box Office September 2012: 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 21 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing documentary movie in September 2012?
Switch (2012) leads with $47.2M worldwide. Next come Palme (2012) at $3.3M and Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel (2012) at $1.7M.
How much did documentary movies released in September 2012 earn?
21 documentary films released in September 2012 report a worldwide gross, $54.9M in all, or $2.6M per film on average. August 2012 releases took $23.7M.
How many documentary movies released in September 2012 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Switch (2012), earned $47.2M.
How is the September 2012 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 2012. 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 2012 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.