#1 of 8 #1 documentary movie of May 2015
2015 · Documentary
$32.8M worldwide · 98% of the chart's total
No US & Canada figure reported
Documentary box office · May 2015
Documentary Box Office, May 2015: Top-Grossing Releases
The Crossing (2015) is the highest-grossing documentary movie released in May 2015, with $32.8M worldwide, ahead of Seeds of Time (2015) at $337K and Sunshine Superman (2015) at $96.7K. 8 documentary films released in May 2015 report a worldwide gross, $33.4M in all, <1% of it from the US & Canada. That is up 55% on April 2015, whose releases took $21.6M. By language, English leads with $33.4M across 7 documentary releases.
- May 2015 releases with a gross
- 8
- combined worldwide
- $33.4M
- The Crossing (2015), the #1
- $32.8M
- vs April 2015
- +55%
#1 of 8 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Documentary Hits of May 2015?
The Crossing (2015) leads with $32.8M, 98% of the total. The top 5 together took $33.4M, almost all of what the 8 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 2015, 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 2015.
- 1 May 19, 2015 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $32.8M
- 2 May 22, 2015 US and Canada: $55.4K Rest of the world: $281.6K Worldwide: $337K
- 3 May 22, 2015 US and Canada: $88.1K Rest of the world: $8.6K Worldwide: $96.7K
- 4 I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story (2015)May 6, 2015 US and Canada: $67.8K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $67.8K
May 6, 2015 · English · Biography, Drama, Documentary $67.8K worldwide - 5 May 7, 2015 US and Canada: $48.9K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $48.9K
- 6
May 16, 2015 US and Canada: $6.8K Rest of the world: $34.4K Worldwide: $41.2K - 7
May 29, 2015 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $11.9K - 8
May 6, 2015 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $6K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in May 2015?
Of the top 8, I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story (2015) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Seeds of Time (2015) made 84% of its gross abroad. Across all 8 films, $267.1K (<1%) came from the US & Canada. 3 films of the top 8 report no US & Canada figure.
- 1 The Crossing (2015) $32.8M No US & Canada figure reported
- 2 Seeds of Time (2015) $337K $55.4K US & Canada · 16% $281.6K elsewhere · 84%
- 3 Sunshine Superman (2015) $96.7K $88.1K US & Canada · 91% $8.6K elsewhere · 9%
- 4 I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story (2015) $67.8K $67.8K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 The Seven Five (2015) $48.9K $48.9K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 6 Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans (2015) $41.2K $6.8K US & Canada · 17% $34.4K elsewhere · 83%
- 7 The True Cost (2015) $11.9K No US & Canada figure reported
- 8 Austerlitz (2015) $6K No US & Canada figure reported
By release week
Which Week of May 2015 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 21 (May 17–23) took $33.2M, led by The Crossing (2015). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 18 Wk 18 Apr 26–May 2 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 19 Wk 19 May 3–9 I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story (2015) $122.7K I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story (2015)
- Week 20 Wk 20 May 10–16 Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans (2015) $41.2K Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans (2015)
- Week 21 Wk 21 May 17–23 The Crossing (2015) $33.2M The Crossing (2015)
- Week 22 Wk 22 May 24–30 The True Cost (2015) $11.9K The True Cost (2015)
- Week 23 Wk 23 May 31–Jun 6 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does May 2015 Compare With May in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, May 2013 earned the most: $84.2M from 19 films, led by The Source Family (2013). May 2015 took $33.4M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2006 5 films | 5 | $51.8M | – | An Inconvenient Truth (2006) $49.8M |
| May 2007 11 films · −97% | 11 | $1.7M | −97% | Prinzessinnenbad (2007) $741.8K |
| May 2008 7 films · −5% | 7 | $1.6M | −5% | Maradona by Kusturica (2008) $684.2K |
| May 2009 7 films · −79% | 7 | $330K | −79% | Burma VJ: Reporter i et lukket land (2009) $127.1K |
| May 2010 10 films · +7961% | 10 | $26.6M | +7961% | Sea Rex 3D: Journey to a Prehistoric World (2010) $16M |
| May 2011 14 films · −50% | 14 | $13.2M | −50% | Flying Monsters 3D with David Attenborough (2011) $10.8M |
| May 2012 14 films · −72% | 14 | $3.7M | −72% | First Position (2012) $1.7M |
| May 2013 19 films · +2182% | 19 | $84.2M | +2182% | The Source Family (2013) $78.4M |
| May 2014 16 films · −96% | 16 | $3M | −96% | Fed Up (2014) $1.5M |
| May 2015 8 films · +1028% | 8 | $33.4M | +1028% | The Crossing (2015) $32.8M |
By language
Which Languages Do the Biggest Documentary Movies Speak in May 2015?
English-language documentary films took $33.4M across 7 films, 100% of the total, ahead of French-language documentary films ($6K).
Archive
Documentary Box Office in 2015, Month by Month
The months of 2015 with their totals: July leads with $68.7M, led by Northern Limit Line (2015).
- January $3.6M #1 Meru (2015)
- February $6M #1 On the Way to School (2015)
- March $12.1M #1 The Salt of the Earth (2015)
- April $21.6M #1 Monkey Kingdom (2015)
- May $33.4M #1 The Crossing (2015)
- June $1.8M #1 The Wolfpack (2015)
- July $68.7M #1 Northern Limit Line (2015)
- August $3.7M #1 Boca Juniors 3D: The Movie (2015)
- September $5.3M #1 Meet the Patels (2015)
- October $37.8M #1 Twenty Two (2015)
- November $4.1M #1 Janis: Little Girl Blue (2015)
- December $5.3M #1 Where to Invade Next (2015)
FAQ
Documentary Box Office May 2015: 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 8 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing documentary movie in May 2015?
The Crossing (2015) leads with $32.8M worldwide. Next come Seeds of Time (2015) at $337K and Sunshine Superman (2015) at $96.7K.
How much did documentary movies released in May 2015 earn?
8 documentary films released in May 2015 report a worldwide gross, $33.4M in all, or $4.2M per film on average. April 2015 releases took $21.6M.
How many documentary movies released in May 2015 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, The Crossing (2015), earned $32.8M.
How is the May 2015 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 2015. 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 2015 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.