#1 of 8 #1 documentary movie of January 2026
2026 · Documentary
$16.7M worldwide · 71% of the chart's total
$16.4M US & Canada · 98% $304K elsewhere · 2%
Documentary box office · January 2026
Documentary Box Office, January 2026: Top-Grossing Releases
Melania (2026) is the highest-grossing documentary movie released in January 2026, with $16.7M worldwide, ahead of The Moment (2026) at $5.2M and Standout: The Ben Kjar Story (2026) at $658.8K. 8 documentary films released in January 2026 report a worldwide gross, $23.5M in all, 92% of it from the US & Canada. By language, English leads with $22.8M across 6 documentary releases.
- January 2026 releases with a gross
- 8
- combined worldwide
- $23.5M
- Melania (2026), the #1
- $16.7M
- earned in the US & Canada
- 92%
#1 of 8 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Documentary Hits of January 2026?
Melania (2026) leads with $16.7M, 71% of the total. The top 5 together took $23.3M, 99% of what all 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 January 2026, 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 January 2026.
- 1 Jan 30, 2026 US and Canada: $16.4M Rest of the world: $304K Worldwide: $16.7M
- 2 Jan 30, 2026 US and Canada: $3.9M Rest of the world: $1.2M Worldwide: $5.2M
- 3 Standout: The Ben Kjar Story (2026)Jan 23, 2026 US and Canada: $658.8K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $658.8K
Jan 23, 2026 · English · Documentary, Biography, Drama $658.8K worldwide - 4 Jan 21, 2026 US and Canada: $270.1K Rest of the world: $334K Worldwide: $604.1K
- 5 Jan 30, 2026 US and Canada: $204.9K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $204.9K
- 6
Jan 9, 2026 US and Canada: $78.5K Rest of the world: $3.1K Worldwide: $81.6K - 7
Jan 6, 2026 US and Canada: $77.9K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $77.9K - 8
Jan 16, 2026 US and Canada: $42.1K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $42.1K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in January 2026?
Of the top 8, Standout: The Ben Kjar Story (2026) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Mr. Nobody Against Putin (2026) made 55% of its gross abroad. Across all 8 films, $21.6M (92%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Melania (2026) $16.7M $16.4M US & Canada · 98% $304K elsewhere · 2%
- 2 The Moment (2026) $5.2M $3.9M US & Canada · 76% $1.2M elsewhere · 24%
- 3 Standout: The Ben Kjar Story (2026) $658.8K $658.8K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 Mr. Nobody Against Putin (2026) $604.1K $270.1K US & Canada · 45% $334K elsewhere · 55%
- 5 Natchez (2026) $204.9K $204.9K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 6 Holding Liat (2026) $81.6K $78.5K US & Canada · 96% $3.1K elsewhere · 4%
- 7 Homegrown (2026) $77.9K $77.9K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 8 Seeds (2026) $42.1K $42.1K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
By release week
Which Week of January 2026 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 5 (Jan 25–31) took $22M, led by Melania (2026). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 1 Wk 1 Jan 1–3 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 2 Wk 2 Jan 4–10 Holding Liat (2026) $159.5K Holding Liat (2026)
- Week 3 Wk 3 Jan 11–17 Seeds (2026) $42.1K Seeds (2026)
- Week 4 Wk 4 Jan 18–24 Standout: The Ben Kjar Story (2026) $1.3M Standout: The Ben Kjar Story (2026)
- Week 5 Wk 5 Jan 25–31 Melania (2026) $22M Melania (2026)
Earlier years
How Does January 2026 Compare With January in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, January 2017 earned the most: $31M from 14 films, led by Reset (2017). January 2026 took $23.5M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 2017 14 films | 14 | $31M | – | Reset (2017) $30M |
| January 2018 12 films · −90% | 12 | $3.1M | −90% | Per Fugelli: Siste resept (2018) $977.6K |
| January 2019 8 films · −90% | 8 | $310.1K | −90% | Who Will Write Our History (2019) $138.9K |
| January 2020 10 films · +2563% | 10 | $8.3M | +2563% | Lindenberg! Mach dein Ding (2020) $6.4M |
| January 2021 7 films · −89% | 7 | $880.4K | −89% | Softie (2021) $489.1K |
| January 2022 7 films · −22% | 7 | $683.4K | −22% | Dawn Raid (2022) $296K |
| January 2023 8 films · −69% | 8 | $211.1K | −69% | Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV (2023) $85.8K |
| January 2024 8 films · +3959% | 8 | $8.6M | +3959% | The Birth of Korea (2024) $8M |
| January 2025 8 films · −74% | 8 | $2.2M | −74% | Sarkozy-Gaddafi: The Scandal of All Scandals (2025) $826.9K |
| January 2026 8 films · +958% | 8 | $23.5M | +958% | Melania (2026) $16.7M |
By language
Which Languages Do the Biggest Documentary Movies Speak in January 2026?
English-language documentary films took $22.8M across 6 films, 97% of the total, ahead of Russian-language documentary films ($604.1K).
Archive
Documentary Box Office in 2026, Month by Month
The months of 2026 with their totals: October leads with $57.6M, led by You Can See Everything (2026).
- January $23.5M #1 Melania (2026)
- February $184.3K #1 Paul McCartney: Man on the Run (2026)
- March $1.9M #1 The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist (2026)
- April $593.9K #1 Lorne (2026)
- May $3.7M #1 Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition (2026)
- June $28M #1 jackass: best and last (2026)
- July $1.9M #1 Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World (2026)
- August $1.3M #1 Cookie Queens (2026)
- September $15.9M #1 Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger (2026)
- October $57.6M #1 You Can See Everything (2026)
- November so far No grosses
FAQ
Documentary Box Office January 2026: 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 January 2026?
Melania (2026) leads with $16.7M worldwide, $16.4M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Moment (2026) at $5.2M and Standout: The Ben Kjar Story (2026) at $658.8K.
How much did documentary movies released in January 2026 earn?
8 documentary films released in January 2026 report a worldwide gross, $23.5M in all, or $2.9M per film on average.
How many documentary movies released in January 2026 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Melania (2026), earned $16.7M.
How is the January 2026 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 January 2026. 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 January 2026 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.