#1 of 4 #1 drama movie of October 1978
1978 · Biography, Drama
$35M worldwide · 78% of the chart's total
$35M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Drama box office · October 1978
Drama Box Office, October 1978: Top-Grossing Releases
Midnight Express (1978) is the highest-grossing drama movie released in October 1978, with $35M worldwide, ahead of Comes a Horseman (1978) at $9.6M and Autumn Sonata (1978) at $39K. 4 drama films released in October 1978 report a worldwide gross, $44.6M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is up 55% on September 1978, whose releases took $28.8M.
- October 1978 releases with a gross
- 4
- combined worldwide
- $44.6M
- Midnight Express (1978), the #1
- $35M
- vs September 1978
- +55%
#1 of 4 Top 4
What Were the Biggest Drama Hits of October 1978?
Midnight Express (1978) leads with $35M, 78% of the total. The top 4 together took $44.6M, almost all of what the 4 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
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Drama Release of October 1978, 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 October 1978.
- 1 Oct 6, 1978 US and Canada: $35M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $35M
- 2 Oct 25, 1978 US and Canada: $9.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $9.6M
- 3 Oct 8, 1978 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $39K
- 4 Oct 4, 1978 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $24.1K
By release week
Which Week of October 1978 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 40 (Oct 1–7) took $35M, led by Midnight Express (1978). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 40 Wk 40 Oct 1–7 Midnight Express (1978) $35M Midnight Express (1978)
- Week 41 Wk 41 Oct 8–14 Autumn Sonata (1978) $39K Autumn Sonata (1978)
- Week 42 Wk 42 Oct 15–21 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 43 Wk 43 Oct 22–28 Comes a Horseman (1978) $9.6M Comes a Horseman (1978)
- Week 44 Wk 44 Oct 29–Nov 4 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does October 1978 Compare With October in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, October 1969 earned the most: $116.8M from 4 films, led by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969). October 1978 took $44.6M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1969 4 films | 4 | $116.8M | – | Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) $102.3M |
| October 1970 4 films · −98% | 4 | $1.9M | −98% | The Conformist (1970) $726.4K |
| October 1971 3 films · +4171% | 3 | $80.9M | +4171% | The French Connection (1971) $51.7M |
| October 1972 2 films · −100% | 2 | $20.6K | −100% | Slap the Monster on Page One (1972) $16.9K |
| October 1973 5 films · +219084% | 5 | $45.2M | +219084% | The Way We Were (1973) $45M |
| October 1974 3 films · −100% | 3 | $195.2K | −100% | A Bigger Splash (1974) $130.3K |
| October 1975 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| October 1976 1 film | 1 | $7.2K | – | The Marquise of O (1976) $7.2K |
| October 1977 6 films · +602885% | 6 | $43.3M | +602885% | Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) $22.5M |
| October 1978 4 films · +3% | 4 | $44.6M | +3% | Midnight Express (1978) $35M |
Archive
Drama Box Office in 1978, Month by Month
The months of 1978 with their totals: June leads with $210.7M, led by Jaws 2 (1978).
- January $495.4K #1 Uncle Joe Shannon (1978)
- February $51.3M #1 Coming Home (1978)
- March $23.3M #1 Straight Time (1978)
- April $45.9M #1 F.I.S.T. (1978)
- May $76M #1 The End (1978)
- June $210.7M #1 Jaws 2 (1978)
- July $7M #1 International Velvet (1978)
- August $10.4M #1 Interiors (1978)
- September $28.8M #1 Death on the Nile (1978)
- October $44.6M #1 Midnight Express (1978)
- November $4M #1 Caravans (1978)
- December $82.5M #1 The Deer Hunter (1978)
FAQ
Drama Box Office October 1978: 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 4 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing drama movie in October 1978?
Midnight Express (1978) leads with $35M worldwide, $35M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Comes a Horseman (1978) at $9.6M and Autumn Sonata (1978) at $39K.
How much did drama movies released in October 1978 earn?
4 drama films released in October 1978 report a worldwide gross, $44.6M in all, or $11.2M per film on average. September 1978 releases took $28.8M.
How many drama movies released in October 1978 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Midnight Express (1978), earned $35M.
How is the October 1978 drama 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 October 1978. 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 October 1978 drama 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.