#1 of 11 #1 drama movie of May 1996
1996 · Action, Adventure
$494.6M worldwide · 90% of the chart's total
$241.8M US & Canada · 49% $252.8M elsewhere · 51%
Drama box office · May 1996
Drama Box Office, May 1996: Top-Grossing Releases
Twister (1996) is the highest-grossing drama movie released in May 1996, with $494.6M worldwide, ahead of The Craft (1996) at $24.8M and The Eighth Day (1996) at $12.6M. 11 drama films released in May 1996 report a worldwide gross, $549.5M in all, 54% of it from the US & Canada. One film crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is up 163% on April 1996, whose releases took $208.9M. By language, English leads with $531.1M across 7 drama releases.
- May 1996 releases with a gross
- 11
- combined worldwide
- $549.5M
- film crossed $100M
- 1
- vs April 1996
- +163%
#1 of 11 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Drama Hits of May 1996?
Twister (1996) leads with $494.6M, 90% of the total. The top 5 together took $542.8M, 99% of what all 11 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 Drama Release of May 1996, 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 1996.
- 1 May 10, 1996 US and Canada: $241.8M Rest of the world: $252.8M Worldwide: $494.6M
- 2 May 3, 1996 US and Canada: $24.8M Rest of the world: $5.9K Worldwide: $24.8M
- 3 May 1, 1996 US and Canada: $12.5M Rest of the world: $114.1K Worldwide: $12.6M
- 4 May 15, 1996 US and Canada: $5.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.8M
- 5 May 17, 1996 US and Canada: $5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5M
- 6
May 10, 1996 US and Canada: $3.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $3.7M - 7
May 1, 1996 US and Canada: $1.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.9M - 8
May 10, 1996 US and Canada: $1M Rest of the world: $47.2K Worldwide: $1.1M - 9
May 18, 1996 US and Canada: $21.5K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $21.5K - 10
May 4, 1996 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $8.4K - 11
May 9, 1996 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $184
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in May 1996?
Of the top 10, Kolya (1996) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Twister (1996) made 51% of its gross abroad. Across all 11 films, $296.6M (54%) came from the US & Canada. 1 film of the top 10 reports no US & Canada figure.
- 1 Twister (1996) $494.6M $241.8M US & Canada · 49% $252.8M elsewhere · 51%
- 2 The Craft (1996) $24.8M $24.8M US & Canada · 100% $5.9K elsewhere · <1%
- 3 The Eighth Day (1996) $12.6M $12.5M US & Canada · 99% $114.1K elsewhere · <1%
- 4 Kolya (1996) $5.8M $5.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Heaven’s Prisoners (1996) $5M $5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 6 Original Gangstas (1996) $3.7M $3.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 7 I Shot Andy Warhol (1996) $1.9M $1.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 8 Dead Man (1996) $1.1M $1M US & Canada · 96% $47.2K elsewhere · 4%
- 9 The Sunchaser (1996) $21.5K $21.5K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 10 The Day a Pig Fell Into the Well (1996) $8.4K No US & Canada figure reported
Gross bands
How Many May 1996 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
1 of 11 films crossed $100M and took $494.6M between them, 90% of the total. 8 films, 73% of the list, earned under $10M.
90%
- $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 1 film, 9% of the list $494.6M · 90% of the gross
- $10M to $100M 2 films, 18% of the list $37.5M · 7% of the gross
- Under $10M 8 films, 73% of the list $17.5M · 3% of the gross
By release week
Which Week of May 1996 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 19 (May 5–11) took $499.4M, led by Twister (1996). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 18 Wk 18 Apr 28–May 4 The Craft (1996) $39.4M The Craft (1996)
- Week 19 Wk 19 May 5–11 Twister (1996) $499.4M Twister (1996)
- Week 20 Wk 20 May 12–18 Kolya (1996) $10.8M Kolya (1996)
- Week 21 Wk 21 May 19–25 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 22 Wk 22 May 26–Jun 1 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does May 1996 Compare With May in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, May 1996 earned the most: $549.5M from 11 films, led by Twister (1996).
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1987 14 films | 14 | $20.9M | – | Gardens of Stone (1987) $5.3M |
| May 1988 17 films · +283% | 17 | $80.1M | +283% | Willow (1988) $57.3M |
| May 1989 10 films · −69% | 10 | $24.5M | −69% | Pink Cadillac (1989) $12.1M |
| May 1990 4 films · −64% | 4 | $8.8M | −64% | Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1990) $4.1M |
| May 1991 15 films · +2694% | 15 | $245.6M | +2694% | Backdraft (1991) $152.4M |
| May 1992 7 films · −94% | 7 | $15.9M | −94% | Best of the Best (1992) $6.6M |
| May 1993 12 films · +1441% | 12 | $245.4M | +1441% | Sliver (1993) $116.3M |
| May 1994 16 films · −81% | 16 | $46M | −81% | Crooklyn (1994) $13.6M |
| May 1995 16 films · +953% | 16 | $484.8M | +953% | Braveheart (1995) $213.2M |
| May 1996 11 films · +13% | 11 | $549.5M | +13% | Twister (1996) $494.6M |
By language
Which Languages Do the Biggest Drama Movies Speak in May 1996?
English-language drama films took $531.1M across 7 films, 97% of the total, ahead of French-language drama films ($12.6M) and Czech-language drama films ($5.8M).
Archive
Drama Box Office in 1996, Month by Month
The months of 1996 with their totals: December leads with $885.8M, led by Jerry Maguire (1996).
- January $142.9M #1 Mr. Holland's Opus (1996)
- February $66.9M #1 City Hall (1996)
- March $218.8M #1 Up Close & Personal (1996)
- April $208.9M #1 Primal Fear (1996)
- May $549.5M #1 Twister (1996)
- June $809.4M #1 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
- July $337.7M #1 A Time to Kill (1996)
- August $224.2M #1 Chain Reaction (1996)
- September $129.9M #1 Last Man Standing (1996)
- October $433.9M #1 Sleepers (1996)
- November $537.4M #1 The English Patient (1996)
- December $885.8M #1 Jerry Maguire (1996)
FAQ
Drama Box Office May 1996: 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 11 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing drama movie in May 1996?
Twister (1996) leads with $494.6M worldwide, $241.8M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Craft (1996) at $24.8M and The Eighth Day (1996) at $12.6M.
How much did drama movies released in May 1996 earn?
11 drama films released in May 1996 report a worldwide gross, $549.5M in all, or $50M per film on average. April 1996 releases took $208.9M.
How many drama movies released in May 1996 made $1 billion?
None. 1 film crossed $100 million, led by Twister (1996) with $494.6M.
How is the May 1996 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 May 1996. 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 1996 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.