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Horror box office · 1978

Horror Box Office 1978: Highest-Grossing Horror Movies

Jaws 2 (1978) is the highest-grossing horror movie released in 1978, with $187.9M worldwide, ahead of Halloween (1978) at $47.2M and Damien: Omen II (1978) at $26.5M. 7 horror films released in 1978 report a worldwide gross, $286.6M in all, 63% of it from the US & Canada. One film crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is 6.3 times the total of 1977, whose releases took $45.7M. By language, English leads with $286.6M across 6 horror releases.

1978 releases with a gross
7
combined worldwide
$286.6M
film crossed $100M
1
vs 1977
×6.3
Jaws 2 (1978) movie poster #1 of 7
#1 horror movie of 1978

Jaws 2 (1978)

1978 · Adventure, Drama

$187.9M worldwide · 66% of the chart's total

$81.8M US & Canada · 44% $106.1M elsewhere · 56%
Top 5

What Were the Biggest Horror Hits of 1978?

Jaws 2 (1978) leads with $187.9M, 66% of the total. The top 5 together took $286.6M, almost all of what the 7 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. Jaws 2 (1978) movie poster Number 1
    $187.9M Jaws 2 (1978)
    $81.8M US & Canada · 44% $106.1M elsewhere · 56%
  2. Halloween (1978) movie poster Number 2
    $47.2M Halloween (1978)
    $47.2M US & Canada · 100% $13.3K elsewhere · <1%
  3. Damien: Omen II (1978) movie poster Number 3
    $26.5M Damien: Omen II (1978)
    $26.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) movie poster Number 4
    $24.9M Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
    $24.9M US & Canada · 100% $2.5K elsewhere · <1%
  5. Eraserhead (1978) movie poster Number 5
    $37.8K Eraserhead (1978)
    No US & Canada figure reported

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Horror Release of 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 1978.

  1. 1 Jaws 2 (1978) movie poster
    Jaws 2 (1978) Jun 16, 1978 · English · Adventure, Drama, Thriller $187.9M worldwide
    Jun 16, 1978 US and Canada: $81.8M Rest of the world: $106.1M Worldwide: $187.9M
  2. 2 Halloween (1978) movie poster
    Halloween (1978) Oct 25, 1978 · English · Thriller, Horror $47.2M worldwide
    Oct 25, 1978 US and Canada: $47.2M Rest of the world: $13.3K Worldwide: $47.2M
  3. 3 Damien: Omen II (1978) movie poster
    Damien: Omen II (1978) Jun 9, 1978 · English · Horror $26.5M worldwide
    Jun 9, 1978 US and Canada: $26.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $26.5M
  4. 4 Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) movie poster
    Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) Dec 22, 1978 · English · Sci-Fi, Horror $24.9M worldwide
    Dec 22, 1978 US and Canada: $24.9M Rest of the world: $2.5K Worldwide: $24.9M
  5. 5 Eraserhead (1978) movie poster
    Eraserhead (1978) Feb 3, 1978 · English · Horror $37.8K worldwide
    Feb 3, 1978 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $37.8K
  6. 6 The Fury (1978) movie poster
    The Fury (1978) Mar 10, 1978 · Sci-Fi, Horror $329 worldwide
    Mar 10, 1978 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $329
  7. 7 Piranha (1978) movie poster
    Piranha (1978) Aug 3, 1978 · English · Sci-Fi, Thriller, Horror $321 worldwide
    Aug 3, 1978 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $321
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in 1978?

Of the top 7, Damien: Omen II (1978) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Jaws 2 (1978) made 56% of its gross abroad. Across all 7 films, $180.4M (63%) came from the US & Canada. 3 films of the top 7 report no US & Canada figure.

  1. 1 Jaws 2 (1978) $187.9M
    $81.8M US & Canada · 44% $106.1M elsewhere · 56%
  2. 2 Halloween (1978) $47.2M
    $47.2M US & Canada · 100% $13.3K elsewhere · <1%
  3. 3 Damien: Omen II (1978) $26.5M
    $26.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. 4 Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) $24.9M
    $24.9M US & Canada · 100% $2.5K elsewhere · <1%
  5. 5 Eraserhead (1978) $37.8K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  6. 6 The Fury (1978) $329
    No US & Canada figure reported
  7. 7 Piranha (1978) $321
    No US & Canada figure reported
By release month

Which Month of 1978 Earned the Most?

June releases took the most, $214.4M from 2 films, led by Jaws 2 (1978). August was the quietest month ($321). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.

  1. January Jan No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  2. February Feb Eraserhead (1978) $37.8K Eraserhead (1978)
  3. March Mar The Fury (1978) $329 The Fury (1978)
  4. April Apr No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  5. May May No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  6. June Jun Jaws 2 (1978) $214.4M Jaws 2 (1978)
  7. July Jul No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  8. August Aug Piranha (1978) $321 Piranha (1978)
  9. September Sep No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  10. October Oct Halloween (1978) $47.2M Halloween (1978)
  11. November Nov No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  12. December Dec Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) $24.9M Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
Last 10 years

How Does 1978 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1975 earned the most: $481.8M from 4 films, led by Jaws (1975). 1978 took $286.6M.

Year Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
1969 1 film 1 $171 – Night of the Bloody Apes (1969) $171
1970 2 films · +23648% 2 $40.6K +23648% Multiple Maniacs (1970) $39K
1971 7 films · +6614% 7 $2.7M +6614% THX 1138 (1971) $2.4M
1972 2 films · −100% 2 $1.6K −100% Images (1972) $1.4K
1973 4 films · +27702431% 4 $431.3M +27702431% The Exorcist (1973) $430.9M
1974 9 films · −93% 9 $32.1M −93% The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) $30.9M
1975 4 films · +1400% 4 $481.8M +1400% Jaws (1975) $477.9M
1976 6 films · −69% 6 $149.4M −69% The Omen (1976) $60.9M
1977 7 films · −69% 7 $45.7M −69% Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) $30.7M
1978 7 films · +526% 7 $286.6M +526% Jaws 2 (1978) $187.9M
Archive

Horror Box Office Year by Year

Every year from 1920 to 2026 with its total and its biggest film. 2018 leads with $3.7B, led by Venom (2018).

2020s 7 years · $15.4B
2010s 10 years · $22.6B
2000s 10 years · $12.1B
1990s 10 years · $5.4B
1980s 10 years · $2.5B
1970s 10 years · $1.7B
1960s 10 years · $33M
1950s 7 years · $24.4M
1940s 5 years · $42.7K
1930s 6 years · $168.1K
1920s 3 years · $18K
FAQ

Horror Box Office 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 7 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing horror movie in 1978?

Jaws 2 (1978) leads with $187.9M worldwide, $81.8M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Halloween (1978) at $47.2M and Damien: Omen II (1978) at $26.5M.

How much did horror movies released in 1978 earn?

7 horror films released in 1978 report a worldwide gross, $286.6M in all, or $40.9M per film on average. 1977 releases took $45.7M.

How many horror movies released in 1978 made $1 billion?

None. 1 film crossed $100 million, led by Jaws 2 (1978) with $187.9M.

How much of the 1978 Horror box office came from the US and Canada?

$180.4M of the $286.6M total, or 63%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 3 films of the 7 report no domestic figure.

How is the 1978 horror 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 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 1978 horror 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.