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Mystery box office · 1979

Mystery Box Office 1979: Highest-Grossing Mystery Movies

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) is the highest-grossing mystery movie released in 1979, with $82.7M worldwide, ahead of When a Stranger Calls (1979) at $21.4M and Last Embrace (1979) at $1.5M. 5 mystery films released in 1979 report a worldwide gross, $106.8M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 25% on 1978, whose releases took $142.2M. By language, English leads with $106.8M across 5 mystery releases.

1979 releases with a gross
5
combined worldwide
$106.8M
Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), the #1
$82.7M
vs 1978
−25%
Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) movie poster #1 of 5
#1 mystery movie of 1979

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

1979 · Adventure, Sci-Fi

$82.7M worldwide · 77% of the chart's total

$82.6M US & Canada · 100% $72.1K elsewhere · <1%
Top 5

What Were the Biggest Mystery Hits of 1979?

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) leads with $82.7M, 77% of the total. The top 5 together took $106.8M, almost all of what the 5 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) movie poster Number 1
    $82.7M Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
    $82.6M US & Canada · 100% $72.1K elsewhere · <1%
  2. When a Stranger Calls (1979) movie poster Number 2
    $21.4M When a Stranger Calls (1979)
    $21.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  3. Last Embrace (1979) movie poster Number 3
    $1.5M Last Embrace (1979)
    $1.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. Winter Kills (1979) movie poster Number 4
    $1.2M Winter Kills (1979)
    $1.2M US & Canada · 100% $462 elsewhere · <1%
  5. Long Weekend (1979) movie poster Number 5
    $365 Long Weekend (1979)
    No US & Canada figure reported

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Mystery Release of 1979, 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 1979.

  1. 1 Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) movie poster
    Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) Dec 7, 1979 · English · Adventure, Sci-Fi, Mystery $82.7M worldwide
    Dec 7, 1979 US and Canada: $82.6M Rest of the world: $72.1K Worldwide: $82.7M
  2. 2 When a Stranger Calls (1979) movie poster
    When a Stranger Calls (1979) Oct 26, 1979 · English · Drama, Mystery, Thriller $21.4M worldwide
    Oct 26, 1979 US and Canada: $21.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $21.4M
  3. 3 Last Embrace (1979) movie poster
    Last Embrace (1979) May 4, 1979 · English · Thriller, Romance, Mystery $1.5M worldwide
    May 4, 1979 US and Canada: $1.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.5M
  4. 4 Winter Kills (1979) movie poster
    Winter Kills (1979) May 11, 1979 · English · Drama, Mystery, Thriller $1.2M worldwide
    May 11, 1979 US and Canada: $1.2M Rest of the world: $462 Worldwide: $1.2M
  5. 5 Long Weekend (1979) movie poster
    Long Weekend (1979) Mar 29, 1979 · English · Mystery, Thriller, Horror $365 worldwide
    Mar 29, 1979 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $365
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in 1979?

Of the top 5, When a Stranger Calls (1979) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) made <1% of its gross abroad. Across all 5 films, $106.7M (100%) came from the US & Canada. 1 film of the top 5 reports no US & Canada figure.

  1. 1 Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) $82.7M
    $82.6M US & Canada · 100% $72.1K elsewhere · <1%
  2. 2 When a Stranger Calls (1979) $21.4M
    $21.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  3. 3 Last Embrace (1979) $1.5M
    $1.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. 4 Winter Kills (1979) $1.2M
    $1.2M US & Canada · 100% $462 elsewhere · <1%
  5. 5 Long Weekend (1979) $365
    No US & Canada figure reported
Last 10 years

How Does 1979 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1978 earned the most: $142.2M from 5 films, led by Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978). 1979 took $106.8M.

Year Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
1970 1 film 1 $19.9K – The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970) $19.9K
1971 4 films · +12310% 4 $2.5M +12310% THX 1138 (1971) $2.4M
1972 2 films · −91% 2 $232.4K −91% Solaris (1972) $231K
1973 6 films · +23917% 6 $55.8M +23917% Magnum Force (1973) $39.8M
1974 6 films · +67% 6 $93.3M +67% The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) $30.9M
1975 5 films · −20% 5 $74.2M −20% The Return of the Pink Panther (1975) $41.8M
1976 4 films · −97% 4 $2.3M −97% The Tenant (1976) $1.9M
1977 7 films · +2006% 7 $47.4M +2006% The Deep (1977) $47.3M
1978 5 films · +200% 5 $142.2M +200% Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978) $49.6M
1979 5 films · −25% 5 $106.8M −25% Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) $82.7M
Archive

Mystery Box Office Year by Year

Every year from 1924 to 2026 with its total and its biggest film. 2023 leads with $4B, led by Fast X (2023).

2020s 7 years · $14.2B
2010s 10 years · $24.4B
2000s 10 years · $24.3B
1990s 10 years · $10.4B
1980s 10 years · $1.7B
1970s 10 years · $524.6M
1960s 9 years · $48.7M
1950s 8 years · $53.7M
1940s 10 years · $3.6M
1930s 6 years · $3.3M
1920s 2 years · $84K
FAQ

Mystery Box Office 1979: 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 5 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing mystery movie in 1979?

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) leads with $82.7M worldwide, $82.6M of it in the US & Canada. Next come When a Stranger Calls (1979) at $21.4M and Last Embrace (1979) at $1.5M.

How much did mystery movies released in 1979 earn?

5 mystery films released in 1979 report a worldwide gross, $106.8M in all, or $21.4M per film on average. 1978 releases took $142.2M.

How many mystery movies released in 1979 made $1 billion?

None. The biggest, Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), earned $82.7M.

How much of the 1979 Mystery box office came from the US and Canada?

$106.7M of the $106.8M total, or 100%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 1 film of the 5 report no domestic figure.

How is the 1979 mystery 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 1979. 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 1979 mystery 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.