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Sci-Fi box office · 1972

Sci-Fi Box Office 1972: Highest-Grossing Sci-Fi Movies

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) is the highest-grossing sci-fi movie released in 1972, with $9M worldwide, ahead of Solaris (1972) at $231K and Silent Running (1972) at $1.1K. 3 sci-fi films released in 1972 report a worldwide gross, $9.3M in all, 98% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 78% on 1971, whose releases took $42.1M.

1972 releases with a gross
3
combined worldwide
$9.3M
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972), the #1
$9M
vs 1971
−78%
Top 3

What Were the Biggest Sci-Fi Hits of 1972?

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) leads with $9M, 97% of the total. The top 3 together took $9.3M, almost all of what the 3 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) movie poster Number 1
    $9M Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)
    $9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  2. Solaris (1972) movie poster Number 2
    $231K Solaris (1972)
    $22.2K US & Canada · 10% $208.8K elsewhere · 90%
  3. Silent Running (1972) movie poster Number 3
    $1.1K Silent Running (1972)
    No US & Canada figure reported

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Sci-Fi Release of 1972, 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 1972.

  1. 1 Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) movie poster
    Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) Jun 30, 1972 · English · Action, Sci-Fi $9M worldwide
    Jun 30, 1972 US and Canada: $9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $9M
  2. 2 Solaris (1972) movie poster
    Solaris (1972) Feb 5, 1972 · Russian · Mystery, Sci-Fi, Drama $231K worldwide
    Feb 5, 1972 US and Canada: $22.2K Rest of the world: $208.8K Worldwide: $231K
  3. 3 Silent Running (1972) movie poster
    Silent Running (1972) Mar 10, 1972 · English · Sci-Fi, Drama $1.1K worldwide
    Mar 10, 1972 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.1K
By release month

Which Month of 1972 Earned the Most?

June releases took the most, $9M from 1 film, led by Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972). March was the quietest month ($1.1K). 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 Solaris (1972) $231K Solaris (1972)
  3. March Mar Silent Running (1972) $1.1K Silent Running (1972)
  4. April Apr No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  5. May May No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  6. June Jun Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) $9M Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)
  7. July Jul No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  8. August Aug No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  9. September Sep No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  10. October Oct No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  11. November Nov No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  12. December Dec No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Last 10 years

How Does 1972 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1971 earned the most: $42.1M from 4 films, led by A Clockwork Orange (1971). 1972 took $9.3M.

Year Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
1963 No films 0 – – –
1964 1 film 1 $492 – Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964) $492
1965 2 films · +36630% 2 $180.7K +36630% Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965) $114.1K
1966 4 films · −80% 4 $36.5K −80% The Face of Another (1966) $35.2K
1967 1 film · +557% 1 $240.1K +557% Night of the Big Heat (1967) $240.1K
1968 4 films · +13480% 4 $32.6M +13480% Planet of the Apes (1968) $32.6M
1969 1 film · −100% 1 $171 −100% Night of the Bloody Apes (1969) $171
1970 2 films · +11110946% 2 $19M +11110946% Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) $19M
1971 4 films · +122% 4 $42.1M +122% A Clockwork Orange (1971) $27M
1972 3 films · −78% 3 $9.3M −78% Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) $9M
Archive

Sci-Fi Box Office Year by Year

Every year from 1933 to 2026 with its total and its biggest film. 2018 leads with $15.1B, led by Avengers: Infinity War (2018).

2020s 7 years · $37.1B
2010s 10 years · $87.8B
2000s 10 years · $31B
1990s 10 years · $12.5B
1980s 10 years · $5.4B
1970s 10 years · $2B
1960s 8 years · $33.1M
1950s 9 years · $696.6K
1940s 1 year · $14.8K
1930s 3 years · $39.9K
FAQ

Sci-Fi Box Office 1972: 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 3 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing sci-fi movie in 1972?

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) leads with $9M worldwide, $9M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Solaris (1972) at $231K and Silent Running (1972) at $1.1K.

How much did sci-fi movies released in 1972 earn?

3 sci-fi films released in 1972 report a worldwide gross, $9.3M in all, or $3.1M per film on average. 1971 releases took $42.1M.

How many sci-fi movies released in 1972 made $1 billion?

None. The biggest, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972), earned $9M.

How much of the 1972 Sci-Fi box office came from the US and Canada?

$9.1M of the $9.3M total, or 98%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 1 film of the 3 report no domestic figure.

How is the 1972 sci-fi 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 1972. 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 1972 sci-fi 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.