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Sci-Fi box office · 1978

Sci-Fi Box Office 1978: Highest-Grossing Sci-Fi Movies

Superman (1978) is the highest-grossing sci-fi movie released in 1978, with $300.5M worldwide, ahead of Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) at $24.9M and Return from Witch Mountain (1978) at $16.4M. 5 sci-fi films released in 1978 report a worldwide gross, $341.8M in all, 51% of it from the US & Canada. One film crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is down 68% on 1977, whose releases took $1.1B. By language, English leads with $41.3M across 3 sci-fi releases.

1978 releases with a gross
5
combined worldwide
$341.8M
film crossed $100M
1
vs 1977
−68%
Superman (1978) movie poster #1 of 5
#1 sci-fi movie of 1978

Superman (1978)

1978 · Action, Adventure

$300.5M worldwide · 88% of the chart's total

$134.5M US & Canada · 45% $166M elsewhere · 55%
Top 5

What Were the Biggest Sci-Fi Hits of 1978?

Superman (1978) leads with $300.5M, 88% of the total. The top 5 together took $341.8M, 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. Superman (1978) movie poster Number 1
    $300.5M Superman (1978)
    $134.5M US & Canada · 45% $166M elsewhere · 55%
  2. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) movie poster Number 2
    $24.9M Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
    $24.9M US & Canada · 100% $2.5K elsewhere · <1%
  3. Return from Witch Mountain (1978) movie poster Number 3
    $16.4M Return from Witch Mountain (1978)
    $16.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. The Fury (1978) movie poster Number 4
    $329 The Fury (1978)
    No US & Canada figure reported
  5. Piranha (1978) movie poster Number 5
    $321 Piranha (1978)
    No US & Canada figure reported

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Sci-Fi 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 Superman (1978) movie poster
    Superman (1978) Dec 15, 1978 · Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi $300.5M worldwide
    Dec 15, 1978 US and Canada: $134.5M Rest of the world: $166M Worldwide: $300.5M
  2. 2 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
  3. 3 Return from Witch Mountain (1978) movie poster
    Return from Witch Mountain (1978) Mar 10, 1978 · English · Adventure, Sci-Fi, Fantasy $16.4M worldwide
    Mar 10, 1978 US and Canada: $16.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $16.4M
  4. 4 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
  5. 5 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 5, Return from Witch Mountain (1978) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Superman (1978) made 55% of its gross abroad. Across all 5 films, $175.8M (51%) came from the US & Canada. 2 films of the top 5 report no US & Canada figure.

  1. 1 Superman (1978) $300.5M
    $134.5M US & Canada · 45% $166M elsewhere · 55%
  2. 2 Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) $24.9M
    $24.9M US & Canada · 100% $2.5K elsewhere · <1%
  3. 3 Return from Witch Mountain (1978) $16.4M
    $16.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. 4 The Fury (1978) $329
    No US & Canada figure reported
  5. 5 Piranha (1978) $321
    No US & Canada figure reported
By release month

Which Month of 1978 Earned the Most?

December releases took the most, $325.4M from 2 films, led by Superman (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 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  3. March Mar Return from Witch Mountain (1978) $16.4M Return from Witch Mountain (1978)
  4. April Apr No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  5. May May No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  6. June Jun No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  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 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  11. November Nov No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  12. December Dec Superman (1978) $325.4M Superman (1978)
Last 10 years

How Does 1978 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1977 earned the most: $1.1B from 4 films, led by Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). 1978 took $341.8M.

Year Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
1969 1 film 1 $171 – 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
1973 5 films · +193% 5 $27.2M +193% Sleeper (1973) $18.3M
1974 5 films · −98% 5 $560.7K −98% The Terminal Man (1974) $551.9K
1975 3 films · +595% 3 $3.9M +595% Bug (1975) $3.6M
1976 3 films · +5% 3 $4.1M +5% Robot Taekwon V (1976) $3.9M
1977 4 films · +26431% 4 $1.1B +26431% Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) $775.4M
1978 5 films · −68% 5 $341.8M −68% Superman (1978) $300.5M
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 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 5 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing sci-fi movie in 1978?

Superman (1978) leads with $300.5M worldwide, $134.5M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) at $24.9M and Return from Witch Mountain (1978) at $16.4M.

How much did sci-fi movies released in 1978 earn?

5 sci-fi films released in 1978 report a worldwide gross, $341.8M in all, or $68.4M per film on average. 1977 releases took $1.1B.

How many sci-fi movies released in 1978 made $1 billion?

None. 1 film crossed $100 million, led by Superman (1978) with $300.5M.

How much of the 1978 Sci-Fi box office came from the US and Canada?

$175.8M of the $341.8M total, or 51%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 2 films of the 5 report no domestic figure.

How is the 1978 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 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 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.