Skip to content
What's After the Movie?

Jump to
What's After the Movie?
Sci-Fi box office · 1979

Sci-Fi Box Office 1979: Highest-Grossing Sci-Fi Movies

Moonraker (1979) is the highest-grossing sci-fi movie released in 1979, with $210.3M worldwide, ahead of Alien (1979) at $109.1M and Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) at $82.7M. 12 sci-fi films released in 1979 report a worldwide gross, $500.5M in all, 67% of it from the US & Canada. 2 films crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is up 46% on 1978, whose releases took $341.8M. By language, English leads with $499.6M across 10 sci-fi releases.

1979 releases with a gross
12
combined worldwide
$500.5M
films crossed $100M
2
vs 1978
+46%
Moonraker (1979) movie poster #1 of 12
#1 sci-fi movie of 1979

Moonraker (1979)

1979 · Action, Adventure

$210.3M worldwide · 42% of the chart's total

$70.3M US & Canada · 33% $140M elsewhere · 67%
Top 5

What Were the Biggest Sci-Fi Hits of 1979?

Moonraker (1979) leads with $210.3M, 42% of the total. The top 5 together took $459.6M, 92% of what all 12 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. Moonraker (1979) movie poster Number 1
    $210.3M Moonraker (1979)
    $70.3M US & Canada · 33% $140M elsewhere · 67%
  2. Alien (1979) movie poster Number 2
    $109.1M Alien (1979)
    $84.2M US & Canada · 77% $24.9M elsewhere · 23%
  3. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) movie poster Number 3
    $82.7M Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
    $82.6M US & Canada · 100% $72.1K elsewhere · <1%
  4. The Black Hole (1979) movie poster Number 4
    $35.8M The Black Hole (1979)
    $35.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979) movie poster Number 5
    $21.7M Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979)
    $21.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Sci-Fi 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 Moonraker (1979) movie poster
    Moonraker (1979) Jun 29, 1979 · English · Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi $210.3M worldwide
    Jun 29, 1979 US and Canada: $70.3M Rest of the world: $140M Worldwide: $210.3M
  2. 2 Alien (1979) movie poster
    Alien (1979) Jun 22, 1979 · English · Horror, Sci-Fi $109.1M worldwide
    Jun 22, 1979 US and Canada: $84.2M Rest of the world: $24.9M Worldwide: $109.1M
  3. 3 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
  4. 4 The Black Hole (1979) movie poster
    The Black Hole (1979) Dec 21, 1979 · English · Action, Sci-Fi $35.8M worldwide
    Dec 21, 1979 US and Canada: $35.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $35.8M
  5. 5 Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979) movie poster
    Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979) Sep 20, 1979 · English · Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi $21.7M worldwide
    Sep 20, 1979 US and Canada: $21.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $21.7M
  6. 6 Prophecy (1979) movie poster
    Prophecy (1979) Jun 15, 1979 · English · Sci-Fi, Thriller, Horror $18.4M worldwide
    Jun 15, 1979 US and Canada: $18.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $18.4M
  7. 7 Phantasm (1979) movie poster
    Phantasm (1979) Jun 1, 1979 · English · Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror $12M worldwide
    Jun 1, 1979 US and Canada: $12M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $12M
  8. 8 Meteor (1979) movie poster
    Meteor (1979) Oct 19, 1979 · English · Action, Sci-Fi, Drama $8.4M worldwide
    Oct 19, 1979 US and Canada: $8.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $8.4M
  9. 9 Goldengirl (1979) movie poster
    Goldengirl (1979) Oct 6, 1979 · English · Drama, Sci-Fi $1.2M worldwide
    Oct 6, 1979 US and Canada: $1.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.2M
  10. 10 Stalker (1979) movie poster
    Stalker (1979) May 25, 1979 · Russian · Drama, Sci-Fi $456K worldwide
    May 25, 1979 US and Canada: $292K Rest of the world: $163.9K Worldwide: $456K
  11. 11 Space Battleship Yamato: The New Voyage (1979) movie poster
    Space Battleship Yamato: The New Voyage (1979) Sep 10, 1979 · Japanese · Animation, Sci-Fi $439.5K worldwide
    Sep 10, 1979 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $439.5K
  12. 12 The Six Thousand Dollar Nigger (1979) movie poster
    The Six Thousand Dollar Nigger (1979) Nov 1, 1979 · English · Comedy, Action, Sci-Fi $81 worldwide
    Nov 1, 1979 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $81
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in 1979?

Of the top 10, The Black Hole (1979) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Moonraker (1979) made 67% of its gross abroad. Across all 12 films, $334.9M (67%) came from the US & Canada.

  1. 1 Moonraker (1979) $210.3M
    $70.3M US & Canada · 33% $140M elsewhere · 67%
  2. 2 Alien (1979) $109.1M
    $84.2M US & Canada · 77% $24.9M elsewhere · 23%
  3. 3 Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) $82.7M
    $82.6M US & Canada · 100% $72.1K elsewhere · <1%
  4. 4 The Black Hole (1979) $35.8M
    $35.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. 5 Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979) $21.7M
    $21.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  6. 6 Prophecy (1979) $18.4M
    $18.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  7. 7 Phantasm (1979) $12M
    $12M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  8. 8 Meteor (1979) $8.4M
    $8.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  9. 9 Goldengirl (1979) $1.2M
    $1.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  10. 10 Stalker (1979) $456K
    $292K US & Canada · 64% $163.9K elsewhere · 36%
Gross bands

How Many 1979 Releases Crossed $100 Million?

2 of 12 films crossed $100M and took $319.4M between them, 64% of the total. 5 films, 42% of the list, earned under $10M.

  • $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 2 films, 17% of the list $319.4M · 64% of the gross
  • $10M to $100M 5 films, 42% of the list $170.6M · 34% of the gross
  • Under $10M 5 films, 42% of the list $10.5M · 2% of the gross
By release month

Which Month of 1979 Earned the Most?

June releases took the most, $349.8M from 4 films, led by Moonraker (1979). November was the quietest month ($81). 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 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  4. April Apr No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  5. May May Stalker (1979) $456K Stalker (1979)
  6. June Jun Moonraker (1979) $349.8M Moonraker (1979)
  7. July Jul No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  8. August Aug No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  9. September Sep Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979) $22.1M Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979)
  10. October Oct Meteor (1979) $9.6M Meteor (1979)
  11. November Nov The Six Thousand Dollar Nigger (1979) $81 The Six Thousand Dollar Nigger (1979)
  12. December Dec Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) $118.5M Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
Last 10 years

How Does 1979 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). 1979 took $500.5M.

Year Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
1970 2 films 2 $19M – 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
1979 12 films · +46% 12 $500.5M +46% Moonraker (1979) $210.3M
By language

Which Languages Do the Biggest Sci-Fi Movies Speak in 1979?

English-language sci-fi films took $499.6M across 10 films, 100% of the total, ahead of Russian-language sci-fi films ($456K) and Japanese-language sci-fi films ($439.5K).

1979 Sci-Fi Box Office by Language

  1. English $499.6M
    10 films · #1 Moonraker (1979)
  2. Russian $456K
    1 film · #1 Stalker (1979)
  3. Japanese $439.5K
    1 film · #1 Space Battleship Yamato: The New Voyage (1979)
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 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 12 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing sci-fi movie in 1979?

Moonraker (1979) leads with $210.3M worldwide, $70.3M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Alien (1979) at $109.1M and Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) at $82.7M.

How much did sci-fi movies released in 1979 earn?

12 sci-fi films released in 1979 report a worldwide gross, $500.5M in all, or $41.7M per film on average. 1978 releases took $341.8M.

How many sci-fi movies released in 1979 made $1 billion?

None. 2 films crossed $100 million, led by Moonraker (1979) with $210.3M.

How much of the 1979 Sci-Fi box office came from the US and Canada?

$334.9M of the $500.5M total, or 67%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 2 films of the 12 report no domestic figure.

How is the 1979 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 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 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.