#1 of 22 Highest-grossing short movie ever
2006 · Documentary, Short
$98.2M worldwide
$46.4M US & Canada · 47% $51.8M elsewhere · 53%
Short box office
Short Box Office: Highest-Grossing Short Movies of All Time
Deep Sea (2006) is the highest-grossing short movie in our database, with $98.2M worldwide, ahead of Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D (2005) ($40.3M) and Wild Safari 3D (2005) ($34.3M). 22 short films report a worldwide gross, $341.7M in all, 60% of it from the US & Canada. No short movies released in 2026 report a gross yet.
- short films with a gross
- 22
- combined worldwide, all time
- $341.7M
- earned in the US & Canada
- 60%
#1 of 22 All-time records
What Are the 10 Highest-Grossing Short Movies Ever?
Deep Sea (2006) leads with $98.2M, $57.9M ahead of Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D (2005). The top 10 took $324.7M together, 95% of what all 22 films earned. None of them came out in 2016 or later.
- 1 Mar 3, 2006 US and Canada: $46.4M Rest of the world: $51.8M Worldwide: $98.2M
- 2
Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D (2005)Sep 23, 2005 US and Canada: $34.1M Rest of the world: $6.2M Worldwide: $40.3M
Sep 23, 2005 · English · Animation, Documentary, Short $40.3M worldwide - 3
Apr 29, 2005 US and Canada: $16.6M Rest of the world: $17.6M Worldwide: $34.3M - 4
Jul 25, 2003 US and Canada: $19.1M Rest of the world: $10.4M Worldwide: $29.4M - 5
Apr 11, 2003 US and Canada: $17M Rest of the world: $10.5M Worldwide: $27.6M - 6
Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man (2000)May 19, 2000 US and Canada: $15.6M Rest of the world: $11.9M Worldwide: $27.5M May 19, 2000 · English · Drama, Fantasy, Family $27.5M worldwide - 7
Nov 1, 2002 US and Canada: $10.3M Rest of the world: $12.5M Worldwide: $22.8M - 8
Island of Lemurs: Madagascar (2014)Apr 4, 2014 US and Canada: $11.3M Rest of the world: $5.6M Worldwide: $16.9M Apr 4, 2014 · English · Adventure, Biography, Family $16.9M worldwide - 9
Oct 6, 2000 US and Canada: $11.3M Rest of the world: $5.4M Worldwide: $16.7M - 10
Jan 27, 2006 US and Canada: $10.4M Rest of the world: $571K Worldwide: $11M
Biggest years
Which Years Had the Highest-Grossing Short Movies?
2006 releases earned the most: $109.2M from 2 films, led by Deep Sea (2006). The 10 biggest years, each linking to its chart.
| Year | Films | Worldwide | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 2 films | 2 | $109.2M | Deep Sea (2006) $98.2M |
| 2005 3 films | 3 | $74.6M | Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D (2005) $40.3M |
| 2003 2 films | 2 | $57M | Bugs! (2003) $29.4M |
| 2000 2 films | 2 | $44.2M | Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man (2000) $27.5M |
| 2002 2 films | 2 | $27.6M | Santa vs. the Snowman (2002) $22.8M |
| 2014 1 film | 1 | $16.9M | Island of Lemurs: Madagascar (2014) $16.9M |
| 2018 1 film | 1 | $7.8M | Pandas (2018) $7.8M |
| 2019 3 films | 3 | $2.1M | Jesus Is King (2019) $1.1M |
| 2004 1 film | 1 | $1.1M | Sacred Planet (2004) $1.1M |
| 2001 1 film | 1 | $1M | The Human Body (2001) $1M |
By language
Which Languages Do the Biggest Short Movies Speak?
English-language short films took $242.4M across 18 films, 71% of the total, ahead of Hindi-language short films ($996.2K).
Archive
Short Box Office Year by Year
Every year from 2000 to 2021 with its total and its biggest film. 2006 leads with $109.2M, led by Deep Sea (2006).
2020s 1 year · $164.8K
2010s 5 years · $26.8M
2000s 7 years · $314.7M
Other genres
Compare Short With Another Genre
Short has 22 films with a gross and $341.7M in all; each of these 21 genres has the same all-time and yearly charts to compare with.
FAQ
Short Box Office: Questions & Answers
The Short charts in short: the all-time #1, 2026's leader, the billion-dollar hits and the biggest year, answered from the same 22 films as the charts.
What is the highest-grossing short movie of all time?
Deep Sea (2006) leads with $98.2M worldwide, $46.4M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D (2005) ($40.3M) and Wild Safari 3D (2005) ($34.3M).
All-time chart How much have short movies earned at the box office?
22 short films report a worldwide gross, $341.7M in all, or $15.5M per film on average. $206.3M (60%) came from the US & Canada.
How many short movies have made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Deep Sea (2006), earned $98.2M.
Which year was the biggest for short movies?
2006 releases earned the most: $109.2M from 2 films, led by Deep Sea (2006).
2006 chart How are short box office numbers counted?
Films are ranked by lifetime worldwide gross in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation, and grouped by their release date. A gross that looks misattributed, such as one figure shared by two unrelated films, is left out rather than shown as a fact, and so are records that list seven or more genres.