#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 · All time
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) at $40.3M and Wild Safari 3D (2005) at $34.3M. 22 short films in our database report a worldwide gross, $341.7M in all, 60% of it from the US & Canada. By language, English leads with $242.4M across 18 short releases.
- films with a reported gross
- 22
- combined worldwide
- $341.7M
- Deep Sea (2006), the #1
- $98.2M
- earned in the US & Canada
- 60%
#1 of 22 Top 5
What Are the 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 5 were released between 2003 and 2006 and took $229.8M together; 2 earned more than half of their gross outside the US & Canada.
- Number 1
-
Number 2 $40.3M Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D (2005)$34.1M US & Canada · 85% $6.2M elsewhere · 15% -
Number 3 -
Number 4 -
Number 5
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
All 22 Short Movies, Ranked by Worldwide Gross
Lifetime worldwide grosses in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation; domestic means the US & Canada.
- 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 - 11
Apr 6, 2018 US and Canada: $7.6M Rest of the world: $248K Worldwide: $7.8M - 12
May 10, 2002 US and Canada: $4.2M Rest of the world: $588.6K Worldwide: $4.8M - 13
Apr 22, 2004 US and Canada: $1.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.1M - 14
Oct 25, 2019 US and Canada: $973K Rest of the world: $109.6K Worldwide: $1.1M - 15
Oct 12, 2001 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1M - 16
May 17, 2019 US and Canada: $344.5K Rest of the world: $651.6K Worldwide: $996.2K - 17
Mar 12, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $164.6K - 18
Jun 1, 2005 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $24.8K - 19
Sep 16, 2016 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $14.1K - 20
Mar 1, 2019 US and Canada: $7.9K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $7.9K - 21
Feb 17, 2017 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $708 - 22
Nov 24, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $154
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Biggest Short Movies Make Their Money?
Of the top 10, Roving Mars (2006) earned the biggest share at home (95% in the US & Canada), while Santa vs. the Snowman (2002) made 55% of its gross abroad. Across all 22 films, $206.3M (60%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Deep Sea (2006) $98.2M $46.4M US & Canada · 47% $51.8M elsewhere · 53%
- 2 Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D (2005) $40.3M $34.1M US & Canada · 85% $6.2M elsewhere · 15%
- 3 Wild Safari 3D (2005) $34.3M $16.6M US & Canada · 49% $17.6M elsewhere · 51%
- 4 Bugs! (2003) $29.4M $19.1M US & Canada · 65% $10.4M elsewhere · 35%
- 5 Ghosts of the Abyss (2003) $27.6M $17M US & Canada · 62% $10.5M elsewhere · 38%
- 6 Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man (2000) $27.5M $15.6M US & Canada · 57% $11.9M elsewhere · 43%
- 7 Santa vs. the Snowman (2002) $22.8M $10.3M US & Canada · 45% $12.5M elsewhere · 55%
- 8 Island of Lemurs: Madagascar (2014) $16.9M $11.3M US & Canada · 67% $5.6M elsewhere · 33%
- 9 CyberWorld (2000) $16.7M $11.3M US & Canada · 68% $5.4M elsewhere · 32%
- 10 Roving Mars (2006) $11M $10.4M US & Canada · 95% $571K elsewhere · 5%
Gross bands
How Many Short Movies Crossed $100 Million?
None of the 22 films reached $100M. 12 films, 55% of the list, earned under $10M. Each band shows its films and its share of the $341.7M total.
95%
- $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 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $10M to $100M 10 films, 45% of the list $324.7M · 95% of the gross
- Under $10M 12 films, 55% of the list $17M · 5% of the gross
By decade
Which Decade's Short Movies Earned the Most?
Films released in the 2000s lead with $314.7M from 13 titles, led by Deep Sea (2006). Each column links to the decade's biggest year.
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
FAQ
Short Box Office All Time: 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 22 films as the chart.
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) at $40.3M and Wild Safari 3D (2005) at $34.3M.
How much have short movies earned at the box office?
22 short films in our database report a worldwide gross, $341.7M in all, or $15.5M per film on average.
How many short movies have made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Deep Sea (2006), earned $98.2M.
How is the all-time short 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. 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 all-time short 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.