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War box office · 1979

War Box Office 1979: Highest-Grossing War Movies

Apocalypse Now (1979) is the highest-grossing war movie released in 1979, with $105.1M worldwide, ahead of 1941 (1979) at $92.5M and More American Graffiti (1979) at $15M. 9 war films released in 1979 report a worldwide gross, $228.1M in all, 69% of it from the US & Canada. One film crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is up 156% on 1978, whose releases took $89M. By language, English leads with $222.5M across 7 war releases.

1979 releases with a gross
9
combined worldwide
$228.1M
film crossed $100M
1
vs 1978
+156%
Apocalypse Now (1979) movie poster #1 of 9
#1 war movie of 1979

Apocalypse Now (1979)

1979 · Action, Drama

$105.1M worldwide · 46% of the chart's total

$96M US & Canada · 91% $9.1M elsewhere · 9%
Top 5

What Were the Biggest War Hits of 1979?

Apocalypse Now (1979) leads with $105.1M, 46% of the total. The top 5 together took $222.1M, 97% of what all 9 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. Apocalypse Now (1979) movie poster Number 1
    $105.1M Apocalypse Now (1979)
    $96M US & Canada · 91% $9.1M elsewhere · 9%
  2. 1941 (1979) movie poster Number 2
    $92.5M 1941 (1979)
    $31.8M US & Canada · 34% $60.7M elsewhere · 66%
  3. More American Graffiti (1979) movie poster Number 3
    $15M More American Graffiti (1979)
    $15M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. Cuba (1979) movie poster Number 4
    $5.6M Cuba (1979)
    $5.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. Yanks (1979) movie poster Number 5
    $3.9M Yanks (1979)
    $3.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every War 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 Apocalypse Now (1979) movie poster
    Apocalypse Now (1979) Aug 15, 1979 · English · Action, Drama, War $105.1M worldwide
    Aug 15, 1979 US and Canada: $96M Rest of the world: $9.1M Worldwide: $105.1M
  2. 2 1941 (1979) movie poster
    1941 (1979) Dec 14, 1979 · English · Action, Comedy, War $92.5M worldwide
    Dec 14, 1979 US and Canada: $31.8M Rest of the world: $60.7M Worldwide: $92.5M
  3. 3 More American Graffiti (1979) movie poster
    More American Graffiti (1979) Aug 3, 1979 · English · Drama, Comedy, War $15M worldwide
    Aug 3, 1979 US and Canada: $15M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $15M
  4. 4 Cuba (1979) movie poster
    Cuba (1979) Dec 21, 1979 · Adventure, Thriller, Romance $5.6M worldwide
    Dec 21, 1979 US and Canada: $5.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.6M
  5. 5 Yanks (1979) movie poster
    Yanks (1979) Sep 19, 1979 · English · Drama, War $3.9M worldwide
    Sep 19, 1979 US and Canada: $3.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $3.9M
  6. 6 Hanover Street (1979) movie poster
    Hanover Street (1979) Sep 13, 1979 · English · Action, Adventure, Drama $3M worldwide
    Sep 13, 1979 US and Canada: $3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $3M
  7. 7 Zulu Dawn (1979) movie poster
    Zulu Dawn (1979) May 14, 1979 · English · Drama, Adventure, War $1.9M worldwide
    May 14, 1979 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.9M
  8. 8 The Passage (1979) movie poster
    The Passage (1979) Mar 9, 1979 · English · Action, Drama, War $1.1M worldwide
    Mar 9, 1979 US and Canada: $1.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.1M
  9. 9 Siberiade (1979) movie poster
    Siberiade (1979) May 20, 1979 · Russian · Drama, War, History $1.8K worldwide
    May 20, 1979 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.8K
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in 1979?

Of the top 9, More American Graffiti (1979) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while 1941 (1979) made 66% of its gross abroad. Across all 9 films, $156.5M (69%) came from the US & Canada. 2 films of the top 9 report no US & Canada figure.

  1. 1 Apocalypse Now (1979) $105.1M
    $96M US & Canada · 91% $9.1M elsewhere · 9%
  2. 2 1941 (1979) $92.5M
    $31.8M US & Canada · 34% $60.7M elsewhere · 66%
  3. 3 More American Graffiti (1979) $15M
    $15M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. 4 Cuba (1979) $5.6M
    $5.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. 5 Yanks (1979) $3.9M
    $3.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  6. 6 Hanover Street (1979) $3M
    $3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  7. 7 Zulu Dawn (1979) $1.9M
    No US & Canada figure reported
  8. 8 The Passage (1979) $1.1M
    $1.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  9. 9 Siberiade (1979) $1.8K
    No US & Canada figure reported
By release month

Which Month of 1979 Earned the Most?

August releases took the most, $120.1M from 2 films, led by Apocalypse Now (1979). March was the quietest month ($1.1M). 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 The Passage (1979) $1.1M The Passage (1979)
  4. April Apr No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  5. May May Zulu Dawn (1979) $1.9M Zulu Dawn (1979)
  6. June Jun No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  7. July Jul No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  8. August Aug Apocalypse Now (1979) $120.1M Apocalypse Now (1979)
  9. September Sep Yanks (1979) $6.9M Yanks (1979)
  10. October Oct No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  11. November Nov No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  12. December Dec 1941 (1979) $98.1M 1941 (1979)
Last 10 years

How Does 1979 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1979 earned the most: $228.1M from 9 films, led by Apocalypse Now (1979).

Year Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
1970 4 films 4 $103.6M – Patton (1970) $61.7M
1971 2 films · −100% 2 $9.4K −100% Liberation: The Last Assault (1971) $6.7K
1972 3 films · +121% 3 $20.8K +121% Chinese Glory (1972) $17.4K
1973 No films 0 – – –
1974 2 films 2 $32K – Hearts and Minds (1974) $28.8K
1975 4 films · +63760% 4 $20.4M +63760% Love and Death (1975) $20.1M
1976 No films 0 – – –
1977 3 films 3 $51.8M – A Bridge Too Far (1977) $50.8M
1978 4 films · +72% 4 $89M +72% The Deer Hunter (1978) $49.1M
1979 9 films · +156% 9 $228.1M +156% Apocalypse Now (1979) $105.1M
By language

Which Languages Do the Biggest War Movies Speak in 1979?

English-language war films took $222.5M across 7 films, 98% of the total, ahead of Russian-language war films ($1.8K).

1979 War Box Office by Language

  1. English $222.5M
    7 films · #1 Apocalypse Now (1979)
  2. Russian $1.8K
    1 film · #1 Siberiade (1979)
Archive

War Box Office Year by Year

Every year from 1921 to 2026 with its total and its biggest film. 2017 leads with $3.3B, led by Wolf Warrior 2 (2017).

2020s 7 years · $3.5B
2010s 10 years · $11.4B
2000s 10 years · $6.8B
1990s 10 years · $2.9B
1980s 10 years · $1.4B
1970s 8 years · $492.9M
1960s 9 years · $173.6M
1950s 8 years · $125.1M
1940s 7 years · $446.1M
1930s 5 years · $119.7K
1920s 3 years · $9.3M
FAQ

War 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 9 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing war movie in 1979?

Apocalypse Now (1979) leads with $105.1M worldwide, $96M of it in the US & Canada. Next come 1941 (1979) at $92.5M and More American Graffiti (1979) at $15M.

How much did war movies released in 1979 earn?

9 war films released in 1979 report a worldwide gross, $228.1M in all, or $25.3M per film on average. 1978 releases took $89M.

How many war movies released in 1979 made $1 billion?

None. 1 film crossed $100 million, led by Apocalypse Now (1979) with $105.1M.

How much of the 1979 War box office came from the US and Canada?

$156.5M of the $228.1M total, or 69%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 2 films of the 9 report no domestic figure.

How is the 1979 war 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 war 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.