#1 of 3 #1 English-language movie of Week 20, 1978
1978 · Biography, Drama
$14.4M worldwide · 100% of the chart's total
$14.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
English box office · Week 20 · May 14–20, 1978
English Box Office, Week 20 of 1978: English Releases of May 14–20
The Buddy Holly Story (1978) is the highest-grossing English-language movie released in week 20 of 1978 (May 14–20), with $14.4M worldwide, ahead of Despair (1978) at $8.2K and Thank God It’s Friday (1978) at $134. 3 English-language films released that week report a worldwide gross, $14.4M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada.
- week 20 releases with a gross
- 3
- combined worldwide
- $14.4M
- The Buddy Holly Story (1978), the #1
- $14.4M
- earned in the US & Canada
- 100%
#1 of 3 Top 3
What Were the Biggest English Hits of Week 20 of 1978?
The Buddy Holly Story (1978) leads with $14.4M, 100% of the total. The top 3 together took $14.4M, almost all of what the 3 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.
- Number 1
-
Number 2 -
Number 3
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every English Release of Week 20 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 week 20 of 1978 (May 14–20).
- 1 May 18, 1978 US and Canada: $14.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $14.4M
- 2 May 19, 1978 US and Canada: $8.1K Rest of the world: $14 Worldwide: $8.2K
- 3 May 19, 1978 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $134
Weeks around it
How Does Week 20 Compare With the Weeks Around It?
Week 20 releases took $14.4M. The biggest of these 9 weeks is week 17 (Apr 23–29) with $40.5M, led by F.I.S.T. (1978).
- Week 14 Wk 14 Apr 2–8 Pretty Baby (1978) $5.8M Pretty Baby (1978)
- Week 15 Wk 15 Apr 9–15 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 16 Wk 16 Apr 16–22 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 17 Wk 17 Apr 23–29 F.I.S.T. (1978) $40.5M F.I.S.T. (1978)
- Week 18 Wk 18 Apr 30–May 6 Our Winning Season (1978) $2M Our Winning Season (1978)
- Week 19 Wk 19 May 7–13 The Greek Tycoon (1978) $14.7M The Greek Tycoon (1978)
- Week 20 Wk 20 May 14–20 The Buddy Holly Story (1978) $14.4M The Buddy Holly Story (1978)
- Week 21 Wk 21 May 21–27 Big Wednesday (1978) $1.5K Big Wednesday (1978)
- Week 22 Wk 22 May 28–Jun 3 Corvette Summer (1978) $15.5M Corvette Summer (1978)
Earlier years
How Does Week 20 of 1978 Compare With Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, Week 20, 1978 earned the most: $14.4M from 3 films, led by The Buddy Holly Story (1978).
| Week | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 20, 1969 May 11–17 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| Week 20, 1970 May 10–16 1 film | 1 | $13.3M | – | Getting Straight (1970) $13.3M |
| Week 20, 1971 May 9–15 1 film · −98% | 1 | $269.3K | −98% | Wake in Fright (1971) $269.3K |
| Week 20, 1972 May 7–13 1 film · −99% | 1 | $1.4K | −99% | Images (1972) $1.4K |
| Week 20, 1973 May 13–19 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| Week 20, 1974 May 12–18 1 film | 1 | $28.8K | – | Hearts and Minds (1974) $28.8K |
| Week 20, 1975 May 11–17 1 film · −97% | 1 | $996 | −97% | Milestones (1975) $996 |
| Week 20, 1976 May 9–15 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| Week 20, 1977 May 8–14 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| Week 20, 1978 May 14–20 3 films | 3 | $14.4M | – | The Buddy Holly Story (1978) $14.4M |
Archive
English Box Office in 1978, Week by Week
33 weeks of 1978 with reported grosses; the biggest is week 24 (Jun 11–17) with $584.2M, led by Grease (1978).
- Week 1 $494.8K
- Week 2 $568
- Week 3 No grosses
- Week 4 No grosses
- Week 5 $17M
- Week 6 $18.1M
- Week 7 $32.7M
- Week 8 $564.6K
- Week 9 No grosses
- Week 10 $23.2M
- Week 11 $46.3M
- Week 12 No grosses
- Week 13 $1.9M
- Week 14 $5.8M
- Week 15 No grosses
- Week 16 No grosses
- Week 17 $40.5M
- Week 18 $2M
- Week 19 $14.7M
- Week 20 $14.4M
- Week 21 $1.5K
- Week 22 $15.5M
- Week 23 $26.5M
- Week 24 $584.2M
- Week 25 No grosses
- Week 26 $7.1M
- Week 27 No grosses
- Week 28 $45M
- Week 29 $56.6M
- Week 30 $98.4M
- Week 31 $30.4M
- Week 32 $8.4K
- Week 33 No grosses
- Week 34 No grosses
- Week 35 No grosses
- Week 36 No grosses
- Week 37 $51.4M
- Week 38 $7.3M
- Week 39 $14.6M
- Week 40 $55.5M
- Week 41 No grosses
- Week 42 No grosses
- Week 43 $56.8M
- Week 44 $21.9K
- Week 45 No grosses
- Week 46 $30.5M
- Week 47 No grosses
- Week 48 No grosses
- Week 49 $64.2M
- Week 50 No grosses
- Week 51 $133.4M
- Week 52 No grosses
- Week 53 No grosses
FAQ
English Box Office Week 20 of 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 3 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing English-language movie in week 20 of 1978 (May 14–20)?
The Buddy Holly Story (1978) leads with $14.4M worldwide, $14.4M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Despair (1978) at $8.2K and Thank God It’s Friday (1978) at $134.
How much did English-language movies released in week 20 of 1978 (May 14–20) earn?
3 English-language films released in week 20 of 1978 (May 14–20) report a worldwide gross, $14.4M in all, or $4.8M per film on average.
How many English-language movies released in week 20 of 1978 (May 14–20) made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, The Buddy Holly Story (1978), earned $14.4M.
How is the week 20, 1978 English 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 week 20 of 1978 (May 14–20). 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, and so are films whose stored language is most likely wrong.
How often is the week 20, 1978 English 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.