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German box office · 1997

German Box Office 1997: Highest-Grossing German Movies

Wintersleepers (1997) is the highest-grossing German-language movie released in 1997, with $323K worldwide, ahead of The Harmonists (1997) at $244.9K and Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (1997) at $214.1K. 3 German-language films released in 1997 report a worldwide gross, $782K in all, 73% of it from the US & Canada.

1997 releases with a gross
3
combined worldwide
$782K
Wintersleepers (1997), the #1
$323K
earned in the US & Canada
73%
Wintersleepers (1997) movie poster #1 of 3
#1 German-language movie of 1997

Wintersleepers (1997)

1997 · Drama, Romance

$323K worldwide · 41% of the chart's total

$323K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Top 3

What Were the Biggest German Hits of 1997?

Wintersleepers (1997) leads with $323K, 41% of the total. The top 3 together took $782K, 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.

  1. Wintersleepers (1997) movie poster Number 1
    $323K Wintersleepers (1997)
    $323K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  2. The Harmonists (1997) movie poster Number 2
    $244.9K The Harmonists (1997)
    $244.9K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  3. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (1997) movie poster Number 3
    $214.1K Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (1997)
    $5.7K US & Canada · 3% $208.4K elsewhere · 97%

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every German Release of 1997, 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 1997.

  1. 1 Wintersleepers (1997) movie poster
    Wintersleepers (1997) Oct 30, 1997 · Drama, Romance $323K worldwide
    Oct 30, 1997 US and Canada: $323K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $323K
  2. 2 The Harmonists (1997) movie poster
    The Harmonists (1997) Dec 25, 1997 · Music, Drama $244.9K worldwide
    Dec 25, 1997 US and Canada: $244.9K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $244.9K
  3. 3 Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (1997) movie poster
    Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (1997) Feb 20, 1997 · Crime, Comedy $214.1K worldwide
    Feb 20, 1997 US and Canada: $5.7K Rest of the world: $208.4K Worldwide: $214.1K
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in 1997?

Of the top 3, Wintersleepers (1997) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (1997) made 97% of its gross abroad. Across all 3 films, $573.6K (73%) came from the US & Canada.

  1. 1 Wintersleepers (1997) $323K
    $323K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  2. 2 The Harmonists (1997) $244.9K
    $244.9K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  3. 3 Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (1997) $214.1K
    $5.7K US & Canada · 3% $208.4K elsewhere · 97%
By release month

Which Month of 1997 Earned the Most?

October releases took the most, $323K from 1 film, led by Wintersleepers (1997). February was the quietest month ($214.1K). 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 Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (1997) $214.1K Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (1997)
  3. March Mar No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  4. April Apr No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  5. May May No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  6. June Jun No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  7. July Jul No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  8. August Aug No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  9. September Sep No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  10. October Oct Wintersleepers (1997) $323K Wintersleepers (1997)
  11. November Nov No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  12. December Dec The Harmonists (1997) $244.9K The Harmonists (1997)
Last 10 years

How Does 1997 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1991 earned the most: $6.1M from 2 films, led by Europa Europa (1991). 1997 took $782K.

Year Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
1988 1 film 1 $3.5M – Wings of Desire (1988) $3.5M
1989 1 film · −100% 1 $428 −100% The Seventh Continent (1989) $428
1990 2 films · +596943% 2 $2.6M +596943% The Nasty Girl (1990) $2.3M
1991 2 films · +138% 2 $6.1M +138% Europa Europa (1991) $5.6M
1992 1 film · −100% 1 $6.6K −100% Flaming Ears (1992) $6.6K
1993 2 films · +18973% 2 $1.3M +18973% Faraway, So Close! (1993) $810.5K
1994 1 film · −63% 1 $468.9K −63% Maybe… Maybe Not (1994) $468.9K
1995 1 film · −79% 1 $97.8K −79% Brother of Sleep (1995) $97.8K
1996 2 films · +138% 2 $232.8K +138% Beyond Silence (1996) $181.9K
1997 3 films · +236% 3 $782K +236% Wintersleepers (1997) $323K
Archive

German Box Office Year by Year

Every year from 1930 to 2026 with its total and its biggest film. 2011 leads with $214.2M, led by Kokowääh (2011).

2020s 7 years · $339.9M
2010s 10 years · $1.5B
2000s 10 years · $1.1B
1990s 10 years · $21.8M
1980s 8 years · $15.9M
1970s 10 years · $4.5M
1960s 3 years · $17.9K
1950s 2 years · $27.6K
1940s 2 years · $111.4K
1930s 4 years · $70.6K
FAQ

German Box Office 1997: 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 German-language movie in 1997?

Wintersleepers (1997) leads with $323K worldwide, $323K of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Harmonists (1997) at $244.9K and Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (1997) at $214.1K.

How much did German-language movies released in 1997 earn?

3 German-language films released in 1997 report a worldwide gross, $782K in all, or $260.7K per film on average.

How many German-language movies released in 1997 made $1 billion?

None. The biggest, Wintersleepers (1997), earned $323K.

How much of the 1997 German box office came from the US and Canada?

$573.6K of the $782K total, or 73%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 0 films of the 3 report no domestic figure.

How is the 1997 German 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 1997. 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 1997 German 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.