#1 of 41 #1 movie of 1966
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
1966 · Drama
$28M worldwide · 94% of the chart's total
$28M US & Canada · 100% $6.9K elsewhere · <1%
Box office · 1966
1966 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing Movies of 1966
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) is the highest-grossing movie released in 1966, with $28M worldwide, ahead of The Battle of Algiers (1966) at $962K and Masculine Feminine (1966) at $205.5K. 41 films released in 1966 report a worldwide gross, $29.9M in all, 99% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 92% on 1965, whose releases took $387.9M. By genre, Drama leads with $29.7M across 24 releases.
- 1966 releases with a gross
- 41
- combined worldwide
- $29.9M
- Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), the #1
- $28M
- vs 1965
- −92%
#1 of 41 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Hits of 1966?
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) leads with $28M, 94% of the total. The top 5 together took $29.5M, 99% of what all 41 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 -
Number 4 -
Number 5
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Release of 1966, 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 1966.
- 1 Jun 22, 1966 US and Canada: $28M Rest of the world: $6.9K Worldwide: $28M
- 2 Aug 31, 1966 US and Canada: $879.8K Rest of the world: $82.2K Worldwide: $962K
- 3 Sep 19, 1966 US and Canada: $200.4K Rest of the world: $5.2K Worldwide: $205.5K
- 4 Dec 16, 1966 US and Canada: $124.2K Rest of the world: $56.8K Worldwide: $181K
- 5 May 10, 1966 US and Canada: $91.8K Rest of the world: $44.7K Worldwide: $136.5K
- 6
Dec 3, 1966 US and Canada: $95.2K Rest of the world: $95 Worldwide: $95.3K - 7
Sep 16, 1966 US and Canada: $45.4K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $45.4K - 8
Dec 18, 1966 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $38.6K - 9
Jul 15, 1966 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $35.2K - 10
Nov 18, 1966 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $34.2K - 11
May 6, 1966 US and Canada: $30.2K Rest of the world: $2.4K Worldwide: $32.7K - 12
Dec 1, 1966 US and Canada: $25.9K Rest of the world: $4.4K Worldwide: $30.3K - 13
Dec 21, 1966 US and Canada: $17.6K Rest of the world: $484 Worldwide: $18.1K - 14
Dec 30, 1966 US and Canada: $13.7K Rest of the world: $980 Worldwide: $14.7K - 15
1966 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $13.9K - 16
Aug 11, 1966 US and Canada: $13.7K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $13.7K - 17
Jun 15, 1966 US and Canada: $10.2K Rest of the world: $2K Worldwide: $12.3K - 18
Oct 24, 1966 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $8.5K - 19
Nov 18, 1966 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $5K - 20
1966 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $5K - 21
Mar 22, 1966 US and Canada: $4.7K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $4.7K - 22
Aug 28, 1966 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $3.4K - 23
May 4, 1966 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $3.3K - 24
Jul 24, 1966 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $3.3K - 25
Jul 30, 1966 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.8K - 26
Nov 7, 1966 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.5K - 27
Aug 3, 1966 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.4K - 28
Dec 12, 1966 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $756 - 29
Apr 10, 1966 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $755 - 30
Oct 5, 1966 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $647 - 31
Jul 14, 1966 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $613 - 32
Sep 7, 1966 US and Canada: $509 Rest of the world: $72 Worldwide: $581 - 33
Sep 5, 1966 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $446 - 34
Aug 18, 1966 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $441 - 35
Oct 8, 1966 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $266 - 36
Dec 22, 1966 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $183 - 37
May 1, 1966 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $170 - 38
Mar 26, 1966 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $143 - 39
Nov 2, 1966 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $134 - 40
Aug 5, 1966 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $115 - 41
Mar 4, 1966 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $90
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in 1966?
Of the top 10, Au hasard Balthazar (1966) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while A Man and a Woman (1966) made 33% of its gross abroad. Across all 41 films, $29.6M (99%) came from the US & Canada. 3 films of the top 10 report no US & Canada figure.
- 1 Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) $28M $28M US & Canada · 100% $6.9K elsewhere · <1%
- 2 The Battle of Algiers (1966) $962K $879.8K US & Canada · 91% $82.2K elsewhere · 9%
- 3 Masculine Feminine (1966) $205.5K $200.4K US & Canada · 97% $5.2K elsewhere · 3%
- 4 Andrei Rublev (1966) $181K $124.2K US & Canada · 69% $56.8K elsewhere · 31%
- 5 A Man and a Woman (1966) $136.5K $91.8K US & Canada · 67% $44.7K elsewhere · 33%
- 6 Made in U.S.A (1966) $95.3K $95.2K US & Canada · 100% $95 elsewhere · <1%
- 7 Au hasard Balthazar (1966) $45.4K $45.4K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 8 Blow-Up (1966) $38.6K No US & Canada figure reported
- 9 The Face of Another (1966) $35.2K No US & Canada figure reported
- 10 Closely Watched Trains (1966) $34.2K No US & Canada figure reported
Gross bands
How Many 1966 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
None of the 41 films reached $100M. 40 films, 98% of the list, earned under $10M. Each band shows its films and its share of the $29.9M total.
94%
- $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 1 film, 2% of the list $28M · 94% of the gross
- Under $10M 40 films, 98% of the list $1.9M · 6% of the gross
By release month
Which Month of 1966 Earned the Most?
June releases took the most, $28M from 2 films, led by Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966). April was the quietest month ($755). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.
- January Jan The Ghost of Monk’s Island (1966) $18.9K The Ghost of Monk’s Island (1966)
- February Feb No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- March Mar Shakespeare Wallah (1966) $4.9K Shakespeare Wallah (1966)
- April Apr Tokyo Drifter (1966) $755 Tokyo Drifter (1966)
- May May A Man and a Woman (1966) $172.7K A Man and a Woman (1966)
- June Jun Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) $28M Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
- July Jul The Face of Another (1966) $41K The Face of Another (1966)
- August Aug The Battle of Algiers (1966) $981.1K The Battle of Algiers (1966)
- September Sep Masculine Feminine (1966) $252K Masculine Feminine (1966)
- October Oct 10:30 P.M. Summer (1966) $9.4K 10:30 P.M. Summer (1966)
- November Nov Closely Watched Trains (1966) $40.8K Closely Watched Trains (1966)
- December Dec Andrei Rublev (1966) $379K Andrei Rublev (1966)
Last 10 years
How Does 1966 Compare With Previous Years?
Of these 10 years, 1965 earned the most: $387.9M from 30 films, led by The Sound of Music (1965). 1966 took $29.9M.
| Year | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 37 films | 37 | $32.7M | – | The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) $27.2M |
| 1958 29 films · −57% | 29 | $13.9M | −57% | Vertigo (1958) $8M |
| 1959 30 films · +813% | 30 | $127.2M | +813% | Ben-Hur (1959) $74.4M |
| 1960 39 films · −25% | 39 | $94.9M | −25% | Swiss Family Robinson (1960) $40.4M |
| 1961 36 films · −86% | 36 | $13.2M | −86% | The Taste of Violence (1961) $6.4M |
| 1962 40 films · +293% | 40 | $52M | +293% | Lawrence of Arabia (1962) $46M |
| 1963 29 films · +166% | 29 | $138.3M | +166% | Cleopatra (1963) $57.8M |
| 1964 37 films · +76% | 37 | $243M | +76% | Mary Poppins (1964) $103.1M |
| 1965 30 films · +60% | 30 | $387.9M | +60% | The Sound of Music (1965) $159.5M |
| 1966 41 films · −92% | 41 | $29.9M | −92% | Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) $28M |
Genres & languages
Which Genres and Languages Earned the Most in 1966?
Drama took $29.7M across 24 films, 99% of the total, ahead of History ($1.1M) and War ($1M). A film counts once for each of its genres. English-language films took $28.1M across 19 films, 94% of the total, ahead of Arabic-language films ($962K) and French-language films ($564.1K).
1966 Box Office by Genre
-
Drama $29.7M24 films · #1 Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) -
History $1.1M5 films · #1 The Battle of Algiers (1966) -
War $1M3 films · #1 The Battle of Algiers (1966) -
Comedy $177.9K11 films · #1 Made in U.S.A (1966) -
Romance $146.4K3 films · #1 A Man and a Woman (1966) -
Crime $143.5K5 films · #1 Made in U.S.A (1966) -
Mystery $139.5K4 films · #1 Made in U.S.A (1966) -
Western $47.6K4 films · #1 Django (1966) -
Thriller $47.4K8 films · #1 Blow-Up (1966) -
Sci-Fi $36.5K4 films · #1 The Face of Another (1966)
1966 Box Office by Language
-
English $28.1M19 films · #1 Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) -
Arabic $962K1 film · #1 The Battle of Algiers (1966) -
French $564.1K8 films · #1 Masculine Feminine (1966) -
Russian $181K1 film · #1 Andrei Rublev (1966) -
Czech $53.8K3 films · #1 Closely Watched Trains (1966) -
Japanese $35.9K2 films · #1 The Face of Another (1966) -
Spanish $17K2 films · #1 Time to Die (1966) -
Italian $6.8K2 films · #1 Texas, Adios (1966) -
German $4461 film · #1 Yesterday Girl (1966)
Archive
Box Office Year by Year
Every year from 1918 to 2026 with its total and its biggest film. 2019 leads with $37.1B, led by Avengers: Endgame (2019).
2020s 7 years · $135.4B
2010s 10 years · $325.8B
- 2019 $37.1B #1 Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- 2018 $37.1B #1 Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
- 2017 $36.9B #1 Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
- 2016 $34.2B #1 Captain America: Civil War (2016)
- 2015 $34B #1 Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)
- 2014 $30.1B #1 Transformers: Age Of Extinction (2014)
- 2013 $31.3B #1 Frozen (2013)
- 2012 $30.6B #1 The Avengers (2012)
- 2011 $28.1B #1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
- 2010 $26.5B #1 Toy Story 3 (2010)
2000s 10 years · $201.3B
- 2009 $27.2B #1 Avatar (2009)
- 2008 $23.9B #1 The Dark Knight (2008)
- 2007 $24B #1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
- 2006 $21.2B #1 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
- 2005 $20.2B #1 Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- 2004 $19.7B #1 Shrek 2 (2004)
- 2003 $19.2B #1 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
- 2002 $15.9B #1 Spider-Man (2002)
- 2001 $16B #1 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
- 2000 $14B #1 Mission: Impossible II (2000)
1990s 10 years · $91.8B
- 1999 $13.7B #1 Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
- 1998 $11.3B #1 Armageddon (1998)
- 1997 $12.7B #1 Titanic (1997)
- 1996 $9.9B #1 Independence Day (1996)
- 1995 $9.5B #1 Toy Story (1995)
- 1994 $8.5B #1 The Lion King (1994)
- 1993 $7.1B #1 Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
- 1992 $6.3B #1 The Bodyguard (1992)
- 1991 $6.2B #1 Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
- 1990 $6.7B #1 Ghost (1990)
1980s 10 years · $36B
- 1989 $6.1B #1 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
- 1988 $4.9B #1 Rain Man (1988)
- 1987 $4B #1 Fatal Attraction (1987)
- 1986 $3.6B #1 Top Gun (1986)
- 1985 $3.7B #1 Back to the Future (1985)
- 1984 $3.6B #1 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
- 1983 $2.8B #1 Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
- 1982 $2.5B #1 Tootsie (1982)
- 1981 $2.1B #1 Superman II (1981)
- 1980 $2.5B #1 Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
1970s 10 years · $11.1B
- 1979 $2.2B #1 Moonraker (1979)
- 1978 $2B #1 Grease (1978)
- 1977 $2.2B #1 Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
- 1976 $784.1M #1 Rocky (1976)
- 1975 $1.1B #1 Jaws (1975)
- 1974 $803.9M #1 Blazing Saddles (1974)
- 1973 $1B #1 The Exorcist (1973)
- 1972 $371.4M #1 The Godfather (1972)
- 1971 $206M #1 The French Connection (1971)
- 1970 $450M #1 The Aristocats (1970)
1960s 10 years · $1.8B
- 1969 $247.4M #1 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
- 1968 $147.3M #1 Funny Girl (1968)
- 1967 $447.4M #1 The Jungle Book (1967)
- 1966 $29.9M #1 Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
- 1965 $387.9M #1 The Sound of Music (1965)
- 1964 $243M #1 Mary Poppins (1964)
- 1963 $138.3M #1 Cleopatra (1963)
- 1962 $52M #1 Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
- 1961 $13.2M #1 The Taste of Violence (1961)
- 1960 $94.9M #1 Swiss Family Robinson (1960)
1950s 10 years · $814.3M
- 1959 $127.2M #1 Ben-Hur (1959)
- 1958 $13.9M #1 Vertigo (1958)
- 1957 $32.7M #1 The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
- 1956 $171M #1 The Ten Commandments (1956)
- 1955 $96.9M #1 Lady and the Tramp (1955)
- 1954 $74.4M #1 Rear Window (1954)
- 1953 $156.8M #1 Peter Pan (1953)
- 1952 $38.8M #1 The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)
- 1951 $4.8M #1 Ace in the Hole (1951)
- 1950 $97.9M #1 Cinderella (1950)
1940s 10 years · $947.6M
- 1949 $1.8M #1 The Third Man (1949)
- 1948 $6.2M #1 The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
- 1947 $12.1M #1 It's a Wonderful Life (1947)
- 1946 $96.5M #1 Song of the South (1946)
- 1945 $22.1M #1 The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)
- 1944 $132K #1 Henry V (1944)
- 1943 $6.2M #1 Casablanca (1943)
- 1942 $270.2M #1 Bambi (1942)
- 1941 $4.2M #1 Charley’s Aunt (1941)
- 1940 $528.2M #1 Gone with the Wind (1940)
1930s 10 years · $218.2M
- 1939 $26.8M #1 The Wizard of Oz (1939)
- 1938 $185.2M #1 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938)
- 1937 $32.8K #1 Stage Door (1937)
- 1936 $4.7M #1 After the Thin Man (1936)
- 1935 $602.9K #1 Sylvia Scarlett (1935)
- 1934 $47.3K #1 It Happened One Night (1934)
- 1933 $615.8K #1 Baby Face (1933)
- 1932 $51.1K #1 The Old Dark House (1932)
- 1931 $135.8K #1 Drácula (1931)
- 1930 $6.1K #1 The Blue Angel (1930)
1920s 9 years · $10.7M
- 1929 $89.3K #1 Pandora’s Box (1929)
- 1928 $41.6K #1 The Air Circus (1928)
- 1927 $245K #1 Sunrise (1927)
- 1926 $725.1K #1 Flesh and the Devil (1926)
- 1925 $87.5K #1 The Gold Rush (1925)
- 1924 $198.9K #1 The Epic of Everest (1924)
- 1923 $13.2K #1 A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate (1923)
- 1921 $9.2M #1 The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921)
- 1920 $9.3K #1 The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
1910s 2 years · $9.8K
FAQ
Box Office 1966: 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 41 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing movie in 1966?
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) leads with $28M worldwide, $28M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Battle of Algiers (1966) at $962K and Masculine Feminine (1966) at $205.5K.
How much did movies released in 1966 earn?
41 films released in 1966 report a worldwide gross, $29.9M in all, or $729.7K per film on average. 1965 releases took $387.9M.
How many movies released in 1966 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), earned $28M.
How is the 1966 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 1966. 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 1966 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.