#1 of 8 #1 movie of October 1978
1978 · Thriller, Horror
$47.2M worldwide · 35% of the chart's total
$47.2M US & Canada · 100% $13.3K elsewhere · <1%
Box office · October 1978
October 1978 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing October Releases
Halloween (1978) is the highest-grossing movie released in October 1978, with $47.2M worldwide, ahead of Midnight Express (1978) at $35M and The Wiz (1978) at $21M. 8 films released in October 1978 report a worldwide gross, $133.4M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is up 82% on September 1978, whose releases took $73.2M. By genre, Thriller leads with $95.2M across 3 releases.
- October 1978 releases with a gross
- 8
- combined worldwide
- $133.4M
- Halloween (1978), the #1
- $47.2M
- vs September 1978
- +82%
#1 of 8 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Hits of October 1978?
Halloween (1978) leads with $47.2M, 35% of the total. The top 5 together took $125.9M, 94% of what all 8 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 October 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 October 1978.
- 1 Oct 25, 1978 US and Canada: $47.2M Rest of the world: $13.3K Worldwide: $47.2M
- 2 Oct 6, 1978 US and Canada: $35M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $35M
- 3 Oct 24, 1978 US and Canada: $21M Rest of the world: $594 Worldwide: $21M
- 4 Oct 6, 1978 US and Canada: $13.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $13.1M
- 5 Oct 25, 1978 US and Canada: $9.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $9.6M
- 6
Oct 6, 1978 US and Canada: $7.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $7.4M - 7
Oct 8, 1978 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $39K - 8
Oct 4, 1978 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $24.1K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in October 1978?
Of the top 8, Midnight Express (1978) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Halloween (1978) made <1% of its gross abroad. Across all 8 films, $133.3M (100%) came from the US & Canada. 2 films of the top 8 report no US & Canada figure.
- 1 Halloween (1978) $47.2M $47.2M US & Canada · 100% $13.3K elsewhere · <1%
- 2 Midnight Express (1978) $35M $35M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 The Wiz (1978) $21M $21M US & Canada · 100% $594 elsewhere · <1%
- 4 The Big Fix (1978) $13.1M $13.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Comes a Horseman (1978) $9.6M $9.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 6 Goin' South (1978) $7.4M $7.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 7 Autumn Sonata (1978) $39K No US & Canada figure reported
- 8 The Song of Roland (1978) $24.1K No US & Canada figure reported
By release week
Which Week of October 1978 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 43 (Oct 22–28) took $77.8M, led by Halloween (1978). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 40 Wk 40 Oct 1–7 Midnight Express (1978) $55.5M Midnight Express (1978)
- Week 41 Wk 41 Oct 8–14 Autumn Sonata (1978) $39K Autumn Sonata (1978)
- Week 42 Wk 42 Oct 15–21 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 43 Wk 43 Oct 22–28 Halloween (1978) $77.8M Halloween (1978)
- Week 44 Wk 44 Oct 29–Nov 4 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does October 1978 Compare With October in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, October 1978 earned the most: $133.4M from 8 films, led by Halloween (1978).
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1969 4 films | 4 | $116.8M | – | Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) $102.3M |
| October 1970 7 films · −98% | 7 | $1.9M | −98% | The Conformist (1970) $726.4K |
| October 1971 3 films · +4121% | 3 | $80.9M | +4121% | The French Connection (1971) $51.7M |
| October 1972 2 films · −100% | 2 | $20.6K | −100% | Slap the Monster on Page One (1972) $16.9K |
| October 1973 6 films · +219087% | 6 | $45.2M | +219087% | The Way We Were (1973) $45M |
| October 1974 7 films · +56% | 7 | $70.7M | +56% | Benji (1974) $39.6M |
| October 1975 1 film · −100% | 1 | $293.1K | −100% | The Giant Spider Invasion (1975) $293.1K |
| October 1976 3 films · +7312% | 3 | $21.7M | +7312% | Marathon Man (1976) $21.7M |
| October 1977 9 films · +324% | 9 | $92.2M | +324% | Oh, God! (1977) $41.7M |
| October 1978 8 films · +45% | 8 | $133.4M | +45% | Halloween (1978) $47.2M |
Genres & languages
Which Genres and Languages Earned the Most in October 1978?
Thriller took $95.2M across 3 films, 71% of the total, ahead of Horror ($47.2M) and Drama ($44.6M). A film counts once for each of its genres. English-language films took $112.3M across 5 films, 84% of the total, ahead of Swedish-language films ($39K) and French-language films ($24.1K).
October 1978 Box Office by Genre
-
Thriller $95.2M3 films · #1 Halloween (1978) -
Horror $47.2M1 film · #1 Halloween (1978) -
Drama $44.6M4 films · #1 Midnight Express (1978) -
Crime $42.4M2 films · #1 Midnight Express (1978) -
Biography $35M1 film · #1 Midnight Express (1978) -
Adventure $21.1M2 films · #1 The Wiz (1978) -
Family $21M1 film · #1 The Wiz (1978) -
Fantasy $21M1 film · #1 The Wiz (1978) -
Musical $21M1 film · #1 The Wiz (1978) -
Comedy $20.5M2 films · #1 The Big Fix (1978)
Archive
Box Office in 1978, Month by Month
The months of 1978 with their totals: June leads with $737.7M, led by Grease (1978).
- January $495.4K #1 Uncle Joe Shannon (1978)
- February $68.3M #1 Coming Home (1978)
- March $69.5M #1 House Calls (1978)
- April $48.5M #1 F.I.S.T. (1978)
- May $76M #1 The End (1978)
- June $737.7M #1 Grease (1978)
- July $200M #1 Hooper (1978)
- August $30.4M #1 Eyes of Laura Mars (1978)
- September $73.2M #1 Up in Smoke (1978)
- October $133.4M #1 Halloween (1978)
- November $34.4M #1 The Lord of the Rings (1978)
- December $498.1M #1 Superman (1978)
FAQ
Box Office October 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 8 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing movie in October 1978?
Halloween (1978) leads with $47.2M worldwide, $47.2M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Midnight Express (1978) at $35M and The Wiz (1978) at $21M.
How much did movies released in October 1978 earn?
8 films released in October 1978 report a worldwide gross, $133.4M in all, or $16.7M per film on average. September 1978 releases took $73.2M.
How many movies released in October 1978 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Halloween (1978), earned $47.2M.
How is the October 1978 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 October 1978. 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 October 1978 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.