#1 of 9 #1 movie of May 1978
1978 · Drama, Comedy
$44.9M worldwide · 59% of the chart's total
$44.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Box office · May 1978
May 1978 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing May Releases
The End (1978) is the highest-grossing movie released in May 1978, with $44.9M worldwide, ahead of The Greek Tycoon (1978) at $14.7M and The Buddy Holly Story (1978) at $14.4M. 9 films released in May 1978 report a worldwide gross, $76M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is up 57% on April 1978, whose releases took $48.5M. By genre, Drama leads with $76M across 8 releases.
- May 1978 releases with a gross
- 9
- combined worldwide
- $76M
- The End (1978), the #1
- $44.9M
- vs April 1978
- +57%
#1 of 9 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Hits of May 1978?
The End (1978) leads with $44.9M, 59% of the total. The top 5 together took $76M, almost all of what the 9 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 May 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 May 1978.
- 1 May 10, 1978 US and Canada: $44.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $44.9M
- 2 May 12, 1978 US and Canada: $14.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $14.7M
- 3 May 18, 1978 US and Canada: $14.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $14.4M
- 4 May 1, 1978 US and Canada: $2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $2M
- 5 May 10, 1978 US and Canada: $52.2K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $52.2K
- 6
May 14, 1978 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $9.4K - 7
May 19, 1978 US and Canada: $8.1K Rest of the world: $264 Worldwide: $8.4K - 8
May 26, 1978 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.5K - 9
May 19, 1978 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $134
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in May 1978?
Of the top 9, The End (1978) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Despair (1978) made 3% of its gross abroad. Across all 9 films, $76M (100%) came from the US & Canada. 3 films of the top 9 report no US & Canada figure.
- 1 The End (1978) $44.9M $44.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 The Greek Tycoon (1978) $14.7M $14.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 The Buddy Holly Story (1978) $14.4M $14.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 Our Winning Season (1978) $2M $2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Nunzio (1978) $52.2K $52.2K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 6 The Tree of Wooden Clogs (1978) $9.4K No US & Canada figure reported
- 7 Despair (1978) $8.4K $8.1K US & Canada · 97% $264 elsewhere · 3%
- 8 Big Wednesday (1978) $1.5K No US & Canada figure reported
- 9 Thank God It’s Friday (1978) $134 No US & Canada figure reported
By release week
Which Week of May 1978 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 19 (May 7–13) took $59.6M, led by The End (1978). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- 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 End (1978) $59.6M The End (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 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does May 1978 Compare With May in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, May 1977 earned the most: $903M from 7 films, led by Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). May 1978 took $76M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1969 5 films | 5 | $44.9M | – | Midnight Cowboy (1969) $44.8M |
| May 1970 2 films · −28% | 2 | $32.3M | −28% | Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) $19M |
| May 1971 4 films · −61% | 4 | $12.7M | −61% | Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971) $12.3M |
| May 1972 4 films · −100% | 4 | $33.4K | −100% | Play It Again, Sam (1972) $15.4K |
| May 1973 6 films · −69% | 6 | $10.3K | −69% | Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973) $8.5K |
| May 1974 7 films · +212484% | 7 | $21.9M | +212484% | Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) $21.7M |
| May 1975 7 films · +213% | 7 | $68.5M | +213% | The Return of the Pink Panther (1975) $41.8M |
| May 1976 5 films · −92% | 5 | $5.4M | −92% | That's Entertainment, Part II (1976) $5M |
| May 1977 7 films · +16669% | 7 | $903M | +16669% | Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) $775.4M |
| May 1978 9 films · −92% | 9 | $76M | −92% | The End (1978) $44.9M |
Genres & languages
Which Genres and Languages Earned the Most in May 1978?
Drama took $76M across 8 films, 100% of the total, ahead of Comedy ($44.9M) and Music ($14.4M). A film counts once for each of its genres. English-language films took $31.1M across 7 films, 41% of the total, ahead of Italian-language films ($9.4K).
May 1978 Box Office by Genre
-
Drama $76M8 films · #1 The End (1978) -
Comedy $44.9M2 films · #1 The End (1978) -
Music $14.4M2 films · #1 The Buddy Holly Story (1978) -
Biography $14.4M1 film · #1 The Buddy Holly Story (1978) -
Romance $2M2 films · #1 Our Winning Season (1978) -
Thriller $8.4K1 film · #1 Despair (1978) -
Sport $1.5K1 film · #1 Big Wednesday (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 May 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 9 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing movie in May 1978?
The End (1978) leads with $44.9M worldwide, $44.9M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Greek Tycoon (1978) at $14.7M and The Buddy Holly Story (1978) at $14.4M.
How much did movies released in May 1978 earn?
9 films released in May 1978 report a worldwide gross, $76M in all, or $8.4M per film on average. April 1978 releases took $48.5M.
How many movies released in May 1978 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, The End (1978), earned $44.9M.
How is the May 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 May 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 May 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.