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Box office · Week 20 · May 14–20, 1978

Box Office Week 20, 1978: Highest-Grossing Releases of May 14–20

The Buddy Holly Story (1978) is the highest-grossing movie released in week 20 of 1978 (May 14–20), with $14.4M worldwide, ahead of The Tree of Wooden Clogs (1978) at $9.4K and Despair (1978) at $8.2K. 4 films released that week report a worldwide gross, $14.4M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 76% on Week 19, 1978, whose releases took $59.6M.

week 20 releases with a gross
4
combined worldwide
$14.4M
The Buddy Holly Story (1978), the #1
$14.4M
vs Week 19, 1978
−76%
The Buddy Holly Story (1978) movie poster #1 of 4
#1 movie of Week 20, 1978

The Buddy Holly Story (1978)

1978 · Biography, Drama

$14.4M worldwide · 100% of the chart's total

$14.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Top 4

What Were the Biggest Hits of Week 20 of 1978?

The Buddy Holly Story (1978) leads with $14.4M, 100% of the total. The top 4 together took $14.4M, almost all of what the 4 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. The Buddy Holly Story (1978) movie poster Number 1
    $14.4M The Buddy Holly Story (1978)
    $14.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  2. The Tree of Wooden Clogs (1978) movie poster Number 2
    $9.4K The Tree of Wooden Clogs (1978)
    No US & Canada figure reported
  3. Despair (1978) movie poster Number 3
    $8.2K Despair (1978)
    $8.1K US & Canada · 100% $14 elsewhere · <1%
  4. Thank God It’s Friday (1978) movie poster Number 4
    $134 Thank God It’s Friday (1978)
    No US & Canada figure reported

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every 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. 1 The Buddy Holly Story (1978) movie poster
    The Buddy Holly Story (1978) May 18, 1978 · English · Biography, Drama $14.4M worldwide
    May 18, 1978 US and Canada: $14.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $14.4M
  2. 2 The Tree of Wooden Clogs (1978) movie poster
    The Tree of Wooden Clogs (1978) May 14, 1978 · Italian · Drama $9.4K worldwide
    May 14, 1978 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $9.4K
  3. 3 Despair (1978) movie poster
    Despair (1978) May 19, 1978 · English · Thriller, Drama $8.2K worldwide
    May 19, 1978 US and Canada: $8.1K Rest of the world: $14 Worldwide: $8.2K
  4. 4 Thank God It’s Friday (1978) movie poster
    Thank God It’s Friday (1978) May 19, 1978 · English · Romance, Music $134 worldwide
    May 19, 1978 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $134
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 4 films, led by The Buddy Holly Story (1978).

Week Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
Week 20, 1969 May 11–17 1 film 1 $11.1K – My Night at Maud’s (1969) $11.1K
Week 20, 1970 May 10–16 1 film · +119849% 1 $13.3M +119849% Getting Straight (1970) $13.3M
Week 20, 1971 May 9–15 2 films · −97% 2 $341.4K −97% Wake in Fright (1971) $269.3K
Week 20, 1972 May 7–13 1 film · −100% 1 $1.4K −100% Images (1972) $1.4K
Week 20, 1973 May 13–19 1 film · −64% 1 $509 −64% Day for Night (1973) $509
Week 20, 1974 May 12–18 3 films · +18218% 3 $93.2K +18218% Parade (1974) $50.7K
Week 20, 1975 May 11–17 2 films · −90% 2 $9.4K −90% Fox and His Friends (1975) $8.4K
Week 20, 1976 May 9–15 1 film · −94% 1 $569 −94% In the Realm of the Senses (1976) $569
Week 20, 1977 May 8–14 No films 0 – – –
Week 20, 1978 May 14–20 4 films 4 $14.4M – The Buddy Holly Story (1978) $14.4M
FAQ

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 4 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing 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 The Tree of Wooden Clogs (1978) at $9.4K and Despair (1978) at $8.2K.

How much did movies released in week 20 of 1978 (May 14–20) earn?

4 films released in week 20 of 1978 (May 14–20) report a worldwide gross, $14.4M in all, or $3.6M per film on average. Week 19, 1978 releases took $59.6M.

How many 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 much of the Week 20, 1978 box office came from the US and Canada?

$14.4M of the $14.4M total, or 100%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 2 films of the 4 report no domestic figure.

How is the week 20, 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 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.

How often is the week 20, 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.