#1 of 4 #1 movie of Week 40, 1978
1978 · Biography, Drama
$35M worldwide · 63% of the chart's total
$35M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Box office · Week 40 · Oct 1–7, 1978
Box Office Week 40, 1978: Highest-Grossing Releases of Oct 1–7
Midnight Express (1978) is the highest-grossing movie released in week 40 of 1978 (Oct 1–7), with $35M worldwide, ahead of The Big Fix (1978) at $13.1M and Goin' South (1978) at $7.4M. 4 films released that week report a worldwide gross, $55.5M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is 3.8 times the total of Week 39, 1978, whose releases took $14.6M.
- week 40 releases with a gross
- 4
- combined worldwide
- $55.5M
- Midnight Express (1978), the #1
- $35M
- vs Week 39, 1978
- ×3.8
#1 of 4 Top 4
What Were the Biggest Hits of Week 40 of 1978?
Midnight Express (1978) leads with $35M, 63% of the total. The top 4 together took $55.5M, 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.
- Number 1
-
Number 2 -
Number 3 -
Number 4
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Release of Week 40 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 40 of 1978 (Oct 1–7).
- 1 Oct 6, 1978 US and Canada: $35M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $35M
- 2 Oct 6, 1978 US and Canada: $13.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $13.1M
- 3 Oct 6, 1978 US and Canada: $7.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $7.4M
- 4 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 Week 40 of 1978?
Of the top 4, Midnight Express (1978) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Goin' South (1978) made 0% of its gross abroad. Across all 4 films, $55.5M (100%) came from the US & Canada. 1 film of the top 4 reports no US & Canada figure.
- 1 Midnight Express (1978) $35M $35M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 The Big Fix (1978) $13.1M $13.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 Goin' South (1978) $7.4M $7.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 The Song of Roland (1978) $24.1K No US & Canada figure reported
Weeks around it
How Does Week 40 Compare With the Weeks Around It?
Week 40 releases took $55.5M. The biggest of these 9 weeks is week 40 (Oct 1–7) with $55.5M, led by Midnight Express (1978).
- Week 34 Wk 34 Aug 20–26 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 35 Wk 35 Aug 27–Sep 2 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 36 Wk 36 Sep 3–9 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 37 Wk 37 Sep 10–16 Up in Smoke (1978) $51.4M Up in Smoke (1978)
- Week 38 Wk 38 Sep 17–23 Paradise Alley (1978) $7.3M Paradise Alley (1978)
- Week 39 Wk 39 Sep 24–30 Death on the Nile (1978) $14.6M Death on the Nile (1978)
- 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
Earlier years
How Does Week 40 of 1978 Compare With Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, Week 40, 1978 earned the most: $55.5M from 4 films, led by Midnight Express (1978).
| Week | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 40, 1969 Sep 28–Oct 4 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| Week 40, 1970 Sep 27–Oct 3 1 film | 1 | $825 | – | Ciao, Federico! (1970) $825 |
| Week 40, 1971 Sep 26–Oct 2 1 film · +3704% | 1 | $31.4K | +3704% | Bushman (1971) $31.4K |
| Week 40, 1972 Sep 24–30 1 film · −99% | 1 | $263 | −99% | Sambizanga (1972) $263 |
| Week 40, 1973 Sep 30–Oct 6 1 film · +17902% | 1 | $47.3K | +17902% | The Mother and the Whore (1973) $47.3K |
| Week 40, 1974 Sep 29–Oct 5 2 films · +65486% | 2 | $31.1M | +65486% | The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) $30.9M |
| Week 40, 1975 Sep 28–Oct 4 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| Week 40, 1976 Sep 26–Oct 2 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| Week 40, 1977 Sep 25–Oct 1 3 films | 3 | $9.3M | – | Bobby Deerfield (1977) $9.3M |
| Week 40, 1978 Oct 1–7 4 films · +497% | 4 | $55.5M | +497% | Midnight Express (1978) $35M |
Archive
Box Office in 1978, Week by Week
38 weeks of 1978 with reported grosses; the biggest is week 24 (Jun 11–17) with $584.2M, led by Grease (1978).
- Week 1 $494.8K
- Week 2 $568
- Week 3 No grosses
- Week 4 No grosses
- Week 5 $17M
- Week 6 $18.1M
- Week 7 $32.7M
- Week 8 $564.6K
- Week 9 $27.5K
- Week 10 $23.2M
- Week 11 $46.3M
- Week 12 No grosses
- Week 13 $1.9M
- Week 14 $5.8M
- Week 15 $306.1K
- Week 16 No grosses
- Week 17 $40.5M
- Week 18 $2M
- Week 19 $59.6M
- Week 20 $14.4M
- Week 21 $1.5K
- Week 22 $15.5M
- Week 23 $26.5M
- Week 24 $584.2M
- Week 25 No grosses
- Week 26 $111.5M
- Week 27 No grosses
- Week 28 $45M
- Week 29 $56.6M
- Week 30 $98.4M
- Week 31 $30.4M
- Week 32 $8.4K
- Week 33 No grosses
- Week 34 No grosses
- Week 35 No grosses
- Week 36 No grosses
- Week 37 $51.4M
- Week 38 $7.3M
- Week 39 $14.6M
- Week 40 $55.5M
- Week 41 $39K
- Week 42 No grosses
- Week 43 $77.8M
- Week 44 $4M
- Week 45 $1.7K
- Week 46 $30.5M
- Week 47 No grosses
- Week 48 No grosses
- Week 49 $64.2M
- Week 50 $300.5M
- Week 51 $133.4M
- Week 52 No grosses
- Week 53 No grosses
FAQ
Box Office Week 40 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 40 of 1978 (Oct 1–7)?
Midnight Express (1978) leads with $35M worldwide, $35M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Big Fix (1978) at $13.1M and Goin' South (1978) at $7.4M.
How much did movies released in week 40 of 1978 (Oct 1–7) earn?
4 films released in week 40 of 1978 (Oct 1–7) report a worldwide gross, $55.5M in all, or $13.9M per film on average. Week 39, 1978 releases took $14.6M.
How many movies released in week 40 of 1978 (Oct 1–7) made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Midnight Express (1978), earned $35M.
How is the week 40, 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 40 of 1978 (Oct 1–7). 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 40, 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.