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Box office · May 1979

May 1979 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing May Releases

La Cage aux Folles (1979) is the highest-grossing movie released in May 1979, with $20.4M worldwide, ahead of Zulu Dawn (1979) at $1.9M and Last Embrace (1979) at $1.5M. 10 films released in May 1979 report a worldwide gross, $26.1M in all, 92% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 65% on April 1979, whose releases took $74.4M. By genre, Comedy leads with $22M across 4 releases.

May 1979 releases with a gross
10
combined worldwide
$26.1M
La Cage aux Folles (1979), the #1
$20.4M
vs April 1979
−65%
La Cage aux Folles (1979) movie poster #1 of 10
#1 movie of May 1979

La Cage aux Folles (1979)

1979 · Comedy

$20.4M worldwide · 78% of the chart's total

$20.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Top 5

What Were the Biggest Hits of May 1979?

La Cage aux Folles (1979) leads with $20.4M, 78% of the total. The top 5 together took $25.5M, 98% of what all 10 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. La Cage aux Folles (1979) movie poster Number 1
    $20.4M La Cage aux Folles (1979)
    $20.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  2. Zulu Dawn (1979) movie poster Number 2
    $1.9M Zulu Dawn (1979)
    No US & Canada figure reported
  3. Last Embrace (1979) movie poster Number 3
    $1.5M Last Embrace (1979)
    $1.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. Winter Kills (1979) movie poster Number 4
    $1.2M Winter Kills (1979)
    $1.2M US & Canada · 100% $462 elsewhere · <1%
  5. Stalker (1979) movie poster Number 5
    $456K Stalker (1979)
    $292K US & Canada · 64% $163.9K elsewhere · 36%

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Release of May 1979, 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 1979.

  1. 1 La Cage aux Folles (1979) movie poster
    La Cage aux Folles (1979) May 13, 1979 · French · Comedy $20.4M worldwide
    May 13, 1979 US and Canada: $20.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $20.4M
  2. 2 Zulu Dawn (1979) movie poster
    Zulu Dawn (1979) May 14, 1979 · English · Drama, Adventure $1.9M worldwide
    May 14, 1979 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.9M
  3. 3 Last Embrace (1979) movie poster
    Last Embrace (1979) May 4, 1979 · English · Thriller, Romance $1.5M worldwide
    May 4, 1979 US and Canada: $1.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.5M
  4. 4 Winter Kills (1979) movie poster
    Winter Kills (1979) May 11, 1979 · English · Drama, Mystery $1.2M worldwide
    May 11, 1979 US and Canada: $1.2M Rest of the world: $462 Worldwide: $1.2M
  5. 5 Stalker (1979) movie poster
    Stalker (1979) May 25, 1979 · Russian · Drama, Sci-Fi $456K worldwide
    May 25, 1979 US and Canada: $292K Rest of the world: $163.9K Worldwide: $456K
  6. 6 Fast Charlie… the Moonbeam Rider (1979) movie poster
    Fast Charlie… the Moonbeam Rider (1979) May 1, 1979 · English · Comedy $444.3K worldwide
    May 1, 1979 US and Canada: $444.3K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $444.3K
  7. 7 Dawn of the Dead (1979) movie poster
    Dawn of the Dead (1979) May 24, 1979 · English · Thriller, Horror $159.8K worldwide
    May 24, 1979 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $159.8K
  8. 8 Quadrophenia (1979) movie poster
    Quadrophenia (1979) May 14, 1979 · English · Drama, Music $2.8K worldwide
    May 14, 1979 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $2.8K
  9. 9 Siberiade (1979) movie poster
    Siberiade (1979) May 20, 1979 · Russian · Drama, War $1.8K worldwide
    May 20, 1979 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.8K
  10. 10 Jubilee (1979) movie poster
    Jubilee (1979) May 9, 1979 · Drama, Fantasy $923 worldwide
    May 9, 1979 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $923
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in May 1979?

Of the top 10, La Cage aux Folles (1979) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Stalker (1979) made 36% of its gross abroad. Across all 10 films, $23.9M (92%) came from the US & Canada. 5 films of the top 10 report no US & Canada figure.

  1. 1 La Cage aux Folles (1979) $20.4M
    $20.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  2. 2 Zulu Dawn (1979) $1.9M
    No US & Canada figure reported
  3. 3 Last Embrace (1979) $1.5M
    $1.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. 4 Winter Kills (1979) $1.2M
    $1.2M US & Canada · 100% $462 elsewhere · <1%
  5. 5 Stalker (1979) $456K
    $292K US & Canada · 64% $163.9K elsewhere · 36%
  6. 6 Fast Charlie… the Moonbeam Rider (1979) $444.3K
    $444.3K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  7. 7 Dawn of the Dead (1979) $159.8K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  8. 8 Quadrophenia (1979) $2.8K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  9. 9 Siberiade (1979) $1.8K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  10. 10 Jubilee (1979) $923
    No US & Canada figure reported
Gross bands

How Many May 1979 Releases Crossed $100 Million?

None of the 10 films reached $100M. 9 films, 90% of the list, earned under $10M. Each band shows its films and its share of the $26.1M total.

  • $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, 10% of the list $20.4M · 78% of the gross
  • Under $10M 9 films, 90% of the list $5.6M · 22% of the gross
By release week

Which Week of May 1979 Had the Biggest Releases?

Films released in week 20 (May 13–19) took $22.3M, led by La Cage aux Folles (1979). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.

  1. Week 18 Wk 18 Apr 29–May 5 Last Embrace (1979) $2M Last Embrace (1979)
  2. Week 19 Wk 19 May 6–12 Winter Kills (1979) $1.2M Winter Kills (1979)
  3. Week 20 Wk 20 May 13–19 La Cage aux Folles (1979) $22.3M La Cage aux Folles (1979)
  4. Week 21 Wk 21 May 20–26 Stalker (1979) $617.6K Stalker (1979)
  5. Week 22 Wk 22 May 27–Jun 2 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years

How Does May 1979 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 1979 took $26.1M.

Month Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
May 1970 2 films 2 $32.3M – 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
May 1979 10 films · −66% 10 $26.1M −66% La Cage aux Folles (1979) $20.4M
Genres & languages

Which Genres and Languages Earned the Most in May 1979?

Comedy took $22M across 4 films, 85% of the total, ahead of Drama ($3.5M) and Thriller ($2.9M). A film counts once for each of its genres. French-language films took $20.4M across 1 film, 78% of the total, ahead of English-language films ($5.2M) and Russian-language films ($457.7K).

May 1979 Box Office by Genre

  1. Comedy $22M
    4 films · #1 La Cage aux Folles (1979)
  2. Drama $3.5M
    6 films · #1 Zulu Dawn (1979)
  3. Thriller $2.9M
    3 films · #1 Last Embrace (1979)
  4. Mystery $2.7M
    2 films · #1 Last Embrace (1979)
  5. History $1.9M
    2 films · #1 Zulu Dawn (1979)
  6. War $1.9M
    2 films · #1 Zulu Dawn (1979)
  7. Adventure $1.9M
    1 film · #1 Zulu Dawn (1979)
  8. Romance $1.5M
    2 films · #1 Last Embrace (1979)
  9. Sci-Fi $456K
    1 film · #1 Stalker (1979)
  10. Horror $159.8K
    1 film · #1 Dawn of the Dead (1979)

May 1979 Box Office by Language

  1. French $20.4M
    1 film · #1 La Cage aux Folles (1979)
  2. English $5.2M
    6 films · #1 Zulu Dawn (1979)
  3. Russian $457.7K
    2 films · #1 Stalker (1979)
Archive

Box Office in 1979, Month by Month

The months of 1979 with their totals: June leads with $671.1M, led by Moonraker (1979).

FAQ

Box Office May 1979: 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 10 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing movie in May 1979?

La Cage aux Folles (1979) leads with $20.4M worldwide, $20.4M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Zulu Dawn (1979) at $1.9M and Last Embrace (1979) at $1.5M.

How much did movies released in May 1979 earn?

10 films released in May 1979 report a worldwide gross, $26.1M in all, or $2.6M per film on average. April 1979 releases took $74.4M.

How many movies released in May 1979 made $1 billion?

None. The biggest, La Cage aux Folles (1979), earned $20.4M.

How much of the May 1979 box office came from the US and Canada?

$23.9M of the $26.1M total, or 92%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 5 films of the 10 report no domestic figure.

How is the May 1979 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 1979. 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 1979 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.