Skip to content
What's After the Movie?

Jump to
What's After the Movie?
Box office · May 1992

May 1992 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing May Releases

Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) is the highest-grossing movie released in May 1992, with $321.7M worldwide, ahead of Sister Act (1992) at $231.6M and Alien 3 (1992) at $159.8M. 15 films released in May 1992 report a worldwide gross, $781.7M in all, 52% of it from the US & Canada. 3 films crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is up 117% on April 1992, whose releases took $360.5M. By genre, Crime leads with $563.5M across 6 releases.

May 1992 releases with a gross
15
combined worldwide
$781.7M
films crossed $100M
3
vs April 1992
+117%
Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) movie poster #1 of 15
#1 movie of May 1992

Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)

1992 · Action, Thriller

$321.7M worldwide · 41% of the chart's total

$144.7M US & Canada · 45% $177M elsewhere · 55%
Top 5

What Were the Biggest Hits of May 1992?

Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) leads with $321.7M, 41% of the total. The top 5 together took $760.5M, 97% of what all 15 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) movie poster Number 1
    $321.7M Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)
    $144.7M US & Canada · 45% $177M elsewhere · 55%
  2. Sister Act (1992) movie poster Number 2
    $231.6M Sister Act (1992)
    $139.6M US & Canada · 60% $92M elsewhere · 40%
  3. Alien 3 (1992) movie poster Number 3
    $159.8M Alien 3 (1992)
    $55.5M US & Canada · 35% $104.3M elsewhere · 65%
  4. Encino Man (1992) movie poster Number 4
    $40.7M Encino Man (1992)
    $40.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. Best of the Best (1992) movie poster Number 5
    $6.6M Best of the Best (1992)
    $6.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Release of May 1992, 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 1992.

  1. 1 Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) movie poster
    Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) May 15, 1992 · English · Action, Thriller $321.7M worldwide
    May 15, 1992 US and Canada: $144.7M Rest of the world: $177M Worldwide: $321.7M
  2. 2 Sister Act (1992) movie poster
    Sister Act (1992) May 29, 1992 · English · Comedy, Crime $231.6M worldwide
    May 29, 1992 US and Canada: $139.6M Rest of the world: $92M Worldwide: $231.6M
  3. 3 Alien 3 (1992) movie poster
    Alien 3 (1992) May 22, 1992 · English · Action, Sci-Fi $159.8M worldwide
    May 22, 1992 US and Canada: $55.5M Rest of the world: $104.3M Worldwide: $159.8M
  4. 4 Encino Man (1992) movie poster
    Encino Man (1992) May 22, 1992 · English · Comedy $40.7M worldwide
    May 22, 1992 US and Canada: $40.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $40.7M
  5. 5 Best of the Best (1992) movie poster
    Best of the Best (1992) May 28, 1992 · Cantonese · Action, Drama $6.6M worldwide
    May 28, 1992 US and Canada: $6.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $6.6M
  6. 6 Folks! (1992) movie poster
    Folks! (1992) May 1, 1992 · English · Comedy $6.1M worldwide
    May 1, 1992 US and Canada: $6.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $6.1M
  7. 7 Split Second (1992) movie poster
    Split Second (1992) May 1, 1992 · English · Action, Sci-Fi $5.4M worldwide
    May 1, 1992 US and Canada: $5.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.4M
  8. 8 CrissCross (1992) movie poster
    CrissCross (1992) May 8, 1992 · English · Drama, Crime $3.1M worldwide
    May 8, 1992 US and Canada: $3.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $3.1M
  9. 9 Poison Ivy (1992) movie poster
    Poison Ivy (1992) May 8, 1992 · English · Drama, Thriller $1.8M worldwide
    May 8, 1992 US and Canada: $1.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.8M
  10. 10 The Waterdance (1992) movie poster
    The Waterdance (1992) May 13, 1992 · English · Drama $1.7M worldwide
    May 13, 1992 US and Canada: $1.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.7M
  11. 11 One False Move (1992) movie poster
    One False Move (1992) May 8, 1992 · English · Drama, Crime $1.5M worldwide
    May 8, 1992 US and Canada: $1.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.5M
  12. 12 Europa (1992) movie poster
    Europa (1992) May 22, 1992 · English · Drama, Thriller $1M worldwide
    May 22, 1992 US and Canada: $1M Rest of the world: $19K Worldwide: $1M
  13. 13 Monster in a Box (1992) movie poster
    Monster in a Box (1992) May 15, 1992 · English · Comedy $311.2K worldwide
    May 15, 1992 US and Canada: $311.2K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $311.2K
  14. 14 Simple Men (1992) movie poster
    Simple Men (1992) May 11, 1992 · English · Crime, Romance $143K worldwide
    May 11, 1992 US and Canada: $141.6K Rest of the world: $1.5K Worldwide: $143K
  15. 15 The Vagrant (1992) movie poster
    The Vagrant (1992) May 15, 1992 · English · Comedy, Thriller $5.9K worldwide
    May 15, 1992 US and Canada: $5.9K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.9K
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in May 1992?

Of the top 10, Encino Man (1992) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Alien 3 (1992) made 65% of its gross abroad. Across all 15 films, $408.3M (52%) came from the US & Canada.

  1. 1 Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) $321.7M
    $144.7M US & Canada · 45% $177M elsewhere · 55%
  2. 2 Sister Act (1992) $231.6M
    $139.6M US & Canada · 60% $92M elsewhere · 40%
  3. 3 Alien 3 (1992) $159.8M
    $55.5M US & Canada · 35% $104.3M elsewhere · 65%
  4. 4 Encino Man (1992) $40.7M
    $40.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. 5 Best of the Best (1992) $6.6M
    $6.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  6. 6 Folks! (1992) $6.1M
    $6.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  7. 7 Split Second (1992) $5.4M
    $5.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  8. 8 CrissCross (1992) $3.1M
    $3.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  9. 9 Poison Ivy (1992) $1.8M
    $1.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  10. 10 The Waterdance (1992) $1.7M
    $1.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Gross bands

How Many May 1992 Releases Crossed $100 Million?

3 of 15 films crossed $100M and took $713.2M between them, 91% of the total. 11 films, 73% of the list, earned under $10M.

  • $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 3 films, 20% of the list $713.2M · 91% of the gross
  • $10M to $100M 1 film, 7% of the list $40.7M · 5% of the gross
  • Under $10M 11 films, 73% of the list $27.8M · 4% of the gross
By release week

Which Week of May 1992 Had the Biggest Releases?

Films released in week 20 (May 10–16) took $323.9M, led by Lethal Weapon 3 (1992). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.

  1. Week 18 Wk 18 Apr 26–May 2 Folks! (1992) $11.6M Folks! (1992)
  2. Week 19 Wk 19 May 3–9 CrissCross (1992) $6.4M CrissCross (1992)
  3. Week 20 Wk 20 May 10–16 Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) $323.9M Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)
  4. Week 21 Wk 21 May 17–23 Alien 3 (1992) $201.5M Alien 3 (1992)
  5. Week 22 Wk 22 May 24–30 Sister Act (1992) $238.2M Sister Act (1992)
  6. Week 23 Wk 23 May 31–Jun 6 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years

How Does May 1992 Compare With May in Earlier Years?

Of these 10 years, May 1992 earned the most: $781.7M from 15 films, led by Lethal Weapon 3 (1992).

Month Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
May 1983 10 films 10 $593.6M – Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) $482.5M
May 1984 15 films · −18% 15 $486.6M −18% Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) $333.1M
May 1985 20 films · +8% 20 $527.8M +8% Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) $300.4M
May 1986 13 films · −1% 13 $522.4M −1% Top Gun (1986) $357.3M
May 1987 24 films · −25% 24 $390.6M −25% Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) $300M
May 1988 28 films · +37% 28 $533.3M +37% Crocodile Dundee II (1988) $239.6M
May 1989 27 films · +12% 27 $595M +12% Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) $474.2M
May 1990 12 films · −23% 12 $457.8M −23% Back to the Future Part III (1990) $245.1M
May 1991 27 films · +4% 27 $474.3M +4% Backdraft (1991) $152.4M
May 1992 15 films · +65% 15 $781.7M +65% Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) $321.7M
Genres & languages

Which Genres and Languages Earned the Most in May 1992?

Crime took $563.5M across 6 films, 72% of the total, ahead of Action ($493.6M) and Thriller ($489.8M). A film counts once for each of its genres. English-language films took $775M across 14 films, 99% of the total, ahead of Cantonese-language films ($6.6M).

May 1992 Box Office by Genre

  1. Crime $563.5M
    6 films · #1 Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)
  2. Action $493.6M
    4 films · #1 Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)
  3. Thriller $489.8M
    6 films · #1 Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)
  4. Comedy $278.7M
    5 films · #1 Sister Act (1992)
  5. Family $231.6M
    1 film · #1 Sister Act (1992)
  6. Music $231.6M
    1 film · #1 Sister Act (1992)
  7. Sci-Fi $165.2M
    2 films · #1 Alien 3 (1992)
  8. Drama $15.9M
    7 films · #1 Best of the Best (1992)
  9. Horror $5.4M
    2 films · #1 Split Second (1992)
  10. Romance $143K
    1 film · #1 Simple Men (1992)

May 1992 Box Office by Language

  1. English $775M
    14 films · #1 Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)
  2. Cantonese $6.6M
    1 film · #1 Best of the Best (1992)
Archive

Box Office in 1992, Month by Month

The months of 1992 with their totals: November leads with $800.7M, led by The Bodyguard (1992).

FAQ

Box Office May 1992: 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 15 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing movie in May 1992?

Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) leads with $321.7M worldwide, $144.7M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Sister Act (1992) at $231.6M and Alien 3 (1992) at $159.8M.

How much did movies released in May 1992 earn?

15 films released in May 1992 report a worldwide gross, $781.7M in all, or $52.1M per film on average. April 1992 releases took $360.5M.

How many movies released in May 1992 made $1 billion?

None. 3 films crossed $100 million, led by Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) with $321.7M.

How much of the May 1992 box office came from the US and Canada?

$408.3M of the $781.7M total, or 52%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 0 films of the 15 report no domestic figure.

How is the May 1992 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 1992. 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 1992 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.