#1 of 283 #1 movie of 1996
1996 · Action, Adventure
$817.4M worldwide · 8% of the chart's total
$306.2M US & Canada · 37% $511.2M elsewhere · 63%
Box office · 1996
1996 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing Movies of 1996
Independence Day (1996) is the highest-grossing movie released in 1996, with $817.4M worldwide, ahead of Twister (1996) at $494.6M and Mission: Impossible (1996) at $457.7M. 283 films released in 1996 report a worldwide gross, $9.9B in all, 56% of it from the US & Canada. 34 films crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is up 4% on 1995, whose releases took $9.5B. By genre, Thriller leads with $5B across 66 releases.
- 1996 releases with a gross
- 283
- combined worldwide
- $9.9B
- films crossed $100M
- 34
- vs 1995
- +4%
#1 of 283 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Hits of 1996?
Independence Day (1996) leads with $817.4M, 8% of the total. The top 5 together took $2.4B, 25% of what all 283 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 1996, Ranked by Worldwide Gross
Ranks 1 to 50 of 283. Lifetime worldwide grosses in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation; domestic means the US & Canada. Films are grouped by their release date in 1996.
- 1 Jul 3, 1996 US and Canada: $306.2M Rest of the world: $511.2M Worldwide: $817.4M
- 2 May 10, 1996 US and Canada: $241.8M Rest of the world: $252.8M Worldwide: $494.6M
- 3 May 22, 1996 US and Canada: $181M Rest of the world: $276.7M Worldwide: $457.7M
- 4 Jun 7, 1996 US and Canada: $134.1M Rest of the world: $201M Worldwide: $335.1M
- 5 Jun 21, 1996 US and Canada: $100.1M Rest of the world: $225.2M Worldwide: $325.3M
- 6
Nov 27, 1996 US and Canada: $136.2M Rest of the world: $184.5M Worldwide: $320.7M - 7
Nov 8, 1996 US and Canada: $136.5M Rest of the world: $173M Worldwide: $309.5M - 8
Jun 28, 1996 US and Canada: $128.8M Rest of the world: $145.1M Worldwide: $274M - 9
Dec 13, 1996 US and Canada: $154M Rest of the world: $119.6M Worldwide: $273.6M - 10
Jun 21, 1996 US and Canada: $101.3M Rest of the world: $141M Worldwide: $242.3M - 11
Nov 15, 1996 US and Canada: $78.7M Rest of the world: $153.3M Worldwide: $232M - 12
Nov 15, 1996 US and Canada: $90.6M Rest of the world: $140M Worldwide: $230.6M - 13
Mar 8, 1996 US and Canada: $124.1M Rest of the world: $61.2M Worldwide: $185.3M - 14
Sep 20, 1996 US and Canada: $105.5M Rest of the world: $76M Worldwide: $181.5M - 15
Dec 20, 1996 US and Canada: $103M Rest of the world: $70M Worldwide: $173M - 16
Oct 18, 1996 US and Canada: $53.3M Rest of the world: $112.3M Worldwide: $165.6M - 17
Dec 6, 1996 US and Canada: $33M Rest of the world: $126.2M Worldwide: $159.2M - 18
Jul 24, 1996 US and Canada: $108.8M Rest of the world: $43.5M Worldwide: $152.3M - 19
Jul 3, 1996 US and Canada: $104.6M Rest of the world: $47.4M Worldwide: $152M - 20
Feb 9, 1996 US and Canada: $70.8M Rest of the world: $79.5M Worldwide: $150.3M - 21
Nov 1, 1996 US and Canada: $46.4M Rest of the world: $101.2M Worldwide: $147.6M - 22
Nov 22, 1996 US and Canada: $92M Rest of the world: $54M Worldwide: $146M - 23
Dec 25, 1996 US and Canada: $50M Rest of the world: $91M Worldwide: $141M - 24
Nov 22, 1996 US and Canada: $60.6M Rest of the world: $69.2M Worldwide: $129.8M - 25
Mar 15, 1996 US and Canada: $56.6M Rest of the world: $65.4M Worldwide: $122M - 26
Dec 25, 1996 US and Canada: $95.3M Rest of the world: $24.4M Worldwide: $119.7M - 27
May 31, 1996 US and Canada: $51.4M Rest of the world: $63.9M Worldwide: $115.3M - 28
Jun 28, 1996 US and Canada: $33.1M Rest of the world: $80.2M Worldwide: $113.3M - 29
Jan 19, 1996 US and Canada: $82.6M Rest of the world: $23.7M Worldwide: $106.3M - 30
Jun 14, 1996 US and Canada: $60.2M Rest of the world: $42.6M Worldwide: $102.8M - 31
Apr 3, 1996 US and Canada: $56.1M Rest of the world: $46.5M Worldwide: $102.6M - 32
Dec 13, 1996 US and Canada: $37.8M Rest of the world: $63.6M Worldwide: $101.4M - 33
Apr 12, 1996 US and Canada: $59M Rest of the world: $41.8M Worldwide: $100.9M - 34
Mar 1, 1996 US and Canada: $51.1M Rest of the world: $49.6M Worldwide: $100.7M - 35
Dec 20, 1996 US and Canada: $46.2M Rest of the world: $51.4M Worldwide: $97.5M - 36
Oct 11, 1996 US and Canada: $33.4M Rest of the world: $56M Worldwide: $89.5M - 37
Dec 20, 1996 US and Canada: $63.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $63.1M - 38
Mar 8, 1996 US and Canada: $24.6M Rest of the world: $36M Worldwide: $60.6M - 39
Aug 2, 1996 US and Canada: $21.2M Rest of the world: $39M Worldwide: $60.2M - 40
Aug 9, 1996 US and Canada: $58.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $58.6M - 41
Apr 19, 1996 US and Canada: $21.7M Rest of the world: $35.7M Worldwide: $57.4M - 42
Aug 16, 1996 US and Canada: $53.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $53.9M - 43
Aug 23, 1996 US and Canada: $27.7M Rest of the world: $22M Worldwide: $49.6M - 44
Sep 20, 1996 US and Canada: $18.1M Rest of the world: $29.2M Worldwide: $47.3M - 45
Nov 6, 1996 US and Canada: $36.5M Rest of the world: $5.1M Worldwide: $41.6M - 46
Feb 16, 1996 US and Canada: $39M Rest of the world: $2.4M Worldwide: $41.4M - 47
Nov 15, 1996 US and Canada: $41.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $41.1M - 48
Oct 11, 1996 US and Canada: $38.6M Rest of the world: $554 Worldwide: $38.6M - 49
Mar 29, 1996 US and Canada: $30.4M Rest of the world: $7.6M Worldwide: $38M - 50
Mar 1, 1996 US and Canada: $25.8M Rest of the world: $11.8M Worldwide: $37.6M
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in 1996?
Of the top 10, Jerry Maguire (1996) earned the biggest share at home (56% in the US & Canada), while The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) made 69% of its gross abroad. Across all 283 films, $5.5B (56%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Independence Day (1996) $817.4M $306.2M US & Canada · 37% $511.2M elsewhere · 63%
- 2 Twister (1996) $494.6M $241.8M US & Canada · 49% $252.8M elsewhere · 51%
- 3 Mission: Impossible (1996) $457.7M $181M US & Canada · 40% $276.7M elsewhere · 60%
- 4 The Rock (1996) $335.1M $134.1M US & Canada · 40% $201M elsewhere · 60%
- 5 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) $325.3M $100.1M US & Canada · 31% $225.2M elsewhere · 69%
- 6 101 Dalmatians (1996) $320.7M $136.2M US & Canada · 42% $184.5M elsewhere · 58%
- 7 Ransom (1996) $309.5M $136.5M US & Canada · 44% $173M elsewhere · 56%
- 8 The Nutty Professor (1996) $274M $128.8M US & Canada · 47% $145.1M elsewhere · 53%
- 9 Jerry Maguire (1996) $273.6M $154M US & Canada · 56% $119.6M elsewhere · 44%
- 10 Eraser (1996) $242.3M $101.3M US & Canada · 42% $141M elsewhere · 58%
Gross bands
How Many 1996 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
34 of 283 films crossed $100M and took $7.3B between them, 74% of the total. 162 films, 57% of the list, earned under $10M.
8% 65% 23%
- $1B or more 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $500M to $1B 1 film, <1% of the list $817.4M · 8% of the gross
- $100M to $500M 33 films, 12% of the list $6.5B · 65% of the gross
- $10M to $100M 87 films, 31% of the list $2.3B · 23% of the gross
- Under $10M 162 films, 57% of the list $289M · 3% of the gross
By release month
Which Month of 1996 Earned the Most?
November releases took the most, $1.7B from 28 films, led by 101 Dalmatians (1996). January was the quietest month ($226.1M). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.
- January Jan Mr. Holland's Opus (1996) $226.1M Mr. Holland's Opus (1996)
- February Feb Broken Arrow (1996) $375.4M Broken Arrow (1996)
- March Mar The Birdcage (1996) $659.1M The Birdcage (1996)
- April Apr Primal Fear (1996) $486.9M Primal Fear (1996)
- May May Twister (1996) $1.3B Twister (1996)
- June Jun The Rock (1996) $1.4B The Rock (1996)
- July Jul Independence Day (1996) $1.2B Independence Day (1996)
- August Aug Chain Reaction (1996) $420.9M Chain Reaction (1996)
- September Sep The First Wives Club (1996) $373.8M The First Wives Club (1996)
- October Oct Sleepers (1996) $480.5M Sleepers (1996)
- November Nov 101 Dalmatians (1996) $1.7B 101 Dalmatians (1996)
- December Dec Jerry Maguire (1996) $1.3B Jerry Maguire (1996)
Last 10 years
How Does 1996 Compare With Previous Years?
Of these 10 years, 1996 earned the most: $9.9B from 283 films, led by Independence Day (1996).
| Year | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 259 films | 259 | $4B | – | Fatal Attraction (1987) $320.1M |
| 1988 273 films · +23% | 273 | $4.9B | +23% | Rain Man (1988) $354.8M |
| 1989 235 films · +24% | 235 | $6.1B | +24% | Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) $474.2M |
| 1990 227 films · +10% | 227 | $6.7B | +10% | Ghost (1990) $505.7M |
| 1991 262 films · −8% | 262 | $6.2B | −8% | Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) $517.8M |
| 1992 212 films · +2% | 212 | $6.3B | +2% | The Bodyguard (1992) $411M |
| 1993 252 films · +13% | 252 | $7.1B | +13% | Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) $441.3M |
| 1994 243 films · +19% | 243 | $8.5B | +19% | The Lion King (1994) $979.2M |
| 1995 276 films · +12% | 276 | $9.5B | +12% | Toy Story (1995) $394.4M |
| 1996 283 films · +4% | 283 | $9.9B | +4% | Independence Day (1996) $817.4M |
Genres & languages
Which Genres and Languages Earned the Most in 1996?
Thriller took $5B across 66 films, 50% of the total, ahead of Drama ($4.6B) and Action ($4.2B). A film counts once for each of its genres. English-language films took $9.2B across 232 films, 93% of the total, ahead of French-language films ($40.9M) and Cantonese-language films ($12.5M).
1996 Box Office by Genre
-
Thriller $5B66 films · #1 Independence Day (1996) -
Drama $4.6B170 films · #1 Twister (1996) -
Action $4.2B42 films · #1 Independence Day (1996) -
Adventure $3.5B29 films · #1 Independence Day (1996) -
Comedy $3.2B120 films · #1 101 Dalmatians (1996) -
Romance $2.3B79 films · #1 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) -
Crime $1.8B55 films · #1 Ransom (1996) -
Sci-Fi $1.5B17 films · #1 Independence Day (1996) -
Family $1.1B26 films · #1 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) -
Mystery $805.2M17 films · #1 Eraser (1996)
1996 Box Office by Language
-
English $9.2B232 films · #1 Independence Day (1996) -
French $40.9M12 films · #1 The Eighth Day (1996) -
Cantonese $12.5M3 films · #1 Black Mask (1996) -
Czech $5.8M1 film · #1 Kolya (1996) -
Japanese $5.7M3 films · #1 Whisper of the Heart (1996) -
Spanish $1.7M4 films · #1 The Flower of My Secret (1996) -
Russian $921.9K1 film · #1 Prisoner of the Mountains (1996) -
Georgian $686.7K1 film · #1 A Chef in Love (1996) -
Persian $532.6K1 film · #1 Gabbeh (1996) -
Tamil $1841 film · #1 Indian (1996)
Archive
Box Office Year by Year
Every year from 1918 to 2026 with its total and its biggest film. 2019 leads with $37.1B, led by Avengers: Endgame (2019).
2020s 7 years · $134.1B
2010s 10 years · $325.6B
- 2019 $37.1B #1 Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- 2018 $37.1B #1 Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
- 2017 $36.6B #1 Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
- 2016 $34.2B #1 Captain America: Civil War (2016)
- 2015 $34B #1 Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)
- 2014 $30.1B #1 Transformers: Age Of Extinction (2014)
- 2013 $31.3B #1 Frozen (2013)
- 2012 $30.6B #1 The Avengers (2012)
- 2011 $28.1B #1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
- 2010 $26.5B #1 Toy Story 3 (2010)
2000s 10 years · $201.4B
- 2009 $27.2B #1 Avatar (2009)
- 2008 $23.9B #1 The Dark Knight (2008)
- 2007 $24.1B #1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
- 2006 $21.2B #1 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
- 2005 $20.2B #1 Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- 2004 $19.7B #1 Shrek 2 (2004)
- 2003 $19.2B #1 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
- 2002 $15.8B #1 Spider-Man (2002)
- 2001 $16B #1 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
- 2000 $14B #1 Mission: Impossible II (2000)
1990s 10 years · $91.9B
- 1999 $13.7B #1 Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
- 1998 $11.3B #1 Armageddon (1998)
- 1997 $12.7B #1 Titanic (1997)
- 1996 $9.9B #1 Independence Day (1996)
- 1995 $9.5B #1 Toy Story (1995)
- 1994 $8.5B #1 The Lion King (1994)
- 1993 $7.1B #1 Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
- 1992 $6.3B #1 The Bodyguard (1992)
- 1991 $6.2B #1 Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
- 1990 $6.7B #1 Ghost (1990)
1980s 10 years · $36B
- 1989 $6.1B #1 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
- 1988 $4.9B #1 Rain Man (1988)
- 1987 $4B #1 Fatal Attraction (1987)
- 1986 $3.7B #1 Top Gun (1986)
- 1985 $3.7B #1 Back to the Future (1985)
- 1984 $3.6B #1 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
- 1983 $2.8B #1 Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
- 1982 $2.5B #1 Tootsie (1982)
- 1981 $2.1B #1 Superman II (1981)
- 1980 $2.5B #1 Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
1970s 10 years · $11.1B
- 1979 $2.2B #1 Moonraker (1979)
- 1978 $2B #1 Grease (1978)
- 1977 $2.2B #1 Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
- 1976 $784.1M #1 Rocky (1976)
- 1975 $1.1B #1 Jaws (1975)
- 1974 $803.9M #1 Blazing Saddles (1974)
- 1973 $989.4M #1 The Exorcist (1973)
- 1972 $371.4M #1 The Godfather (1972)
- 1971 $206M #1 The French Connection (1971)
- 1970 $450M #1 The Aristocats (1970)
1960s 10 years · $1.8B
- 1969 $247.4M #1 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
- 1968 $144M #1 Funny Girl (1968)
- 1967 $441.4M #1 The Jungle Book (1967)
- 1966 $29.9M #1 Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
- 1965 $387.9M #1 The Sound of Music (1965)
- 1964 $240.7M #1 Mary Poppins (1964)
- 1963 $138.3M #1 Cleopatra (1963)
- 1962 $52M #1 Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
- 1961 $12.9M #1 The Taste of Violence (1961)
- 1960 $94.9M #1 Swiss Family Robinson (1960)
1950s 10 years · $801.3M
- 1959 $127.1M #1 Ben-Hur (1959)
- 1958 $13.9M #1 Vertigo (1958)
- 1957 $32.7M #1 The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
- 1956 $162.1M #1 The Ten Commandments (1956)
- 1955 $96.9M #1 Lady and the Tramp (1955)
- 1954 $74.4M #1 Rear Window (1954)
- 1953 $153.5M #1 Peter Pan (1953)
- 1952 $38.8M #1 The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)
- 1951 $4.8M #1 Ace in the Hole (1951)
- 1950 $97.2M #1 Cinderella (1950)
1940s 10 years · $936.9M
- 1949 $1.8M #1 The Third Man (1949)
- 1948 $6.2M #1 The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
- 1947 $12.1M #1 It's a Wonderful Life (1947)
- 1946 $92.2M #1 Song of the South (1946)
- 1945 $22.1M #1 The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)
- 1944 $132K #1 Henry V (1944)
- 1943 $6.2M #1 Casablanca (1943)
- 1942 $268.3M #1 Bambi (1942)
- 1941 $1.9M #1 Citizen Kane (1941)
- 1940 $525.9M #1 Gone with the Wind (1940)
1930s 10 years · $214M
- 1939 $26.7M #1 The Wizard of Oz (1939)
- 1938 $185.2M #1 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938)
- 1937 $32.8K #1 Stage Door (1937)
- 1936 $1.5M #1 Born to Dance (1936)
- 1935 $105.9K #1 The 39 Steps (1935)
- 1934 $47.3K #1 It Happened One Night (1934)
- 1933 $164.8K #1 Duck Soup (1933)
- 1932 $51.1K #1 The Old Dark House (1932)
- 1931 $135.8K #1 Drácula (1931)
- 1930 $6.1K #1 The Blue Angel (1930)
1920s 9 years · $10M
- 1929 $89.2K #1 Pandora’s Box (1929)
- 1928 $41.6K #1 The Air Circus (1928)
- 1927 $245K #1 Sunrise (1927)
- 1926 $67.1K #1 Battleship Potemkin (1926)
- 1925 $87.5K #1 The Gold Rush (1925)
- 1924 $198.9K #1 The Epic of Everest (1924)
- 1923 $13.2K #1 A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate (1923)
- 1921 $9.2M #1 The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921)
- 1920 $9.3K #1 The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
1910s 2 years · $9.8K
FAQ
Box Office 1996: 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 283 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing movie in 1996?
Independence Day (1996) leads with $817.4M worldwide, $306.2M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Twister (1996) at $494.6M and Mission: Impossible (1996) at $457.7M.
How much did movies released in 1996 earn?
283 films released in 1996 report a worldwide gross, $9.9B in all, or $35M per film on average. 1995 releases took $9.5B.
How many movies released in 1996 made $1 billion?
None. 34 films crossed $100 million, led by Independence Day (1996) with $817.4M.
How is the 1996 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 1996. 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 1996 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.