#1 of 24 #1 movie of May 1996
1996 · Action, Adventure
$494.6M worldwide · 40% of the chart's total
$241.8M US & Canada · 49% $252.8M elsewhere · 51%
Box office · May 1996
May 1996 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing May Releases
Twister (1996) is the highest-grossing movie released in May 1996, with $494.6M worldwide, ahead of Mission: Impossible (1996) at $457.7M and DragonHeart (1996) at $115.3M. 24 films released in May 1996 report a worldwide gross, $1.2B in all, 52% of it from the US & Canada. 3 films crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is up 153% on April 1996, whose releases took $486.9M. By genre, Action leads with $1.1B across 8 releases.
- May 1996 releases with a gross
- 24
- combined worldwide
- $1.2B
- films crossed $100M
- 3
- vs April 1996
- +153%
#1 of 24 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Hits of May 1996?
Twister (1996) leads with $494.6M, 40% of the total. The top 5 together took $1.1B, 91% of what all 24 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 May 1996, 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 1996.
- 1 May 10, 1996 US and Canada: $241.8M Rest of the world: $252.8M Worldwide: $494.6M
- 2 May 22, 1996 US and Canada: $181M Rest of the world: $276.7M Worldwide: $457.7M
- 3 May 31, 1996 US and Canada: $51.4M Rest of the world: $63.9M Worldwide: $115.3M
- 4 May 31, 1996 US and Canada: $31.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $31.4M
- 5 May 24, 1996 US and Canada: $27M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $27M
- 6
May 3, 1996 US and Canada: $24.8M Rest of the world: $5.9K Worldwide: $24.8M - 7
May 17, 1996 US and Canada: $20.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $20.1M - 8
May 31, 1996 US and Canada: $14.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $14.1M - 9
May 1, 1996 US and Canada: $12.5M Rest of the world: $114.1K Worldwide: $12.6M - 10
May 15, 1996 US and Canada: $5.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.8M - 11
May 10, 1996 US and Canada: $5.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.7M - 12
May 3, 1996 US and Canada: $5.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.7M - 13
May 17, 1996 US and Canada: $5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5M - 14
May 3, 1996 US and Canada: $3.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $3.8M - 15
May 10, 1996 US and Canada: $3.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $3.7M - 16
May 1, 1996 US and Canada: $1.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.9M - 17
May 10, 1996 US and Canada: $1M Rest of the world: $47.2K Worldwide: $1.1M - 18
May 20, 1996 US and Canada: $604.5K Rest of the world: $885 Worldwide: $605.4K - 19
May 17, 1996 US and Canada: $92.8K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $92.8K - 20
May 10, 1996 US and Canada: $61.9K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $61.9K - 21
May 18, 1996 US and Canada: $21.5K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $21.5K - 22
May 4, 1996 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $8.4K - 23
May 15, 1996 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $378 - 24
May 9, 1996 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $184
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in May 1996?
Of the top 10, Eddie (1996) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Mission: Impossible (1996) made 60% of its gross abroad. Across all 24 films, $637.3M (52%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Twister (1996) $494.6M $241.8M US & Canada · 49% $252.8M elsewhere · 51%
- 2 Mission: Impossible (1996) $457.7M $181M US & Canada · 40% $276.7M elsewhere · 60%
- 3 DragonHeart (1996) $115.3M $51.4M US & Canada · 45% $63.9M elsewhere · 55%
- 4 Eddie (1996) $31.4M $31.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Spy Hard (1996) $27M $27M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 6 The Craft (1996) $24.8M $24.8M US & Canada · 100% $5.9K elsewhere · <1%
- 7 Flipper (1996) $20.1M $20.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 8 The Arrival (1996) $14.1M $14.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 9 The Eighth Day (1996) $12.6M $12.5M US & Canada · 99% $114.1K elsewhere · <1%
- 10 Kolya (1996) $5.8M $5.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Gross bands
How Many May 1996 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
3 of 24 films crossed $100M and took $1.1B between them, 87% of the total. 15 films, 63% of the list, earned under $10M.
87% 11%
- $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, 13% of the list $1.1B · 87% of the gross
- $10M to $100M 6 films, 25% of the list $130M · 11% of the gross
- Under $10M 15 films, 63% of the list $33.4M · 3% of the gross
By release week
Which Week of May 1996 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 19 (May 5–11) took $505.1M, led by Twister (1996). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 18 Wk 18 Apr 28–May 4 The Craft (1996) $48.8M The Craft (1996)
- Week 19 Wk 19 May 5–11 Twister (1996) $505.1M Twister (1996)
- Week 20 Wk 20 May 12–18 Flipper (1996) $31M Flipper (1996)
- Week 21 Wk 21 May 19–25 Mission: Impossible (1996) $485.3M Mission: Impossible (1996)
- Week 22 Wk 22 May 26–Jun 1 DragonHeart (1996) $160.7M DragonHeart (1996)
Earlier years
How Does May 1996 Compare With May in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, May 1995 earned the most: $1.2B from 19 films, led by Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995). May 1996 took $1.2B.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1987 24 films | 24 | $390.6M | – | 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 |
| May 1993 22 films · +9% | 22 | $851.8M | +9% | Cliffhanger (1993) $255M |
| May 1994 23 films · −11% | 23 | $759.9M | −11% | The Flintstones (1994) $341.6M |
| May 1995 19 films · +63% | 19 | $1.2B | +63% | Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995) $366.1M |
| May 1996 24 films · −1% | 24 | $1.2B | −1% | Twister (1996) $494.6M |
Genres & languages
Which Genres and Languages Earned the Most in May 1996?
Action took $1.1B across 8 films, 92% of the total, ahead of Adventure ($1.1B) and Thriller ($999.9M). A film counts once for each of its genres. English-language films took $1.2B across 17 films, 97% of the total, ahead of French-language films ($12.7M) and Czech-language films ($5.8M).
May 1996 Box Office by Genre
-
Action $1.1B8 films · #1 Twister (1996) -
Adventure $1.1B4 films · #1 Twister (1996) -
Thriller $999.9M7 films · #1 Twister (1996) -
Drama $549.5M11 films · #1 Twister (1996) -
Fantasy $141.2M4 films · #1 DragonHeart (1996) -
Comedy $76.2M9 films · #1 Eddie (1996) -
Horror $24.8M1 film · #1 The Craft (1996) -
Family $20.1M1 film · #1 Flipper (1996) -
Sci-Fi $17.9M2 films · #1 The Arrival (1996) -
Romance $12M4 films · #1 Cold Comfort Farm (1996)
Archive
Box Office in 1996, Month by Month
The months of 1996 with their totals: November leads with $1.7B, led by 101 Dalmatians (1996).
- January $226.1M #1 Mr. Holland's Opus (1996)
- February $375.4M #1 Broken Arrow (1996)
- March $659.1M #1 The Birdcage (1996)
- April $486.9M #1 Primal Fear (1996)
- May $1.2B #1 Twister (1996)
- June $1.4B #1 The Rock (1996)
- July $1.2B #1 Independence Day (1996)
- August $420.9M #1 Chain Reaction (1996)
- September $373.8M #1 The First Wives Club (1996)
- October $489.5M #1 Sleepers (1996)
- November $1.7B #1 101 Dalmatians (1996)
- December $1.3B #1 Jerry Maguire (1996)
FAQ
Box Office May 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 24 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing movie in May 1996?
Twister (1996) leads with $494.6M worldwide, $241.8M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Mission: Impossible (1996) at $457.7M and DragonHeart (1996) at $115.3M.
How much did movies released in May 1996 earn?
24 films released in May 1996 report a worldwide gross, $1.2B in all, or $51.3M per film on average. April 1996 releases took $486.9M.
How many movies released in May 1996 made $1 billion?
None. 3 films crossed $100 million, led by Twister (1996) with $494.6M.
How is the May 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 May 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 May 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.