#1 of 20 #1 movie of May 1997
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
1997 · Action, Adventure
$618.6M worldwide · 56% of the chart's total
$229.1M US & Canada · 37% $389.6M elsewhere · 63%
Box office · May 1997
May 1997 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing May Releases
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) is the highest-grossing movie released in May 1997, with $618.6M worldwide, ahead of The Fifth Element (1997) at $263.9M and Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) at $67.7M. 20 films released in May 1997 report a worldwide gross, $1.1B in all, 45% of it from the US & Canada. 2 films crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is up 106% on April 1997, whose releases took $535.2M. By genre, Action leads with $956.8M across 4 releases.
- May 1997 releases with a gross
- 20
- combined worldwide
- $1.1B
- films crossed $100M
- 2
- vs April 1997
- +106%
#1 of 20 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Hits of May 1997?
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) leads with $618.6M, 56% of the total. The top 5 together took $1B, 94% of what all 20 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 $67.7M Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)$53.9M US & Canada · 80% $13.8M elsewhere · 20% -
Number 4 -
Number 5
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Release of May 1997, 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 1997.
- 1 May 23, 1997 US and Canada: $229.1M Rest of the world: $389.6M Worldwide: $618.6M
- 2 May 9, 1997 US and Canada: $63.8M Rest of the world: $200.1M Worldwide: $263.9M
- 3 Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)May 2, 1997 US and Canada: $53.9M Rest of the world: $13.8M Worldwide: $67.7M
May 2, 1997 · English · Action, Adventure $67.7M worldwide - 4 May 2, 1997 US and Canada: $50.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $50.2M
- 5 May 23, 1997 US and Canada: $34.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $34.7M
- 6
May 9, 1997 US and Canada: $28.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $28.6M - 7
May 30, 1997 US and Canada: $13.6M Rest of the world: $995.7K Worldwide: $14.6M - 8
May 16, 1997 US and Canada: $9.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $9.9M - 9
May 2, 1997 US and Canada: $6.5M Rest of the world: $12.4K Worldwide: $6.5M - 10
May 16, 1997 US and Canada: $3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $3M - 11
May 23, 1997 US and Canada: $2.6M Rest of the world: $21K Worldwide: $2.6M - 12
May 2, 1997 US and Canada: $548.6K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $548.6K - 13
May 11, 1997 US and Canada: $386.7K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $386.7K - 14
May 9, 1997 US and Canada: $384.8K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $384.8K - 15
The Second Jungle Book: Mowgli & Baloo (1997)May 16, 1997 US and Canada: $346.1K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $346.1K May 16, 1997 · English · Adventure, Family $346.1K worldwide - 16
May 9, 1997 US and Canada: $194.2K Rest of the world: $3.8K Worldwide: $198K - 17
May 4, 1997 US and Canada: $78K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $78K - 18
May 13, 1997 US and Canada: $37.6K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $37.6K - 19
May 15, 1997 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.8K - 20
May 26, 1997 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $647
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in May 1997?
Of the top 10, Breakdown (1997) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while The Fifth Element (1997) made 76% of its gross abroad. Across all 20 films, $497.8M (45%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) $618.6M $229.1M US & Canada · 37% $389.6M elsewhere · 63%
- 2 The Fifth Element (1997) $263.9M $63.8M US & Canada · 24% $200.1M elsewhere · 76%
- 3 Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) $67.7M $53.9M US & Canada · 80% $13.8M elsewhere · 20%
- 4 Breakdown (1997) $50.2M $50.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Addicted to Love (1997) $34.7M $34.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 6 Fathers' Day (1997) $28.6M $28.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 7 Trial and Error (1997) $14.6M $13.6M US & Canada · 93% $995.7K elsewhere · 7%
- 8 Night Falls on Manhattan (1997) $9.9M $9.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 9 Warriors of Virtue (1997) $6.5M $6.5M US & Canada · 100% $12.4K elsewhere · <1%
- 10 Love! Valour! Compassion! (1997) $3M $3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Gross bands
How Many May 1997 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
2 of 20 films crossed $100M and took $882.6M between them, 80% of the total. 13 films, 65% of the list, earned under $10M.
56% 24% 18%
- $1B or more 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $500M to $1B 1 film, 5% of the list $618.6M · 56% of the gross
- $100M to $500M 1 film, 5% of the list $263.9M · 24% of the gross
- $10M to $100M 5 films, 25% of the list $195.7M · 18% of the gross
- Under $10M 13 films, 65% of the list $24M · 2% of the gross
By release week
Which Week of May 1997 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 21 (May 18–24) took $655.9M, led by The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 18 Wk 18 Apr 27–May 3 Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) $125M Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
- Week 19 Wk 19 May 4–10 The Fifth Element (1997) $293.2M The Fifth Element (1997)
- Week 20 Wk 20 May 11–17 Night Falls on Manhattan (1997) $13.6M Night Falls on Manhattan (1997)
- Week 21 Wk 21 May 18–24 The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) $655.9M The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
- Week 22 Wk 22 May 25–31 Trial and Error (1997) $14.6M Trial and Error (1997)
Earlier years
How Does May 1997 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 1997 took $1.1B.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1988 28 films | 28 | $533.3M | – | 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 |
| May 1997 20 films · −10% | 20 | $1.1B | −10% | The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) $618.6M |
Genres & languages
Which Genres and Languages Earned the Most in May 1997?
Action took $956.8M across 4 films, 87% of the total, ahead of Adventure ($950.7M) and Thriller ($933.2M). A film counts once for each of its genres. English-language films took $1B across 14 films, 94% of the total, ahead of Chinese-language films ($34.7M) and Turkish-language films ($384.8K).
May 1997 Box Office by Genre
-
Action $956.8M4 films · #1 The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) -
Adventure $950.7M5 films · #1 The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) -
Thriller $933.2M5 films · #1 The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) -
Sci-Fi $882.8M3 films · #1 The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) -
Romance $347.9M7 films · #1 The Fifth Element (1997) -
Comedy $151.9M10 films · #1 Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) -
Crime $77.7M3 films · #1 Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) -
Drama $17.1M10 films · #1 Night Falls on Manhattan (1997) -
Family $6.9M2 films · #1 Warriors of Virtue (1997) -
Fantasy $6.6M2 films · #1 Warriors of Virtue (1997)
Archive
Box Office in 1997, Month by Month
The months of 1997 with their totals: December leads with $3.7B, led by Titanic (1997).
- January $141.6M #1 The Relic (1997)
- February $495.3M #1 Dante's Peak (1997)
- March $631.1M #1 Liar Liar (1997)
- April $535.2M #1 Anaconda (1997)
- May $1.1B #1 The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
- June $1.4B #1 My Best Friend's Wedding (1997)
- July $1.4B #1 Men in Black (1997)
- August $807.3M #1 The Full Monty (1997)
- September $540M #1 L.A. Confidential (1997)
- October $628.6M #1 The Devil's Advocate (1997)
- November $1.2B #1 Bean (1997)
- December $3.7B #1 Titanic (1997)
FAQ
Box Office May 1997: 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 20 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing movie in May 1997?
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) leads with $618.6M worldwide, $229.1M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Fifth Element (1997) at $263.9M and Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) at $67.7M.
How much did movies released in May 1997 earn?
20 films released in May 1997 report a worldwide gross, $1.1B in all, or $55.1M per film on average. April 1997 releases took $535.2M.
How many movies released in May 1997 made $1 billion?
None. 2 films crossed $100 million, led by The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) with $618.6M.
How is the May 1997 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 1997. 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 1997 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.