#1 of 30 #1 movie of May 1998
1998 · Action, Sci-Fi
$379M worldwide · 33% of the chart's total
$136.3M US & Canada · 36% $242.7M elsewhere · 64%
Box office · May 1998
May 1998 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing May Releases
Godzilla (1998) is the highest-grossing movie released in May 1998, with $379M worldwide, ahead of Deep Impact (1998) at $349.5M and The Horse Whisperer (1998) at $186.9M. 30 films released in May 1998 report a worldwide gross, $1.2B in all, 50% of it from the US & Canada. 3 films crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is up 81% on April 1998, whose releases took $643.5M. By genre, Action leads with $751.7M across 4 releases.
- May 1998 releases with a gross
- 30
- combined worldwide
- $1.2B
- films crossed $100M
- 3
- vs April 1998
- +81%
#1 of 30 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Hits of May 1998?
Godzilla (1998) leads with $379M, 33% of the total. The top 5 together took $1B, 88% of what all 30 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 1998, 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 1998.
- 1 May 19, 1998 US and Canada: $136.3M Rest of the world: $242.7M Worldwide: $379M
- 2 May 8, 1998 US and Canada: $140.5M Rest of the world: $209M Worldwide: $349.5M
- 3 May 15, 1998 US and Canada: $75.4M Rest of the world: $111.5M Worldwide: $186.9M
- 4 May 29, 1998 US and Canada: $60.1M Rest of the world: $21.4M Worldwide: $81.5M
- 5 May 19, 1998 US and Canada: $26.5M Rest of the world: $2.7M Worldwide: $29.2M
- 6
May 15, 1998 US and Canada: $22.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $22.5M - 7
May 1, 1998 US and Canada: $21.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $21.6M - 8
May 1, 1998 US and Canada: $14.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $14.1M - 9
May 8, 1998 US and Canada: $13.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $13.5M - 10
May 1, 1998 US and Canada: $13M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $13M - 11
May 22, 1998 US and Canada: $10.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $10.7M - 12
May 27, 1998 US and Canada: $10.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $10.3M - 13
May 8, 1998 US and Canada: $8.1M Rest of the world: $101K Worldwide: $8.2M - 14
May 29, 1998 US and Canada: $6.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $6.1M - 15
May 22, 1998 US and Canada: $5.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.9M - 16
May 29, 1998 US and Canada: $3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $3M - 17
May 18, 1998 US and Canada: $2.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $2.2M - 18
May 1, 1998 US and Canada: $2.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $2.2M - 19
May 1, 1998 US and Canada: $1.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.9M - 20
May 16, 1998 US and Canada: $379.4K Rest of the world: $329K Worldwide: $708.4K - 21
May 1, 1998 US and Canada: $676.6K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $676.6K - 22
May 15, 1998 US and Canada: $537.9K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $537.9K - 23
May 1, 1998 US and Canada: $375.3K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $375.3K - 24
May 15, 1998 US and Canada: $355K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $355K - 25
May 14, 1998 US and Canada: $56K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $56K - 26
May 13, 1998 US and Canada: $15.2K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $15.2K - 27
May 14, 1998 US and Canada: $14.7K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $14.7K - 28
May 20, 1998 US and Canada: $9.5K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $9.5K - 29
May 16, 1998 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $2.5K - 30
May 20, 1998 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.1K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in May 1998?
Of the top 10, Quest for Camelot (1998) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Godzilla (1998) made 64% of its gross abroad. Across all 30 films, $576.2M (50%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Godzilla (1998) $379M $136.3M US & Canada · 36% $242.7M elsewhere · 64%
- 2 Deep Impact (1998) $349.5M $140.5M US & Canada · 40% $209M elsewhere · 60%
- 3 The Horse Whisperer (1998) $186.9M $75.4M US & Canada · 40% $111.5M elsewhere · 60%
- 4 Hope Floats (1998) $81.5M $60.1M US & Canada · 74% $21.4M elsewhere · 26%
- 5 Bulworth (1998) $29.2M $26.5M US & Canada · 91% $2.7M elsewhere · 9%
- 6 Quest for Camelot (1998) $22.5M $22.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 7 He Got Game (1998) $21.6M $21.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 8 Les Misérables (1998) $14.1M $14.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 9 Africa’s Elephant Kingdom (1998) $13.5M $13.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 10 Black Dog (1998) $13M $13M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Gross bands
How Many May 1998 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
3 of 30 films crossed $100M and took $915.4M between them, 79% of the total. 18 films, 60% of the list, earned under $10M.
79% 19%
- $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, 10% of the list $915.4M · 79% of the gross
- $10M to $100M 9 films, 30% of the list $216.3M · 19% of the gross
- Under $10M 18 films, 60% of the list $32.3M · 3% of the gross
By release week
Which Week of May 1998 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 21 (May 17–23) took $427M, led by Godzilla (1998). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 18 Wk 18 Apr 26–May 2 He Got Game (1998) $53.8M He Got Game (1998)
- Week 19 Wk 19 May 3–9 Deep Impact (1998) $371.1M Deep Impact (1998)
- Week 20 Wk 20 May 10–16 The Horse Whisperer (1998) $211.1M The Horse Whisperer (1998)
- Week 21 Wk 21 May 17–23 Godzilla (1998) $427M Godzilla (1998)
- Week 22 Wk 22 May 24–30 Hope Floats (1998) $100.9M Hope Floats (1998)
- Week 23 Wk 23 May 31–Jun 6 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does May 1998 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 1998 took $1.2B.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1989 27 films | 27 | $595M | – | 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 |
| May 1998 30 films · +6% | 30 | $1.2B | +6% | Godzilla (1998) $379M |
Genres & languages
Which Genres and Languages Earned the Most in May 1998?
Action took $751.7M across 4 films, 65% of the total, ahead of Thriller ($730.4M) and Sci-Fi ($728.5M). A film counts once for each of its genres. English-language films took $784.9M across 26 films, 67% of the total, ahead of Persian-language films ($15.2K) and Chinese-language films ($2.5K).
May 1998 Box Office by Genre
-
Action $751.7M4 films · #1 Godzilla (1998) -
Thriller $730.4M4 films · #1 Godzilla (1998) -
Sci-Fi $728.5M3 films · #1 Godzilla (1998) -
Drama $706.7M19 films · #1 Deep Impact (1998) -
Horror $379M1 film · #1 Godzilla (1998) -
Romance $331.3M10 films · #1 The Horse Whisperer (1998) -
Western $193M2 films · #1 The Horse Whisperer (1998) -
Comedy $68.5M13 films · #1 Bulworth (1998) -
Sport $21.6M1 film · #1 He Got Game (1998) -
Crime $16.8M4 films · #1 Les Misérables (1998)
Archive
Box Office in 1998, Month by Month
The months of 1998 with their totals: July leads with $2.3B, led by Armageddon (1998).
- January $238.5M #1 Great Expectations (1998)
- February $276.3M #1 The Wedding Singer (1998)
- March $457.9M #1 The Man in the Iron Mask (1998)
- April $643.5M #1 City of Angels (1998)
- May $1.2B #1 Godzilla (1998)
- June $1.5B #1 Mulan (1998)
- July $2.3B #1 Armageddon (1998)
- August $447M #1 Blade (1998)
- September $453.7M #1 Rush Hour (1998)
- October $872.1M #1 Life Is Beautiful (1998)
- November $1.5B #1 A Bug's Life (1998)
- December $1.5B #1 Shakespeare in Love (1998)
FAQ
Box Office May 1998: 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 30 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing movie in May 1998?
Godzilla (1998) leads with $379M worldwide, $136.3M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Deep Impact (1998) at $349.5M and The Horse Whisperer (1998) at $186.9M.
How much did movies released in May 1998 earn?
30 films released in May 1998 report a worldwide gross, $1.2B in all, or $38.8M per film on average. April 1998 releases took $643.5M.
How many movies released in May 1998 made $1 billion?
None. 3 films crossed $100 million, led by Godzilla (1998) with $379M.
How is the May 1998 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 1998. 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 1998 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.