#1 of 74 #1 movie of May 2009
2009 · Adventure, Drama
$735.1M worldwide · 22% of the chart's total
$293M US & Canada · 40% $442.1M elsewhere · 60%
Box office · May 2009
May 2009 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing May Releases
Up (2009) is the highest-grossing movie released in May 2009, with $735.1M worldwide, ahead of Angels & Demons (2009) at $485.9M and Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009) at $413.1M. 74 films released in May 2009 report a worldwide gross, $3.3B in all, 40% of it from the US & Canada. 7 films crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is up 165% on April 2009, whose releases took $1.2B. By genre, Adventure leads with $1.9B across 7 releases.
- May 2009 releases with a gross
- 74
- combined worldwide
- $3.3B
- films crossed $100M
- 7
- vs April 2009
- +165%
#1 of 74 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Hits of May 2009?
Up (2009) leads with $735.1M, 22% of the total. The top 5 together took $2.4B, 73% of what all 74 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 $413.1M Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009)$177.2M US & Canada · 43% $235.9M elsewhere · 57% -
Number 4 -
Number 5
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Release of May 2009, Ranked by Worldwide Gross
Ranks 1 to 50 of 74. Lifetime worldwide grosses in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation; domestic means the US & Canada. Films are grouped by their release date in May 2009.
- 1 May 29, 2009 US and Canada: $293M Rest of the world: $442.1M Worldwide: $735.1M
- 2 May 15, 2009 US and Canada: $133.4M Rest of the world: $352.6M Worldwide: $485.9M
- 3 Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009)May 22, 2009 US and Canada: $177.2M Rest of the world: $235.9M Worldwide: $413.1M
May 22, 2009 · English · Action, Adventure $413.1M worldwide - 4 May 7, 2009 US and Canada: $257.7M Rest of the world: $128M Worldwide: $385.7M
- 5 May 1, 2009 US and Canada: $179.9M Rest of the world: $193.2M Worldwide: $373.1M
- 6
May 21, 2009 US and Canada: $125.3M Rest of the world: $246M Worldwide: $371.4M - 7
May 1, 2009 US and Canada: $55.3M Rest of the world: $47.1M Worldwide: $102.4M - 8
May 29, 2009 US and Canada: $42.1M Rest of the world: $48.7M Worldwide: $90.8M - 9
May 30, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $88.1M - 10
May 29, 2009 US and Canada: $1.5M Rest of the world: $72.7M Worldwide: $74.2M - 11
May 9, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $32.1M - 12
May 22, 2009 US and Canada: $25.7M Rest of the world: $5.8M Worldwide: $31.4M - 13
May 22, 2009 US and Canada: $2.7M Rest of the world: $15.8M Worldwide: $18.5M - 14
May 8, 2009 US and Canada: $1.8M Rest of the world: $9.3M Worldwide: $11.2M - 15
May 8, 2009 US and Canada: $10M Rest of the world: $145.5K Worldwide: $10.2M - 16
May 15, 2009 US and Canada: $1.7M Rest of the world: $6.2M Worldwide: $7.8M - 17
Super Kamen Rider Den-O & Decade NEO Generations: The Onigashima Warship (2009)May 1, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $7.5M
May 1, 2009 · Japanese · Action, Sci-Fi $7.5M worldwide - 18
May 15, 2009 US and Canada: $3.5M Rest of the world: $2M Worldwide: $5.5M - 19
May 17, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $5.5M - 20
May 14, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $4.7M - 21
May 27, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $3.8M - 22
May 14, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $3.7M - 23
May 15, 2009 US and Canada: $934.7K Rest of the world: $1.6M Worldwide: $2.6M - 24
May 13, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $2.3M - 25
May 15, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $2M - 26
May 1, 2009 US and Canada: $426.7K Rest of the world: $1.6M Worldwide: $2M - 27
May 1, 2009 US and Canada: $41.3K Rest of the world: $1.9M Worldwide: $2M - 28
May 22, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.4M - 29
May 8, 2009 US and Canada: $65.1K Rest of the world: $1.3M Worldwide: $1.3M - 30
May 14, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.2M - 31
May 22, 2009 US and Canada: $695.8K Rest of the world: $365.1K Worldwide: $1.1M - 32
May 15, 2009 US and Canada: $60.4K Rest of the world: $846.2K Worldwide: $906.6K - 33
May 1, 2009 US and Canada: $258.4K Rest of the world: $628K Worldwide: $886.4K - 34
May 8, 2009 US and Canada: $481.6K Rest of the world: $286K Worldwide: $767.6K - 35
May 17, 2009 US and Canada: $754.3K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $754.3K - 36
May 7, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $690.7K - 37
May 16, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $541.2K - 38
May 29, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $494.5K - 39
May 1, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $493.5K - 40
May 14, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $415.6K - 41
May 8, 2009 US and Canada: $294.2K Rest of the world: $90.4K Worldwide: $384.7K - 42
May 1, 2009 US and Canada: $348K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $348K - 43
May 8, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $309.5K - 44
First Squad: The Moment of Truth (2009)May 13, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $292.4K
May 13, 2009 · Russian · Action, Animation $292.4K worldwide - 45
May 26, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $220.9K - 46
May 14, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $211K - 47
May 1, 2009 US and Canada: $6.7K Rest of the world: $198.9K Worldwide: $205.6K - 48
May 20, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $169.3K - 49
May 15, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $160K - 50
May 1, 2009 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $150.1K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in May 2009?
Of the top 10, Star Trek (2009) earned the biggest share at home (67% in the US & Canada), while Departures (2009) made 98% of its gross abroad. Across all 74 films, $1.3B (40%) came from the US & Canada. 1 film of the top 10 reports no US & Canada figure.
- 1 Up (2009) $735.1M $293M US & Canada · 40% $442.1M elsewhere · 60%
- 2 Angels & Demons (2009) $485.9M $133.4M US & Canada · 27% $352.6M elsewhere · 73%
- 3 Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009) $413.1M $177.2M US & Canada · 43% $235.9M elsewhere · 57%
- 4 Star Trek (2009) $385.7M $257.7M US & Canada · 67% $128M elsewhere · 33%
- 5 X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) $373.1M $179.9M US & Canada · 48% $193.2M elsewhere · 52%
- 6 Terminator Salvation (2009) $371.4M $125.3M US & Canada · 34% $246M elsewhere · 66%
- 7 Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009) $102.4M $55.3M US & Canada · 54% $47.1M elsewhere · 46%
- 8 Drag Me to Hell (2009) $90.8M $42.1M US & Canada · 46% $48.7M elsewhere · 54%
- 9 Rookies the Movie: Graduation (2009) $88.1M No US & Canada figure reported
- 10 Departures (2009) $74.2M $1.5M US & Canada · 2% $72.7M elsewhere · 98%
Gross bands
How Many May 2009 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
7 of 74 films crossed $100M and took $2.9B between them, 87% of the total. 59 films, 80% of the list, earned under $10M.
22% 65% 11%
- $1B or more 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $500M to $1B 1 film, 1% of the list $735.1M · 22% of the gross
- $100M to $500M 6 films, 8% of the list $2.1B · 65% of the gross
- $10M to $100M 8 films, 11% of the list $356.5M · 11% of the gross
- Under $10M 59 films, 80% of the list $64M · 2% of the gross
By release week
Which Week of May 2009 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 22 (May 24–30) took $993.1M, led by Up (2009). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 18 Wk 18 Apr 26–May 2 X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) $489.1M X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
- Week 19 Wk 19 May 3–9 Star Trek (2009) $442.8M Star Trek (2009)
- Week 20 Wk 20 May 10–16 Angels & Demons (2009) $518.7M Angels & Demons (2009)
- Week 21 Wk 21 May 17–23 Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009) $843.4M Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009)
- Week 22 Wk 22 May 24–30 Up (2009) $993.1M Up (2009)
- Week 23 Wk 23 May 31–Jun 6 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does May 2009 Compare With May in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, May 2009 earned the most: $3.3B from 74 films, led by Up (2009).
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2000 33 films | 33 | $1.8B | – | Mission: Impossible II (2000) $546.4M |
| May 2001 36 films · −1% | 36 | $1.7B | −1% | Shrek (2001) $489M |
| May 2002 71 films · +37% | 71 | $2.4B | +37% | Spider-Man (2002) $825.8M |
| May 2003 64 films · +32% | 64 | $3.2B | +32% | Finding Nemo (2003) $941.6M |
| May 2004 62 films · −21% | 62 | $2.5B | −21% | Shrek 2 (2004) $932.5M |
| May 2005 89 films · −1% | 89 | $2.5B | −1% | Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) $905.6M |
| May 2006 74 films · +2% | 74 | $2.5B | +2% | The Da Vinci Code (2006) $760M |
| May 2007 106 films · +20% | 106 | $3B | +20% | Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) $961.7M |
| May 2008 89 films · −6% | 89 | $2.8B | −6% | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) $786.6M |
| May 2009 74 films · +16% | 74 | $3.3B | +16% | Up (2009) $735.1M |
Genres & languages
Which Genres and Languages Earned the Most in May 2009?
Adventure took $1.9B across 7 films, 58% of the total, ahead of Action ($1.6B) and Comedy ($1.4B). A film counts once for each of its genres. English-language films took $3B across 39 films, 92% of the total, ahead of Japanese-language films ($203.3M) and French-language films ($12M).
May 2009 Box Office by Genre
-
Adventure $1.9B7 films · #1 Up (2009) -
Action $1.6B14 films · #1 Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009) -
Comedy $1.4B21 films · #1 Up (2009) -
Thriller $1.3B17 films · #1 Angels & Demons (2009) -
Family $1.2B3 films · #1 Up (2009) -
Sci-Fi $1.1B6 films · #1 Star Trek (2009) -
Drama $981.7M38 films · #1 Up (2009) -
Fantasy $890M5 films · #1 Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009) -
Animation $735.4M2 films · #1 Up (2009) -
Mystery $492.7M3 films · #1 Angels & Demons (2009)
May 2009 Box Office by Language
- English $3B39 films · #1 Up (2009)
- Japanese $203.3M6 films · #1 Rookies the Movie: Graduation (2009)
-
French $12M3 films · #1 Summer Hours (2009) -
Spanish $11.2M3 films · #1 Rudo y Cursi (2009) - Russian $6.5M3 films · #1 Tsar (2009)
-
Korean $4.1M3 films · #1 Castaway on the Moon (2009) -
Tagalog $2.3M1 film · #1 BFF: Best Friends Forever (2009) -
Hindi $2M1 film · #1 99 (2009) -
Turkish $2M1 film · #1 Three Monkeys (2009) -
German $1.8M2 films · #1 Jerichow (2009)
Archive
Box Office in 2009, Month by Month
The months of 2009 with their totals: December leads with $5.2B, led by Avatar (2009).
- January $1.3B #1 Taken (2009)
- February $1.2B #1 Coraline (2009)
- March $1.4B #1 Monsters vs Aliens (2009)
- April $1.2B #1 Fast & Furious (2009)
- May $3.3B #1 Up (2009)
- June $2.3B #1 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
- July $3.2B #1 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
- August $1.8B #1 Inglourious Basterds (2009)
- September $1.5B #1 Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)
- October $1.4B #1 This Is It (2009)
- November $3.3B #1 2012 (2009)
- December $5.2B #1 Avatar (2009)
FAQ
Box Office May 2009: 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 74 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing movie in May 2009?
Up (2009) leads with $735.1M worldwide, $293M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Angels & Demons (2009) at $485.9M and Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009) at $413.1M.
How much did movies released in May 2009 earn?
74 films released in May 2009 report a worldwide gross, $3.3B in all, or $44.4M per film on average. April 2009 releases took $1.2B.
How many movies released in May 2009 made $1 billion?
None. 7 films crossed $100 million, led by Up (2009) with $735.1M.
How is the May 2009 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 2009. 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 2009 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.