Yearly chart

1978 Box Office Rankings

Year-specific reference chart with worldwide gross, reported budgets, openings and ROI where available.

About the 1978 chart

This 1978 box office chart highlights films released in 1978, using available worldwide gross, budget, gross-minus-budget and ROI data. Some titles may have richer financial detail than others, depending on source coverage and later corrections.

Year gross$2.53Bvisible records

Avg budget$6.0Mbudgeted titles

Top opening—Grease

Releases89available for year

1978 quick chart highlights

Additional ways to explore the year’s highest-performing titles.

Top gross

Grease$396.3M Superman$300.5M Jaws 2$187.9M Animal House$141.0M Heaven Can Wait$98.8M

Best ROI

Grease66.05x Animal House52.22x La Cage aux Folles18.57x Good Guys Wear Black18.30x Every Which Way but Loose17.04x

Gross-minus-budget leaders

Grease$390.3M Superman$245.5M Jaws 2$167.9M Animal House$138.3M Heaven Can Wait$83.8M

1978 movie chart

Sorted by worldwide gross.

#	Movie	Year	Worldwide	Budget	Gross - budget	ROI	Studio / Distributor
1	Grease WW Financial	1978	$396.3M	$6.0M	$390.3M	66.05x	Paramount Pictures
2	Superman WW Financial	1978	$300.5M	$55.0M	$245.5M	5.46x	Dovemead Films
3	Jaws 2 WW Financial	1978	$187.9M	$20.0M	$167.9M	9.39x	Universal Pictures
4	Animal House WW Financial	1978	$141.0M	$2.7M	$138.3M	52.22x	Universal Pictures
5	Heaven Can Wait WW Financial	1978	$98.8M	$15.0M	$83.8M	6.59x	Paramount Pictures
6	Every Which Way but Loose WW Financial	1978	$85.2M	$5.0M	$80.2M	17.04x	Malpaso Productions
7	Hooper WW Financial	1978	$78.0M	$6.0M	$72.0M	13.00x	Warner Bros. Pictures
8	Halloween WW Financial	1978	$70.3M	$325,000	$69.9M	216.19x	Compass International Pictures
9	Dawn of the Dead WW Financial	1978	$55.0M	$640,000	$54.4M	85.94x	Dawn Associates
10	Game of Death WW Financial	1978	$50.0M	$850,000	$49.2M	58.82x	Orange Sky Golden Harvest
11	Revenge of the Pink Panther WW Financial	1978	$49.6M	$12.0M	$37.6M	4.13x	United Artists
12	The Deer Hunter WW Financial	1978	$49.0M	$15.0M	$34.0M	3.27x	Universal Pictures
13	Convoy WW Financial	1978	$45.0M	$12.0M	$33.0M	3.75x	United Artists
14	Foul Play WW Financial	1978	$45.0M	$5.0M	$40.0M	9.00x	Paramount Pictures
15	The End WW Financial	1978	$45.0M	$3.0M	$42.0M	15.00x	United Artists
16	Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato WW Financial	1978	$43.0M	$3.6M	$39.4M	11.94x	Office Academy
17	California Suite WW Financial No budget	1978	$42.0M	—	—	—	Columbia Pictures
18	Up in Smoke WW Financial No budget	1978	$41.6M	—	—	—	Paramount Pictures
19	Midnight Express WW Financial	1978	$35.0M	$2.3M	$32.7M	15.22x	Columbia Pictures
20	Coming Home WW Financial	1978	$32.7M	$3.0M	$29.7M	10.88x	United Artists
21	The Lord of the Rings WW Financial	1978	$30.5M	$4.0M	$26.5M	7.62x	Fantasy Films
22	House Calls WW Financial	1978	$28.5M	$6.5M	$22.0M	4.38x	Universal Pictures
23	Damien - Omen II WW Financial	1978	$26.5M	$6.8M	$19.7M	3.90x	Mace Neufeld Productions
24	Invasion of the Body Snatchers WW Financial	1978	$24.9M	$3.5M	$21.4M	7.13x	United Artists
25	An Unmarried Woman WW Financial	1978	$24.0M	$2.5M	$21.5M	9.54x	20th Century Fox
26	The Fury WW Financial Hidden	1978	$24.0M	$5.5M	$18.5M	4.36x	Frank Yablans Presentations
27	Magic WW Financial Hidden	1978	$23.8M	$7.0M	$16.8M	3.40x	Joseph E. Levine Productions
28	The Wiz WW Financial Hidden	1978	$21.0M	$24.0M	-$3.0M	0.88x	Motown Productions
29	La Cage aux Folles WW Financial Hidden	1978	$20.4M	$1.1M	$19.3M	18.57x	Les Productions Artistes Associés
30	F.I.S.T. WW Financial Hidden	1978	$20.4M	$11.0M	$9.4M	1.85x	United Artists
31	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band WW Financial Hidden	1978	$20.4M	$18.0M	$2.4M	1.13x	Universal Pictures
32	Eyes of Laura Mars WW Financial Hidden	1978	$20.0M	$7.0M	$13.0M	2.86x	Columbia Pictures
33	Same Time, Next Year WW Financial Hidden	1978	$19.7M	$1.2M	$18.5M	16.70x	Universal Pictures
34	The Boys from Brazil WW Financial Hidden	1978	$19.0M	$12.0M	$7.0M	1.58x	The Producer Circle Co.
35	Good Guys Wear Black WW Financial Hidden	1978	$18.3M	$1.0M	$17.3M	18.30x	—
36	The One and Only WW Financial No budget Hidden	1978	$16.9M	—	—	—	First Artists
37	Drunken Master WW Financial No budget Hidden	1978	$16.5M	—	—	—	Seasonal Film Corporation
38	Piranha WW Financial Hidden	1978	$16.0M	$660,000	$15.3M	24.24x	New World Pictures
39	Corvette Summer WW Financial No budget Hidden	1978	$15.5M	—	—	—	Metro Goldwyn Mayer
40	Death on the Nile WW Financial Hidden	1978	$14.6M	$7.9M	$6.6M	1.84x	Mersham Productions
41	The Buddy Holly Story WW Financial Hidden	1978	$14.4M	$1.2M	$13.2M	11.97x	Innovisions
42	The Greek Tycoon WW Financial Hidden	1978	$14.0M	$6.5M	$7.5M	2.15x	Universal Pictures
43	The Big Fix WW Financial Hidden	1978	$13.0M	$3.8M	$9.2M	3.42x	Universal Pictures
44	Pretty Baby WW Financial Hidden	1978	$11.6M	$3.5M	$8.1M	3.31x	Paramount Pictures
45	The Legacy WW Financial Hidden	1978	$11.4M	$2.5M	$8.9M	4.55x	Universal Pictures
46	American Hot Wax WW Financial No budget Hidden	1978	$11.0M	—	—	—	Paramount Pictures
47	Interiors WW Financial Hidden	1978	$10.4M	$3.1M	$7.3M	3.37x	United Artists
48	Straight Time WW Financial Hidden	1978	$9.9M	$4.0M	$5.9M	2.48x	First Artists
49	The Wild Geese WW Financial Hidden	1978	$9.9M	$11.6M	-$1.7M	0.85x	Richmond Productions
50	Comes a Horseman WW Financial No budget Hidden	1978	$9.6M	—	—	—	United Artists
51	The Glacier Fox WW Financial Hidden	1978	$8.8M	$4.5M	$4.3M	1.96x	Sanrio
52	The Swarm WW Financial Hidden	1978	$7.7M	$21.0M	-$13.3M	0.37x	Warner Bros. Pictures
53	Goin' South WW Financial No budget Hidden	1978	$7.4M	—	—	—	Paramount Pictures
54	King of the Gypsies WW Financial Hidden	1978	$7.3M	$5.0M	$2.3M	1.47x	The De Laurentiis Company
55	Force 10 from Navarone WW Financial Hidden	1978	$7.2M	$5.0M	$2.2M	1.45x	Columbia Pictures
56	Paradise Alley WW Financial Hidden	1978	$7.2M	$6.0M	$1.2M	1.20x	Universal Pictures
57	The Bad News Bears Go to Japan WW Financial No budget Hidden	1978	$7.1M	—	—	—	Paramount Pictures
58	Blue Collar WW Financial Hidden	1978	$6.5M	$1.7M	$4.8M	3.84x	Tat Communications Company
59	Return from Witch Mountain WW Financial No budget Hidden	1978	$6.4M	—	—	—	Walt Disney Productions
60	Gray Lady Down WW Financial No budget Hidden	1978	$5.4M	—	—	—	Universal Pictures
61	Brass Target WW Financial No budget Hidden	1978	$5.0M	—	—	—	Metro Goldwyn Mayer
62	The Driver WW Financial Hidden	1978	$4.9M	$4.0M	$900,000	1.23x	20th Century Fox
63	Lupin the Third: The Mystery of Mamo WW Financial Hidden	1978	$4.2M	$2.0M	$2.2M	2.10x	Toho
64	Watership Down WW Financial Hidden	1978	$3.7M	$1.0M	$2.7M	3.71x	Nepenthe Productions
65	Days of Heaven WW Financial Hidden	1978	$3.7M	$3.0M	$700,000	1.23x	Paramount Pictures
66	10th Degree Earthquake WW Financial Hidden	1978	$3.5M	$2.8M	$650,000	1.23x	Unifilm Distribution
67	Lemon Popsicle WW Financial Hidden	1978	$3.0M	$750,000	$2.3M	4.00x	Golan Globus Productions
68	The National Shotgun WW Financial No budget Hidden	1978	$1.6M	—	—	—	Incine
69	It Lives Again WW Financial Hidden	1978	$1.5M	$750,000	$750,000	2.00x	Larco Productions
70	امرأة بلا قيد WW Financial Hidden	1978	$1.0M	$100,000	$900,000	10.00x	—
71	Confessions of a Congressman WW Financial No budget Hidden	1978	$631,083	—	—	—	Fígaro Films
72	Satan's Blood WW Financial Hidden	1978	$594,947	$175,000	$419,947	3.40x	Cinevisión
73	Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! WW Financial Hidden	1978	$567,000	$100,420	$466,580	5.65x	Four Square Productions
74	Nunca en horas de clase WW Financial No budget Hidden	1978	$495,861	—	—	—	Films Zodíaco
75	Pepito Piscinas WW Financial No budget Hidden	1978	$490,610	—	—	—	Acuarius Films S.a.
76	Killer of Sheep WW Financial Hidden	1978	$362,222	$100,000	$262,222	3.62x	Milestone Films
77	The Last Waltz WW Financial No budget Hidden	1978	$321,952	—	—	—	Fm Productions
78	The Priest WW Financial No budget Hidden	1978	$302,553	—	—	—	Guión Pc
79	Playing Parents WW Financial No budget Hidden	1978	$278,920	—	—	—	—
80	What's a Girl Like You Doing in a Place Like This? WW Financial No budget Hidden	1978	$233,575	—	—	—	La Salamandra
81	Çıldırtan Kadın WW Financial Hidden	1978	$105,000	$55,000	$50,000	1.91x	Merton Park Studios
82	Sweeney 2 WW Financial No budget Hidden	1978	$65,076	—	—	—	Euston Films
83	Sextette WW Financial Hidden	1978	$50,000	$6.0M	-$6.0M	0.01x	Crown International Pictures
84	Nest of Vipers WW Financial No budget Hidden	1978	$27,182	—	—	—	Mars Film Produzione
85	Northern Lights WW Financial Hidden	1978	$19,368	$300,000	-$280,632	0.06x	New Front Films
86	Tattoo, The First Adventure Of Pepe Carvalho WW Financial No budget Hidden	1978	$17,280	—	—	—	Profilmar P.c.
87	Blue Fin WW Financial Hidden	1978	$703	$750	-$47	0.94x	South Australian Film Corporation
88	Iron Swallow WW Financial No budget Hidden	1978	$320	—	—	—	Bian Sing Motion Picture Co., Ltd..
89	萨里玛珂 WW Financial Hidden	1978	$100	$100	—	1.00x	Beijing Film Studio

Grease 1978 · WW Budget $6.0M · Paramount Pictures

$396.3M ROI 66.05x

Superman 1978 · WW Budget $55.0M · Dovemead Films

$300.5M ROI 5.46x

Jaws 2 1978 · WW Budget $20.0M · Universal Pictures

$187.9M ROI 9.39x

Animal House 1978 · WW Budget $2.7M · Universal Pictures

$141.0M ROI 52.22x

Heaven Can Wait 1978 · WW Budget $15.0M · Paramount Pictures

$98.8M ROI 6.59x

Every Which Way but Loose 1978 · WW Budget $5.0M · Malpaso Productions

$85.2M ROI 17.04x

Hooper 1978 · WW Budget $6.0M · Warner Bros. Pictures

$78.0M ROI 13.00x

Halloween 1978 · WW Budget $325,000 · Compass International Pictures

$70.3M ROI 216.19x

Dawn of the Dead 1978 · WW Budget $640,000 · Dawn Associates

$55.0M ROI 85.94x

Game of Death 1978 · WW Budget $850,000 · Orange Sky Golden Harvest

$50.0M ROI 58.82x

Revenge of the Pink Panther 1978 · WW Budget $12.0M · United Artists

$49.6M ROI 4.13x

The Deer Hunter 1978 · WW Budget $15.0M · Universal Pictures

$49.0M ROI 3.27x

Convoy 1978 · WW Budget $12.0M · United Artists

$45.0M ROI 3.75x

Foul Play 1978 · WW Budget $5.0M · Paramount Pictures

$45.0M ROI 9.00x

The End 1978 · WW Budget $3.0M · United Artists

$45.0M ROI 15.00x

Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato 1978 · WW Budget $3.6M · Office Academy

$43.0M ROI 11.94x

California Suite 1978 · WW Budget — · Columbia Pictures

$42.0M ROI —

Up in Smoke 1978 · WW Budget — · Paramount Pictures

$41.6M ROI —

Midnight Express 1978 · WW Budget $2.3M · Columbia Pictures

$35.0M ROI 15.22x

Coming Home 1978 · WW Budget $3.0M · United Artists

$32.7M ROI 10.88x

The Lord of the Rings 1978 · WW Budget $4.0M · Fantasy Films

$30.5M ROI 7.62x

House Calls 1978 · WW Budget $6.5M · Universal Pictures

$28.5M ROI 4.38x

Damien - Omen II 1978 · WW Budget $6.8M · Mace Neufeld Productions

$26.5M ROI 3.90x

Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1978 · WW Budget $3.5M · United Artists

$24.9M ROI 7.13x

An Unmarried Woman 1978 · WW Budget $2.5M · 20th Century Fox

$24.0M ROI 9.54x

The Fury 1978 · WW Budget $5.5M · Frank Yablans Presentations

$24.0M ROI 4.36x

Magic 1978 · WW Budget $7.0M · Joseph E. Levine Productions

$23.8M ROI 3.40x

The Wiz 1978 · WW Budget $24.0M · Motown Productions

$21.0M ROI 0.88x

La Cage aux Folles 1978 · WW Budget $1.1M · Les Productions Artistes Associés

$20.4M ROI 18.57x

F.I.S.T. 1978 · WW Budget $11.0M · United Artists

$20.4M ROI 1.85x

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band 1978 · WW Budget $18.0M · Universal Pictures

$20.4M ROI 1.13x

Eyes of Laura Mars 1978 · WW Budget $7.0M · Columbia Pictures

$20.0M ROI 2.86x

Same Time, Next Year 1978 · WW Budget $1.2M · Universal Pictures

$19.7M ROI 16.70x

The Boys from Brazil 1978 · WW Budget $12.0M · The Producer Circle Co.

$19.0M ROI 1.58x

Good Guys Wear Black 1978 · WW Budget $1.0M

$18.3M ROI 18.30x

The One and Only 1978 · WW Budget — · First Artists

$16.9M ROI —

Drunken Master 1978 · WW Budget — · Seasonal Film Corporation

$16.5M ROI —

Piranha 1978 · WW Budget $660,000 · New World Pictures

$16.0M ROI 24.24x

Corvette Summer 1978 · WW Budget — · Metro Goldwyn Mayer

$15.5M ROI —

Death on the Nile 1978 · WW Budget $7.9M · Mersham Productions

$14.6M ROI 1.84x

The Buddy Holly Story 1978 · WW Budget $1.2M · Innovisions

$14.4M ROI 11.97x

The Greek Tycoon 1978 · WW Budget $6.5M · Universal Pictures

$14.0M ROI 2.15x

The Big Fix 1978 · WW Budget $3.8M · Universal Pictures

$13.0M ROI 3.42x

Pretty Baby 1978 · WW Budget $3.5M · Paramount Pictures

$11.6M ROI 3.31x

The Legacy 1978 · WW Budget $2.5M · Universal Pictures

$11.4M ROI 4.55x

American Hot Wax 1978 · WW Budget — · Paramount Pictures

$11.0M ROI —

Interiors 1978 · WW Budget $3.1M · United Artists

$10.4M ROI 3.37x

Straight Time 1978 · WW Budget $4.0M · First Artists

$9.9M ROI 2.48x

The Wild Geese 1978 · WW Budget $11.6M · Richmond Productions

$9.9M ROI 0.85x

Comes a Horseman 1978 · WW Budget — · United Artists

$9.6M ROI —

The Glacier Fox 1978 · WW Budget $4.5M · Sanrio

$8.8M ROI 1.96x

The Swarm 1978 · WW Budget $21.0M · Warner Bros. Pictures

$7.7M ROI 0.37x

Goin' South 1978 · WW Budget — · Paramount Pictures

$7.4M ROI —

King of the Gypsies 1978 · WW Budget $5.0M · The De Laurentiis Company

$7.3M ROI 1.47x

Force 10 from Navarone 1978 · WW Budget $5.0M · Columbia Pictures

$7.2M ROI 1.45x

Paradise Alley 1978 · WW Budget $6.0M · Universal Pictures

$7.2M ROI 1.20x

The Bad News Bears Go to Japan 1978 · WW Budget — · Paramount Pictures

$7.1M ROI —

Blue Collar 1978 · WW Budget $1.7M · Tat Communications Company

$6.5M ROI 3.84x

Return from Witch Mountain 1978 · WW Budget — · Walt Disney Productions

$6.4M ROI —

Gray Lady Down 1978 · WW Budget — · Universal Pictures

$5.4M ROI —

Brass Target 1978 · WW Budget — · Metro Goldwyn Mayer

$5.0M ROI —

The Driver 1978 · WW Budget $4.0M · 20th Century Fox

$4.9M ROI 1.23x

Lupin the Third: The Mystery of Mamo 1978 · WW Budget $2.0M · Toho

$4.2M ROI 2.10x

Watership Down 1978 · WW Budget $1.0M · Nepenthe Productions

$3.7M ROI 3.71x

Days of Heaven 1978 · WW Budget $3.0M · Paramount Pictures

$3.7M ROI 1.23x

10th Degree Earthquake 1978 · WW Budget $2.8M · Unifilm Distribution

$3.5M ROI 1.23x

Lemon Popsicle 1978 · WW Budget $750,000 · Golan Globus Productions

$3.0M ROI 4.00x

The National Shotgun 1978 · WW Budget — · Incine

$1.6M ROI —

It Lives Again 1978 · WW Budget $750,000 · Larco Productions

$1.5M ROI 2.00x

امرأة بلا قيد 1978 · WW Budget $100,000

$1.0M ROI 10.00x

Confessions of a Congressman 1978 · WW Budget — · Fígaro Films

$631,083 ROI —

Satan's Blood 1978 · WW Budget $175,000 · Cinevisión

$594,947 ROI 3.40x

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! 1978 · WW Budget $100,420 · Four Square Productions

$567,000 ROI 5.65x

Nunca en horas de clase 1978 · WW Budget — · Films Zodíaco

$495,861 ROI —

Pepito Piscinas 1978 · WW Budget — · Acuarius Films S.a.

$490,610 ROI —

Killer of Sheep 1978 · WW Budget $100,000 · Milestone Films

$362,222 ROI 3.62x

The Last Waltz 1978 · WW Budget — · Fm Productions

$321,952 ROI —

The Priest 1978 · WW Budget — · Guión Pc

$302,553 ROI —

Playing Parents 1978 · WW Budget —

$278,920 ROI —

What's a Girl Like You Doing in a Place Like This? 1978 · WW Budget — · La Salamandra

$233,575 ROI —

Çıldırtan Kadın 1978 · WW Budget $55,000 · Merton Park Studios

$105,000 ROI 1.91x

Sweeney 2 1978 · WW Budget — · Euston Films

$65,076 ROI —

Sextette 1978 · WW Budget $6.0M · Crown International Pictures

$50,000 ROI 0.01x

Nest of Vipers 1978 · WW Budget — · Mars Film Produzione

$27,182 ROI —

Northern Lights 1978 · WW Budget $300,000 · New Front Films

$19,368 ROI 0.06x

Tattoo, The First Adventure Of Pepe Carvalho 1978 · WW Budget — · Profilmar P.c.

$17,280 ROI —

Blue Fin 1978 · WW Budget $750 · South Australian Film Corporation

$703 ROI 0.94x

Iron Swallow 1978 · WW Budget — · Bian Sing Motion Picture Co., Ltd..

$320 ROI —

萨里玛珂 1978 · WW Budget $100 · Beijing Film Studio

$100 ROI 1.00x

1978 box office FAQ

Helpful answers about the 1978 box office chart.

How many movies are included in the 1978 box office chart?

The number of titles depends on available box office data for that release year. More records can appear as source coverage improves.

Why do some movies have more detailed box office pages?

Some titles have more complete financial, ranking and source information available. Titles with less reliable supporting data may remain listed in ranking tables until more detail is available.

What does worldwide gross mean?

Worldwide gross refers to reported theatrical box office revenue across all available markets before any later home entertainment or streaming revenue.

How is ROI calculated?

ROI is calculated from available gross and budget data. Where budget or revenue is missing, ROI may be unavailable or marked as estimated depending on the source quality.

Can more films be expanded with full box office details later?

Yes. A title can receive a more detailed page when reliable financial data, source links and useful context become available.