List of highest-grossing independent films

The article's lead section may need to be rewritten. The reason given is: possibly written by ESL editor. Please help improve the lead and read the lead layout guide. (July 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

The following page lists the highest-grossing films that were distributed by independent, arthouse, and mini-major studios. The Passion of the Christ is the highest-grossing independent film of all time.[1] Independent films that were co-distributed by major film studios, such as Inglourious Basterds and Paranormal Activity, are not included.

## Highest-grossing films

[edit]

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (October 2022)

|

† Background shading indicates films playing in the week commencing 28 November 2024 in theaters around the world.

Rank  | Title  | Date  | Worldwide gross  | Countries  | Film distributor  | Ref/s

|
|
|
|
|
|

1  | The Passion of the Christ | February 25, 2004  | $611,486,736  | United States  | Newmarket Films | [2]
2  | The Intouchables | September 23, 2010  | $484,630,908  | France  | Gaumont | [3]
3  | Dances with Wolves | November 9, 1990  | $424,208,805  | North America  | Orion Pictures | [4]
4  | The King's Speech | September 6, 2010  | $423,999,102  | Australia
United Kingdom  | Momentum Pictures | [2]
5  | Slumdog Millionaire | August 30, 2008  | $378,410,113  | United Kingdom  | Pathé Distribution | [2]
6  | My Big Fat Greek Wedding | April 19, 2002  | $368,744,044  | North America  | IFC Films | [2]
7  | American Beauty | September 8, 1999  | $356,258,047  | North America  | DreamWorks Pictures | [1]
8  | Black Swan | September 1, 2010  | $329,398,046  | North America  | Fox Searchlight Pictures | [5]
9  | Se7en | September 15, 1995  | $328,125,643  | North America  | New Line Cinema | [6]
10  | The Silence of the Lambs | February 14, 1991  | $275,726,716  | North America  | Orion Pictures | [7]
11  | Parasite | May 21, 2019  | $262,857,186  | South Korea  | CJ Entertainment (South Korea)
Neon (North America)  | [8]
12  | The Full Monty | August 15, 1997  | $261,249,383  | United Kingdom  | Fox Searchlight Pictures | [2]
13  | Sound of Freedom | July 4, 2023  | $250,570,396  | North America  | Angel Studios | [9]
14  | The Blair Witch Project | January 23, 1999  | $248,639,099  | North America  | Artisan Entertainment | [2]
15  | Silver Linings Playbook | November 16, 2012  | $236,412,453  | North America  | The Weinstein Company | [10]
16  | Juno | September 1, 2007  | $231,450,102  | North America  | Fox Searchlight Pictures | [2]
17  | Fahrenheit 9/11 | May 17, 2004  | $222,446,882  | North America  | FLIC Distributors  | [2]
18  | Good Will Hunting | December 2, 1997  | $225,925,989  | North America  | Miramax | [2]
19  | Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets | July 21, 2017  | $225,874,228  | France
United States
China
Germany
Belgium
United Arab Emirates  | STX Entertainment | [11]
20  | Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon | May 18, 2000  | $213,514,672  | Taiwan  | Sony Pictures Classics | [12]
21  | Pulp Fiction | May 21, 1994  | $212,894,343  | North America  | Miramax | [13]
22  | Traffic | December 27, 2000  | $207,515,725  | North America  | Focus Features | [14]
23  | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | March 30, 1990  | $202,084,756  | North America  | Golden Harvest | [15]
24  | The Shape of Water | December 1, 2017  | $195,333,312  | North America  | Fox Searchlight Pictures | [16]
25  | Kill Bill: Volume 1 | October 10, 2003  | $180,899,045  | North America  | Miramax | [17]
26  | Brokeback Mountain | December 9, 2005  | $178,062,759  | North America  | Focus Features | [18]
27  | The Grand Budapest Hotel | March 7, 2014  | $173,082,189  | North America
Germany  | Fox Searchlight Pictures | [19]
28  | No Country for Old Men | November 9, 2007  | $171,627,166  | North America  | Miramax (North America)
Paramount Vantage (International)  | [20]
29  | One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest | November 19, 1975  | $163,281,275  | North America  | United Artists | [1]
30  | The Hateful Eight | December 25, 2015  | $156,480,177  | North America  | The Weinstein Company | [21]
31  | Kill Bill: Volume 2 | April 16, 2004  | $154,116,796  | North America  | Miramax | [22]
32  | Everything Everywhere All at Once | March 25, 2022  | $141,054,397  | North America  | A24 | [23]
33  | Coraline | February 6, 2009  | $124,596,837  | North America  | Focus Features | [24]
34  | Civil War | April 12, 2024  | $122,533,193  | United States
United Kingdom  | A24 (United States)
Entertainment Film Distributors (United Kingdom)  | [25]
35  | Lost in Translation | September 12, 2003  | $117,085,297  | North America
Japan  | Focus Features | [26]
36  | Sideways | October 22, 2004  | $109,726,800  | North America  | Fox Searchlight Pictures | [26]
37  | Longlegs †  | July 12, 2024  | $104,446,698  | United States  | Neon | [27]
38  | Birdman | October 17, 2014  | $103,215,094  | North America  | Fox Searchlight Pictures | [28]
39  | Crash | May 6, 2005  | $101,173,038  | North America  | Lionsgate | [26]
40  | Little Miss Sunshine | July 26, 2006  | $101,058,954  | North America  | Fox Searchlight Pictures | [29]
41  | Fritz the Cat | April 12, 1972  | $90,000,000  | North America  | Cinemation Industries | [30]
42  | Terrifier 3 †  | October 11, 2024  | $87,467,608  | United States  | Cineverse | [31]
43  | The Amityville Horror | July 27, 1979  | $86,432,000  | North America  | American International Pictures | [32]
44  | Hereditary | June 7, 2018  | $82,729,816  | United States  | A24 | [33]
45  | Moonlight | October 21, 2016  | $65,172,611  | [34]
46  | The Whale | December 9, 2022  | $54,883,206  | [35]
47  | Whiplash | January 16, 2014  | $48,982,041  | North America  | Sony Pictures Classics (North America)
Stage 6 Films (International)  | [36]
48  | Midsommar | July 3, 2019  | $48,059,189  | United States
Sweden  | A24 (North America)
Nordisk Film (Sweden)  | [37]
49  | The Witch | February 19, 2016  | $40,423,945  | United States
Canada  | A24 (United States)
Elevation Pictures (Canada)  | [38]
50  | The Iron Claw | December 22, 2023  | $40,667,158  | United Kingdom
United States  | A24 (North America)
Lionsgate (United Kingdom)  | [39]

## Highest-grossing independent films by year

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Worldwide gross  | Budget  | Ref

|
|
|
|

2024 | Civil War | $122,533,193  | $50 million  | [40]
2023 | Sound of Freedom | $250,570,396  | $14.5 million  | [9]
2022 | Everything Everywhere All at Once | $141,054,397  | $14.3–25 million  | [41][42][43]
1978 | Halloween | $70 million  | $300,000–325,000  | Halloween (1978 film)
1976 | Grizzly | $39 million  | $750,000  | Grizzly (film)
1974 | The Texas Chain Saw Massacre | $30.9 million  | $80,000–140,000  | The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
1968 | Night of the Living Dead | $30,236,452  | $114,000–$125,000  | Night of the Living Dead

## Timeline of highest-grossing independent film

[edit]

Film  | Established  | Record-setting gross  | Ref

|
|
|

Dances with Wolves | 1990  | $424,208,805  | [44]
The Passion of the Christ | 2004  | $611,486,736  | [45]
2005  | $612,054,506

## See also

[edit]

* List of highest-grossing films
* List of highest-grossing non-English films
* List of highest-grossing R-rated films

## Notes

[edit]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c "The Highest Grossing Independent Films of All Time – Page 11 – 24/7 Wall St". Retrieved 2022-09-13.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Barker, Stephen (2020-10-17). "The 10 Highest-Grossing Independent Films Of All Time". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
3. ^ "Les Intouchables (2012) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
4. ^ "Dances with Wolves (1990) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
5. ^ "Black Swan". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
6. ^ "Se7en (1995) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
7. ^ "The Silence of the Lambs (1991) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
8. ^ "Parasite". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
9. ^ a b "Sound of Freedom", Box Office Mojo, July 17, 2023, retrieved December 6, 2023
10. ^ "The Highest Grossing Independent Films of All Time – Page 6 – 24/7 Wall St". Retrieved 2022-10-14.
11. ^ "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
12. ^ "The Highest Grossing Independent Films of All Time – Page 8 – 24/7 Wall St". Retrieved 2022-09-13.
13. ^ "The Highest Grossing Independent Films of All Time – Page 9 – 24/7 Wall St". Retrieved 2022-09-13.
14. ^ "Traffic". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
15. ^ "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
16. ^ "The Shape of Water". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
17. ^ "Kill Bill: Vol. 1". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
18. ^ "Brokeback Mountain". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
19. ^ "The Grand Budapest Hotel". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
20. ^ "No Country for Old Men". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
21. ^ "The Hateful Eight". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
22. ^ "Kill Bill: Vol. 2". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
23. ^ "Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
24. ^ "Coraline". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
25. ^ "Civil War". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
26. ^ a b c "The Highest Grossing Independent Films of All Time – Page 4 – 24/7 Wall St". Retrieved 2022-10-14.
27. ^ "Longlegs". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
28. ^ "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
29. ^ "The Highest Grossing Independent Films of All Time – Page 3 – 24/7 Wall St". Retrieved 2022-10-14.
30. ^ "Ralph Bakshi". The A.V. Club. 2000-12-06. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
31. ^ "Terrifier 3". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2024-10-20.
32. ^ "The Amityville Horror". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
33. ^ "Hereditary". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2024-01-06.
34. ^ "Moonlight". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2024-01-06.
35. ^ "The Whale". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2024-01-06.
36. ^ "Whiplash". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
37. ^ "Midsommar". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2024-01-06.
38. ^ "The Witch". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2024-01-06.
39. ^ "The Iron Claw (2023) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved 2024-02-28.
40. ^ "Civil War", Box Office Mojo, April 12, 2024, retrieved August 17, 2024
41. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (July 31, 2022). "'Everything Everywhere All at Once' Is A24's First Movie to Hit $100 Million Globally". Variety. Archived from the original on July 31, 2022. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
42. ^ Buchanan, Kyle (October 21, 2022). "Everything Everywhere, All Through Awards Season?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 29, 2023. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
43. ^ "Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
44. ^ "Dances with Wolves".
45. ^ "The Passion of the Christ".

* v
* t
* e

Box office

Topics|

* Box office territory
* Box-office bomb
* list
* Fastest-grossing films
* Second weekend box office
* highest-grossing second weekends
* Sequels
* Lists of box office number-one films
* most weekends at number one in North America
* Four-wall distribution

Highest-grossing|

| General|

* Highest-grossing films worldwide
* Box office admissions
* Non-English
* Openings
* R-rated
* Video game adaptations
* Independent films

|

Animated|

* Decades
* 1980s
* 1990s
* 2000s
* 2010s
* 2020s
* Live-action/animated
* Openings
* Box office admissions
* adult-oriented animated films

By genre|

* Action
* Christmas
* Fantasy
* Horror
* Live-action comedy
* Musical
* Puppet
* Science fiction
* Sports
* Superhero

By origin|

* Bangladeshi
* Czech
* Filipino
* Greek
* Mexican
* Indian
* overseas
* Bengali
* Hindi
* Malayalam
* Punjabi
* Telugu
* Tamil
* Kannada
* Italian
* Iranian
* Japanese
* Nigerian
* Pakistani
* Portuguese
* Russian

By region|

* Australia
* Austria
* China
* France
* Germany
* Hong Kong
* India
* Indonesia
* Italy
* Japan
* Malaysia
* Nepal
* Pakistan
* Philippines
* Romania
* Russia
* Singapore
* South Korea
* Soviet Union
* Spain
* Catalan
* Taiwan
* Thailand
* Turkey
* United Kingdom
* United States and Canada
* animated
* Vietnam

By person|

* Actors
* Directors
* Producers

Records|

* Avatar
* Star Wars: The Force Awakens
* Avengers: Infinity War
* Avengers: Endgame

Awards|

* Box Office Entertainment Awards
* Crystal Film
* Diamond Film
* Golden Film
* recipients
* Golden Screen Award
* Goldene Leinwand
* Platinum Film
* recipients

Websites|

* Box Office Mojo
* The Numbers
* ShowBIZ Data
* Box Office India

Other|

* Box office futures
* Box Office Poison
* Boxoffice Pro
* Film Business Asia

Related|

* Blockbuster
* 100 Crore Club
* Best-selling films in the United States
* Highest-grossing media franchises
* Highest-grossing musical theatre productions

* Category

*[Ref]: Reference
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template