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Top Australian films
in the US

films earning more than US$100,000 gross at the US box office, 1981–2015

Next update March 2017

New titles highlighted and in bold.

Rank Title Distributor Release date Gross box office (USD)1
1 Happy Feet Warner Bros 2006 198,000,317
2 Crocodile Dundee Paramount Pictures 1986 174,803,506
3 Mad Max: Fury Road Warner Bros 2015 153,636,354
4 The Great Gatsby Warner Bros 2013 144,840,419
5 Crocodile Dundee II Paramount Pictures 1988 109,306,210
6 Antarctica (IMAX documentary)2 Museum of Science & Technology 1991 90,000,000
7 Knowing (Australia/US) Summit 2009 79,957,634
8 Happy Feet Two Warner Bros 2011 64,006,466
9 Babe Universal 1995 63,658,910
10 Moulin Rouge Fox 2001 57,386,607
11 Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole Warner Bros 2010 55,675,313
12 Australia Fox 2008 49,554,002
13 The Piano Miramax 1993 40,157,856
14 Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome Warner Bros 1985 36,230,219
15 Shine Fine Line 1996 35,892,330
16 Daybreakers Lionsgate 2010 30,101,577
17 Green Card (Australia/France) Buena Vista Distribution 1990 29,888,235
18 The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course MGM/UA 2002 28,437,041
19 Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (Australia/US) Paramount 2001 25,635,682
20 Killer Elite Open Road 2011 25,124,986
21 Mad Max 23 Warner Bros 1982 23,667,907
22 Sanctum Universal 2011 23,209,310
23 The Man from Snowy River4 20th Century Fox 1982 20,659,423
24 I, Frankenstein Lionsgate 2014 19,075,290
25 Babe: Pig in the City Universal 1998 18,319,860
26 Lightning Jack Savoy 1994 16,821,273
27 Wolf Creek Weinstein 2005 16,186,348
28 Muriel’s Wedding Miramax 1995 15,119,639
29 Dark City New Line 1998 14,378,331
30 Strictly Ballroom Miramax 1993 13,830,464
31 The Man from Snowy River II4 Buena Vista Distribution 1988 13,687,027
32 Africa’s Elephant Kingdom (IMAX documentary) Discovery 1998 13,485,455
33 Young Einstein Warner Bros 1989 11,536,599
34 The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert Gramercy 1994 11,220,670
35 The Year of Living Dangerously MGM/UA 1983 10,278,575
36 Mad Max American International/Filmways 1981 8,750,000
37 Black Robe (Australia/Canada) Samuel Goldwyn Company 1991 8,211,952
38 The Pirate Movie 20th Century Fox 1982 7,983,086
39 Dead Calm Warner Bros 1989 7,825,009
40 Sirens (Australia/UK) Miramax 1994 7,770,731
41 Breaker Morant5 NW/Quartet 1981 7,142,857
42 Evil Angels Warner Bros 1988 6,908,797
43 Rabbit-Proof Fence Miramax 2002 6,177,030
44 Gallipoli CIC/Paramount 1981 5,732,587
45 Mao’s Last Dancer IDP/Samuel Goldwyn 2010 4,817,770
46 Lantana Lions Gate 2001 4,490,822
47 Bright Star (Australia/UK) Apparit. 2009 4,444,637
48 The Railway Man (Australia/UK) The Weinstein Company 2014 4,438,438
49 The Water Diviner Warner Bros 2015 4,200,117
50 Careful, He Might Hear You TLC/20th Century 1984 2,938,179
51 Phar Lap 20th Century Fox 1984 2,878,404
52 Map of the Human Heart (Australia/Canada/UK) Miramax 1993 2,806,881
53 The Sapphires The Weinstein Company 2013 2,450,867
54 Flirting Goldwyn 1992 2,415,396
55 The Dish Warner Bros 2001 2,270,163
56 Innocence IDP 2001 2,202,382
57 Paradise Road Fox Searchlight 1997 2,007,100
58 The Proposition (Australia/UK) Firstlook 2006 1,903,434
59 Oscar and Lucinda Fox Searchlight 1997 1,897,404
60 Holy Smoke Miramax 1999 1,765,545
61 Vincent: The Life and Death of Vincent Van Gogh Roxy Releasing 1988 1,577,480
62 Turkey Shoot6 New World 1983 1,414,828
63 The Navigator: A Mediaeval Odyssey (Australia/New Zealand) Circle 1989 1,333,379
64 The Umbrella Woman Atlantic 1987 1,155,020
65 The Rover A24 Films 2014 1,114,423
66 Animal Kingdom Sony Classics 2010 1,044,039
67 Children of the Silk Road (Australia/China/Germany)7 Sony 2008 1,031,872
68 Lore (Australia/Germany) Music Box Film 2013 970,325
69 The Babadook IFC Films 2014 964,413
70 Sweetie Avenue 1990 938,065
71 The Castle Miramax 1999 877,621
72 Children of the Revolution Miramax 1997 838,368
73 The Last Days of Chez Nous New Line 1993 831,578
74 Until the End of the World (Australia/France/Germany) Warner Bros 1991 829,625
75 The Boys Are Back (Australia/UK) Miramax 2009 809,752
76 Kiss or Kill October Films 1997 796,681
77 Turtle Beach Warner 1992 778,535
78 Lonely Hearts Goldwyn 1983 777,087
79 The Sum of Us Samuel Goldwyn 1995 752,869
80 Alexandra’s Project Odeon/AA 2003 750,241
81 Charlotte Gray (Australia/UK) Warner Bros 2001 695,429
82 Bliss New World 1986 660,537
83 Japanese Story IDP 2003 647,054
84 Love Serenade Miramax 1997 604,523
85 Me Myself I Sony Classics 2000 568,798
86 Proof Fine Line 1992 550,000
87 Malcolm Vestron 1986 544,472
88 Tracks The Weinstein Company 2014 510,007
89 Dead End Drive-In New World 1986 459,304
90 Kangaroo Cineplex 1987 432,266
91 The Hard Word Lions Gate 2003 426,880
92 The Square Apparition 2010 406,216
93 Jindabyne Sony Classics 2007 400,438
94 Warm Nights on a Slow Moving Train Miramax 1989 400,000
95 A Woman’s Tale Orion Classics 1991 392,945
96 Sweet Talker Fine Line 1991 382,510
97 Head On Strand Releasing 1999 379,984
98 Walkabout (Director’s Cut) Films Inc. Ent. 1996 379,782
99 Clubland8 Warner Independent 2007 379,408
100 Rebel Vestron 1986 323,554
101 Adoration (Australia/France)9 Independent 2013 318,982
102 Shame Skouras 1988 300,000
103 Love and Other Catastrophes Fox Searchlight 1997 294,212
104 The Good Woman of Bangkok (documentary) Roxy Releasing 1991 292,604
105 Ten Canoes Palm 2007 283,654
106 Country Life Miramax 1995 276,489
107 I Am Eleven Independent 2014 273,765
108 Reckless Kelly Warner Bros 1994 237,110
109 Puberty Blues Universal Classics 1983 237,000
110 Chopper First Look 2001 236,185
111 James Camerons's Deepsea Challenge 3D Independent 2014 235,659
112 Travelling North Cineplex/Odeon 1988 214,722
113 The Year My Voice Broke Warner Bros 1988 213,901
114 Rikky and Pete MGM/UA 1988 206,138
115 Ground Zero Avenue 1988 203,144
116 High Tide TriStar 1987 199,000
117 Picnic at Hanging Rock (Director’s Cut) Parker 1998 186,518
118 Spotswood10 Miramax 1992 179,469
119 The Hunter Magnolia Pictures 2012 176,669
120 Romper Stomper Academy 1993 175,340
121 Hotel de Love Live 1997 165,845
122 Danny Deckchair Lions Gate 2004 160,276
123 Lucky Break11 Goldwyn 1997 150,297
124 Razorback Warner Bros 1984 150,140
125 The Fringe Dwellers Atlantic 1987 149,440
126 Dirty Deeds FreeStyle 2005 146,490
127 Russian Doll Lot 47 2001 127,103
128 Angel Baby Cinepix Film 1997 125,775
129 Iron Sky eOne 2012 122,092
130 Till Human Voices Wake Us Paramount 2003 120,239
131 Storm Surfers 3D Vitagraph 2013 117,090
132 Bra Boys Berkala Films 2008 113,730
133 Bran Nue Dae FreeStyle 2010 113,568
134 Burke & Wills Hemdale 1987 110,000
135 Look Both Ways Kino 2006 105,067
136 Napoleon MGM/UA 1997 100,709

Source: ACNielsen EDI (Australia) 1979–2008. Independent Film & Television Alliance 2009–2011. Rentrak from 2012. Screen Australia.

Notes:
Includes Australian productions and productions with overseas partners where creative control is shared (i.e. with a mix of Australians in key creative positions).
1. Cumulative box office, as reported on 16 May 2016. Earnings are in current dollars (i.e. not adjusted for inflation).
2. Estimate. Released in IMAX cinemas. Box office takings for IMAX films can return as little as 10 per cent to the distributor, rather than the more usual 50:50 split with the exhibitor.
3. Released as The Road Warrior.
4. Released as Return to Snowy River Part 2.
5. Estimate.
6. Released as Escape 2000.
7. Released as The Children of Huang Shi.
8. Released as Introducing the Dwights.
9. Released as Adore.
10. Released as The Efficiency Expert.
11. Released as Paperback Romance.

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