Australian
films earning more than US$100,000 gross at the US box office since 1981, as at March 2010
Next update March 2011
Rank
Title
Distributor
Release date
Box office (US$)1
1
Happy Feet
Warner Bros
2006
198,000,317
2
Crocodile Dundee
Paramount Pictures
1986
174,803,506
3
Crocodile Dundee II
Paramount Pictures
1988
109,306,210
4
Antarctica (IMAX documentary)2
Museum of Science & Technology
1991
90,000,000
5
Knowing (Australia/US)
Summit
2009
79,957,634
6
Babe
Universal
1995
63,658,910
7
Moulin Rouge
Fox
2001
57,386,607
8
Australia
Fox
2008
49,554,002
9
The Piano
Miramax
1993
40,157,856
10
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
Warner Bros
1985
36,230,219
11
Shine
Fine Line
1996
35,892,330
12
Daybreakers
Lionsgate
2010
30,101,577
13
Green Card (Australia/France)
Buena Vista Distribution
1990
29,888,235
14
The Crocodile Hunter: Collision
Course
MGM/UA
2002
28,443,765
15
Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles
(Australia/US)
Paramount
2001
25,635,682
16
Mad Max 23
Warner Bros
1982
23,667,907
17
The Man from Snowy River
20th Century Fox
1982
20,659,423
18
Babe: Pig In The City
Universal
1998
18,319,860
19
Lightning Jack
Savoy
1994
16,821,273
20
Wolf Creek
Weinstein
2005
16,188,180
21
Muriel's Wedding
Miramax
1995
15,119,639
22
Dark City
New Line
1998
14,378,331
23
The Man from Snowy River II4
Buena Vista Distribution
1988
13,687,027
24
Africa’s Elephant Kingdom
(IMAX documentary)
Discovery
1998
13,485,455
25
Strictly Ballroom
Miramax
1993
11,738,022
26
Young Einstein
Warner Bros
1989
11,536,599
27
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen
of the Desert
Gramercy
1994
11,220,670
28
The Year of Living Dangerously
MGM/UA
1983
10,278,575
29
Mad Max
American International/Filmways
1981
8,750,000
30
Black Robe (Australia/Canada)
Samuel Goldwyn Company
1991
8,211,952
31
The Pirate Movie
20th Century Fox
1982
7,983,086
32
Dead Calm
Warner Bros
1989
7,825,009
33
Sirens (Australia/UK)
Miramax
1994
7,770,731
34
Breaker Morant5
NW/Quartet
1981
7,142,857
35
Evil Angels
Warner Bros
1988
6,908,797
36
Rabbit-Proof Fence
Miramax
2002
6,177,030
37
Gallipoli
CIC/Paramount
1981
5,732,587
38
Lantana
Lions Gate
2001
4,490,822
39
Bright Star (Australia/UK)
Apparit.
2009
4,444,637
40
Careful, He Might Hear You
TLC/20th Century
1984
2,938,179
41
Phar Lap
20th Century Fox
1984
2,878,404
42
Map of the Human Heart (Australia/Canada/UK)
Miramax
1993
2,806,881
43
The Dish
Warner Bros
2001
2,552,992
44
Flirting
Goldwyn
1992
2,415,396
45
Innocence
IDP
2001
2,202,382
46
Paradise Road
Fox Searchlight
1997
2,007,100
47
The Proposition (Australia/UK)
Firstlook
2006
1,903,434
48
Oscar and Lucinda
Fox Searchlight
1997
1,897,404
49
Holy Smoke
Miramax
1999
1,765,545
50
Vincent: The Life and Death of Vincent
Van Gogh
Roxy Releasing
1988
1,577,480
51
Turkey Shoot6
New World
1983
1,414,828
52
The Navigator: A Mediaeval Odyssey
(Australia/New Zealand)
Circle
1989
1,333,379
53
The Umbrella Woman
Atlantic
1987
1,155,020
54
Children of the Silk Road
(Australia/China/Germany)7
Sony
2008
1,031,872
55
Sweetie
Avenue
1990
938,065
56
The Castle
Miramax
1999
877,621
57
Children of the Revolution
Miramax
1997
838,368
58
The Last Days of Chez Nous
New Line
1993
831,578
59
Until the End of the World (Australia/France/Germany)
Warner Bros
1991
829,625
60
The Boys are Back (Australia/UK)
Miramax
2009
809,752
61
Kiss or Kill
October Films
1997
796,681
62
Turtle Beach
Warner
1992
778,535
63
Lonely Hearts
Goldwyn
1983
777,087
64
The Sum of Us
Samuel Goldwyn
1995
752,869
65
Alexandra’s Project
Odeon/AA
2003
752,148
66
Charlotte Gray (Australia/UK)
Warner Bros
2001
741,394
67
Bliss
New World
1986
660,537
68
Japanese Story
IDP
2003
647,054
69
Love Serenade
Miramax
1997
604,523
70
Me Myself I
Sony Classics
2000
568,798
71
Malcolm
Vestron
1986
544,472
72
Proof
Fine Line
1992
524,668
73
Dead End Drive-In
New World
1986
459,304
74
Kangaroo
Cineplex
1987
432,266
75
The Hard Word
Lions Gate
2003
426,880
76
Jindabyne
Sony Classics
2007
400,438
77
Warm Nights on a Slow Moving Train
Miramax
1989
400,000
78
A Woman’s Tale
Orion Classics
1991
392,945
79
Sweet Talker
Fine Line
1991
382,510
80
Walkabout (Director’s Cut)
Films Inc. Ent.
1996
379,782
81
Clubland8
Warner Independent
2007
379,408
82
Head On
Strand Releasing
1999
379,384
83
Rebel
Vestron
1986
323,554
84
Shame
Skouras
1988
300,000
85
Love and Other Catastrophes
Fox Searchlight
1997
294,212
86
Ten Canoes
Palm
2007
283,654
87
Country Life
Miramax
1995
276,189
88
Puberty Blues
Universal Classics
1983
237,000
89
Chopper
First Look
2001
236,185
90
Picnic at Hanging Rock (Director’s
Cut)
Parker
1998
232,201
91
Travelling North
Cineplex/Odeon
1988
214,722
92
The Year My Voice Broke
Warner Bros
1988
213,901
93
Rikky and Pete
MGM/UA
1988
206,138
94
The Good Woman of Bangkok (documentary)
Roxie Releasing
1991
205,959
95
Ground Zero
Avenue
1988
203,144
96
Napoleon
MGM/UA
1997
193,720
97
Spotswood9
Miramax
1992
179,469
98
Hotel de Love
Live
1997
165,845
99
Romper Stomper
Academy
1993
162,382
100
Danny Deckchair
Lions Gate
2004
160,276
101
Lucky Break10
Goldwyn
1997
151,068
102
Razorback
Warner Bros
1984
150,140
103
The Fringe Dwellers
Atlantic
1987
149,440
104
High Tide
TriStar
1987
138,288
105
Russian Doll
Lot 47
2001
127,103
106
Angel Baby
Cinepix Film
1997
125,775
107
Till Human Voices Wake Us
Paramount
2003
120,289
108
Burke & Wills
Hemdale
1987
110,000
109
Look Both Ways
Kino
2006
105,067
Source: ACNielsen EDI (Australia) and 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 9 March 2010. 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 The Efficiency Expert.
10. Released as Paperback Romance.