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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.

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