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Top 100 Australian feature films of all time, ranked by total reported gross Australian box office as at January 2012

Next update February 2013

The no. 1 Australian film at the Australian box office is Crocodile Dundee (1986), with earnings of $47,707,045. Crocodile Dundee is also no. 6 on the list of top films from any country, not just Australia; no. 1 on that list is Avatar, which has taken over $115 million at the Australian box office since its release in December 2009 (see Cinema: Top-grossing films: Top all time).

Five new titles entered the top 100 all-time Australian films: Red Dog (8), Happy Feet Two (24), Sanctum (58), Oranges and Sunshine (60) and The Cup (82).

New titles highlighted and in bold.

Rank Title Distributor Release date Box office ($)1
1 Crocodile Dundee Hoyts 1986 47,707,045
2 Australia Fox 2008 37,555,757
3 Babe UIP/Universal 1995 36,776,544
4 Happy Feet Roadshow 2006 31,786,164
5 Moulin Rouge Fox 2001 27,734,406
6 Crocodile Dundee II Hoyts 1988 24,916,805
7 Strictly Ballroom Ronin 1992 21,760,400
8 Red Dog Roadshow 2011 21,327,512
9 The Dish Roadshow 2000 17,999,473
10 The Man from Snowy River Hoyts 1982 17,228,160
11 The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert Roadshow 1994 16,459,245
12 Muriel’s Wedding Roadshow 1994 15,765,571
13 Mao’s Last Dancer Hopscotch/Roadshow 2009 15,440,315
14 Tomorrow, When the War Began Paramount 2010 13,508,599
15 Young Einstein Warner Bos 1988 13,383,377
16 Lantana Palace 2001 12,286,683
17 Gallipoli Roadshow 1981 11,740,000
18 The Wog Boy Fox 2000 11,449,799
19 The Piano Miramax 1993 11,240,484
20 Mad Max 2 Warner Bos 1981 10,847,491
21 Green Card (Australia/France) Roadshow 1991 10,585,960
22 The Castle Roadshow 1997 10,326,428
23 Shine Ronin 1996 10,167,416
24 Happy Feet Two2 Roadshow 2011 9,613,284
25 Phar Lap Hoyts 1983 9,258,884
26 Crackerjack Roadshow 2002 8,618,107
27 The Man Who Sued God BVI 2001 8,546,867
28 Ned Kelly (Australia/UK) UIP/Universal 2003 8,365,984
29 Looking for Alibrandi Roadshow 2000 8,280,335
30 Kenny Madman 2006 7,778,177
31 Babe: Pig in the City UIP/Universal 1998 7,771,751
32 Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (Australia/US) UIP/Universal 2001 7,759,103
33 Bran Nue Dae Roadshow 2010 7,680,192
34 Knowing (Australia/US) Icon 2009 7,588,162
35 Rabbit-Proof Fence Becker/Ocean 2002 7,562,439
36 The Man from Snowy River II Hoyts 1988 7,415,000
37 Lightning Jack Roadshow 1994 6,439,819
38 Wolf Creek Roadshow 2005 6,080,571
39 Chopper Palace 2000 5,912,119
40 Two Hands REP 1999 5,478,485
41 Reckless Kelly Roadshow 1993 5,444,534
42 Mad Max Roadshow 1979 5,355,490
43 Jindabyne Roadshow 2006 5,302,912
44 The Craic Roadshow 1999 5,265,935
45 Picnic at Hanging Rock3 BEF 1975 5,120,000
46 Dirty Deeds Hoyts 2002 5,083,187
47 Animal Kingdom Madman 2010 5,000,018
48 Kings of Mykonos: The Wog Boy 2 Paramount 2010 4,896,315
49 Strange Bedfellows Becker 2004 4,816,495
50 Breaker Morant Roadshow 1980 4,735,000
51 Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole Roadshow 2010 4,730,018
52 Alvin Purple Roadshow 1973 4,720,000
53 Japanese Story Palace 2003 4,520,000
54 Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome Warner Bros 1985 4,272,802
55 Charlotte Gray (Australia/UK) UIP/Universal 2002 4,188,497
56 Puberty Blues Roadshow 1981 3,918,000
57 The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course Fox/MGM 2002 3,892,095
58 Sanctum Universal 2011 3,871,962
59 Charlie & Boots Paramount 2009 3,866,823
60 Oranges and Sunshine Icon 2011 3,848,486
61 Little Fish Icon 2005 3,829,869
62 Fat Pizza Roadshow 2003 3,651,320
63 Ten Canoes Palace 2006 3,511,649
64 Malcolm Hoyts 1986 3,483,139
65 The Delinquents Greater Union 1989 3,370,650
66 The Sum of Us UIP 1994 3,327,456
67 Beneath Hill 60 Paramount 2010 3,220,187
68 Samson & Delilah Paramount 2009 3,188,931
69 Romper Stomper Roadshow 1992 3,165,034
70 Kokoda Palace 2006 3,138,501
71 Boytown Roadshow 2006 3,135,972
72 We of the Never Never Hoyts 1982 3,112,000
73 Bright Star (Australia/UK) Roadshow 2009 3,110,560
74 My Brilliant Career Greater Union 1979 3,052,000
75 Evil Angels Warner Bros 1988 3,006,964
76 Paradise Road Roadshow 1997 2,970,653
77 Look Both Ways Dendy/Footprint 2005 2,969,712
78 The Hard Word Roadshow 2002 2,957,456
79 Cosi Roadshow 1996 2,896,980
80 Caddie Roadshow 1976 2,847,000
81 Sirens (Australia/UK) Buena Vista 1994 2,780,639
82 The Cup Roadshow 2011 2,740,661
83 Death in Brunswick Roadshow 1991 2,725,169
84 Bootmen Fox 2000 2,720,302
85 Me Myself I BVI 2000 2,698,330
86 The Wiggles Movie Fox 1997 2,678,686
87 The Heartbreak Kid Roadshow 1993 2,658,819
88 Storm Boy Roadshow 1976 2,645,000
89 Dating the Enemy UIP/Total 1996 2,620,325
90 Romulus, My Father Dendy/Footprint 2007 2,589,674
91 The Bank Footprint 2001 2,515,917
92 Hostage Roadshow 1983 2,455,000
93 Daybreakers Hoyts 2010 2,448,050
94 Dead Calm Warner Bros 1989 2,444,407
95 Careful, He Might Hear You Hoyts 1983 2,431,126
96 They’re a Weird Mob Greater Union 1966 2,417,000
97 The Year of Living Dangerously UIP/MGM 1982 2,393,000
98 Oyster Farmer (Australia/UK) Becker/Sherman 2005 2,383,051
99 I Love You Too Roadshow 2010 2,362,832
100 The Big Steal Hoyts 1990 2,351,628

Source: Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia (MPDAA) with the assistance of the Australian Film Commission. Compiled by 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. Earnings are in current dollars (i.e. not adjusted for inflation). Cumulative box office, as reported on 22 January 2012 in the MPDAA master report. These figures are updated on an ongoing basis therefore there may be discrepancies with previously published data. Estimates have been used for films released before 1988 where gross box office is unknown.
2. Still screening in cinemas as at 22 January 2012.
3. Including re-release through Ronin.

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SEE ALSO

Audiovisual markets:
CINEMA
Box office: Australian share
for the proportion of Australian box office earned each year by local films
Top-grossing films: Top documentaries all time