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Cinema industry trends
Top film each year

No. 1 film at the Australian box office since 1972

Next update March 2017

Australian films highlighted and in bold.

  Title Box office ($m)1 % of total box office2
1972 The Godfather n.a.  
1973 Alvin Purple n.a.  
1974 The Sting n.a.  
1975 Jaws n.a.  
1976 The Towering Inferno n.a.  
1977 The Spy Who Loved Me n.a.  
1978 Star Wars n.a.  
1979 The Muppet Movie n.a.  
1980 Kramer vs Kramer n.a.  
1981 Gallipoli n.a.  
1982 The Man from Snowy River n.a.  
1983 E.T. n.a.  
1984 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom n.a.  
1985 Beverly Hills Cop n.a.  
1986 Crocodile Dundee 40.8 21.6%
1987 Beverly Hills Cop II 11.4 6.2%
1988 Crocodile Dundee II 24.9 11.1%
1989 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade 15.79 6.1%
1990 Pretty Woman 26.1 9.2%
1991 Dances with Wolves 19.22 5.9%
1992 Strictly Ballroom 18.73 5.6%
1993 Jurassic Park 31.74 8.2%
1994 The Lion King 24.65 5.3%
1995 Batman Forever 17.93 3.6%
1996 Independence Day 29.29 5.4%
1997 Men in Black 22.7 3.9%
1998 Titanic 47.33 7.5%
1999 Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace 38.72 5.5%
2000 Gladiator 30.72 4.4%
2001 Shrek 32.05 3.9%
2002 Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones 33.81 4.0%
2003 Finding Nemo 37.14 4.3%
2004 Shrek 2 50.35 3.8%
2005 Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith 35.5 4.3%
2006 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest 38.05 4.4%
2007 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 35.53 4.3%
2008 The Dark Knight 45.78 4.8%
2009 Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince 40.6 3.8%
2010 Avatar 75.3 6.6%
2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 52.6 4.8%
2012 The Avengers 53.3 4.8%
2013 Iron Man 3 39.2 3.7%
2014 The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part1 32.8 3.0%
2015 Star Wars: The Force Awakens 62.8 5.1%

Source: Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia (MPDAA).

Notes:
1970s rankings include estimate data
Australian films are those under Australian creative control, including domestic productions, official co-productions and other productions involving shared creative control, i.e. with a mix of Australians in key creative positions.
1. Not available before 1986. Earnings are in current dollars (i.e. not adjusted for inflation) and per calendar year so do not necessarily represent total earnings for a film. Each year is based on annual data released the following January in the MPDAA master report and does not reflect any subsequent updates by the MPDAA.
2. Percentage of total Australian box office each year earned by the no. 1 film.

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