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Top 100 Australian films at the Australian box office, 1966–2008

Next update March 2010

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. 4 on the list of top films from any country, not just Australia (see Cinema: Top-grossing films: Top all time); no. 1 on that list is Titanic, which has taken $57,645,827 at the Australian box office since its release in December 1997.

Two new titles entered the top 100 in 2008: Australia (2) and The Black Balloon (89).

Rank Title Distributor Release date Box office ($)1
1 Crocodile Dundee Hoyts 1986 47,707,045
2 Australia Fox 2008 36,805,593
3 Babe UIP/Universal 1995 36,776,544
4 Happy Feet Roadshow 2006 31,786,164
5 Moulin Rouge Fox 2001 27,721,377
6 Crocodile Dundee II Hoyts 1988 24,916,805
7 Strictly Ballroom Ronin 1992 21,760,400
8 The Dish Roadshow 2000 17,999,473
9 The Man from Snowy River Hoyts 1982 17,228,160
10 The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert Roadshow 1994 16,459,245
11 Muriel’s Wedding Roadshow 1994 15,765,571
12 Young Einstein Warner Bros 1988 13,383,377
13 Lantana Palace 2001 12,286,683
14 Gallipoli Roadshow 1981 11,740,000
15 The Wog Boy Fox 2000 11,449,799
16 The Piano Miramax 1993 11,240,484
17 Mad Max 2 Warner Bros 1981 10,847,491
18 Green Card (Australia/France) Roadshow 1991 10,585,960
19 The Castle Roadshow 1997 10,326,428
20 Shine Ronin 1996 10,167,416
21 Phar Lap Hoyts 1983 9,258,884
22 Looking for Alibrandi Roadshow 2000 9,058,864
23 Crackerjack Roadshow 2002 8,618,107
24 The Man Who Sued God BVI 2001 8,546,867
25 Ned Kelly (Australia/UK) UIP/Universal 2003 8,365,984
26 Kenny Madman 2006 7,778,177
27 Babe: Pig in the City UIP/Universal 1998 7,771,751
28 Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (Australia/US) UIP/Universal 2001 7,759,103
29 Rabbit-Proof Fence Becker/Ocean 2002 7,561,689
30 The Man from Snowy River II Hoyts 1988 7,415,000
31 Lightning Jack Roadshow 1994 6,439,819
32 Wolf Creek Roadshow 2005 6,080,571
33 Chopper Palace 2000 5,912,119
34 Two Hands REP 1999 5,478,485
35 Reckless Kelly Roadshow 1993 5,444,534
36 Mad Max Roadshow 1979 5,355,490
37 Jindabyne Roadshow 2006 5,302,912
38 The Craic Roadshow 1999 5,265,935
39 Picnic at Hanging Rock2 BEF 1975 5,136,588
40 Dirty Deeds Hoyts 2002 5,083,187
41 Strange Bedfellows Becker 2004 4,816,495
42 Breaker Morant Roadshow 1980 4,735,000
43 Alvin Purple Roadshow 1973 4,720,000
44 Japanese Story Palace 2003 4,520,000
45 Antarctica IMAX 1996 4,355,648
46 Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome Warner Bros 1985 4,272,802
47 Charlotte Gray (Australia/UK) UIP/Universal 2002 4,188,497
48 Puberty Blues Roadshow 1981 3,918,000
49 The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course Fox/MGM 2002 3,892,646
50 Little Fish Icon 2005 3,829,869
51 Fat Pizza Roadshow 2003 3,651,320
52 Africa’s Elephant Kingdom IMAX 1998 3,491,995
53 Malcolm Hoyts 1986 3,483,139
54 The Delinquents Greater Union 1989 3,370,650
55 Dark City Roadshow 1998 3,355,671
56 The Sum of Us UIP 1994 3,327,456
57 Ten Canoes Palace 2006 3,271,928
58 Romper Stomper Roadshow 1992 3,165,034
59 Kokoda Palace 2006 3,138,501
60 BoyTown Roadshow 2006 3,135,972
61 We of the Never Never Hoyts 1982 3,112,000
62 My Brilliant Career Greater Union 1979 3,052,000
63 Evil Angels Warner Bros 1988 3,006,964
64 Paradise Road Roadshow 1997 2,970,653
65 Look Both Ways Dendy/Footprint 2005 2,969,094
66 The Hard Word Roadshow 2002 2,957,456
67 Cosi Roadshow 1996 2,896,980
68 Caddie Roadshow 1976 2,847,000
69 Sirens (Australia/UK) Buena Vista 1994 2,780,639
70 Death in Brunswick Roadshow 1991 2,725,169
71 Bootmen Fox 2000 2,719,302
72 Me Myself I BVI 2000 2,698,330
73 The Wiggles Movie Fox 1997 2,678,686
74 The Heartbreak Kid Roadshow 1993 2,658,819
75 Storm Boy Roadshow 1976 2,645,000
76 Dating the Enemy UIP/Total 1996 2,620,325
77 Romulus, My Father Dendy/Footprint 2007 2,589,674
78 The Bank Footprint 2001 2,515,917
79 Hostage Roadshow 1983 2,455,000
80 Dead Calm Warner Bros 1989 2,444,407
81 Careful, He Might Hear You Hoyts 1983 2,431,126
82 They're a Weird Mob Greater Union 1966 2,417,000
83 The Year of Living Dangerously UIP/MGM 1982 2,393,000
84 Oyster Farmer (Australia/UK) Becker/Sherman 2005 2,383,051
85 The Big Steal Hoyts 1990 2,351,628
86 Bad Eggs Roadshow 2003 2,317,820
87 Gettin’ Square Hoyts 2003 2,292,587
88 The Proposition (Australia/UK) Sony 2005 2,271,100
89 The Black Balloon Icon 2008 2,265,689
90 Proof Roadshow 1991 2,163,958
91 Somersault Hopscotch 2004 2,156,574
92 Hating Alison Ashley Hoyts 2005 2,085,751
93 Napoleon Columbia 1996 2,051,855
94 Black Robe (Australia/Canada) Hoyts 1992 2,036,056
95 Far East Roadshow 1982 1,972,000
96 The Nugget Roadshow 2002 1,920,993
97 Blinky Bill Roadshow 1992 1,903,659
98 Alvin Rides Again Roadshow 1974 1,880,000
99 Joey Roadshow 1997 1,855,557
100 Rogue Roadshow 2007 1,791,176
Head On Palace 1998 1,788,613
Oscar and Lucinda Fox 1998 1,768,946
101 Love and Other Catastrophes New Vision 1996 1,637,929
102 Lighthorsemen Hoyts 1987 1,617,288
103 Mr Accident Roadshow 2000 1,611,350
104 Newsfront Roadshow 1978 1,576,000
105 Stone BEF 1974 1,572,000
106 Burke and Wills Hoyts 1985 1,567,000

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 co-productions with overseas partners.
1. Earnings are in current dollars (i.e. not adjusted for inflation). Cumulative box office, as reported on 3 March 2009. 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. Including re-release through Ronin.

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See also:
Cinema:
Box office: Australian share
for the proportion of Australian box office earnt each year by local films.
Top-grossing films: Top documentaries all time.