This is a list of films which have placed number one at the weekend box office in the United States during 1996.
Number-one films †This implies the highest-grossing movie of the year. Weekend end date Film Total weekend gross Notes 1 12 Monkeys $13,842,990 12 Monkeys broke Good Morning, Vietnams record ($11.7 million) for the highest weekend debut in January. 2 $9,974,510 3 From Dusk till Dawn $10,240,805 4 Mr. Holland's Opus $8,297,082 Mr. Holland's Opus reached #1 in its second week of release. 5 Black Sheep $10,593,609 6 Broken Arrow $15,583,510 7 $11,704,778 8 Rumble in the Bronx $9,858,380 9 Up Close & Personal $11,101,955 10 The Birdcage $18,275,828 The Birdcage was number one for the most weeks (4) in 1996. 11 $16,034,306 12 $13,294,404 13 $10,106,414 14 Primal Fear $9,871,222 15 $8,108,561 16 $6,585,472 17 The Quest $7,029,120 18 The Craft $6,710,995 19 Twister $41,059,405 Twister broke Lethal Weapon 3'''s record ($33.2 mil) for the highest weekend debut in May and Pocahontass record ($29.5 million) for highest weekend debut for a film featuring a female protagonist.|| |- | 20 || || $37,093,440 || || |- | 21 || || rowspan="2" | Mission: Impossible || $45,436,830 || Mission: Impossible was the first film to open in more than 3,000 theaters and broke Twisters record ($41.1 mil) for the highest weekend debut in May (which was set 2 weeks ago). It also broke The Flintstones records ($29.7 mil) for the highest Memorial Day weekend debut and for a film based on a television show, GoldenEyes record ($26.2 million) for the highest weekend debut for a spy film, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusades record ($29.4 mil) for the highest weekend debut for a Paramount film. In second place, Twister broke Jurassic Parks record ($27.7 million) for the highest third weekend gross. || |- | 22 || || $21,629,362 || || |- | 23 || || The Rock || $25,069,525 || || |- | 24 || || The Cable Guy || $19,806,226 || || |- | 25 || || Eraser || $24,566,446 || || |- | 26 || || The Nutty Professor || $25,411,725 || || |- | 27 || || rowspan="3" style="background-color:#FFFF99" | Independence Day † || $50,228,264 || Independence Day broke Terminator 2: Judgment Days records ($31.7 mil) for the highest weekend debut in July and for the Fourth of July weekend. It also broke The Lion Kings record ($40.8 mil) for the highest weekend debut for an original film. Independence Day had the highest weekend debut of 1996. || |- | 28 || || $35,242,709 || || |- | 29 || || $21,274,817 || || |- | 30 || || rowspan="2" | A Time to Kill || $14,823,159 || || |- | 31 || || $13,262,934 || || |- | 32 || || Jack || $11,191,496 || || |- | 33 || || Tin Cup || $10,128,834 || || |- | 34 || || The Island of Dr. Moreau || $9,101,987 || || |- | 35 || || The Crow: City of Angels || $9,785,111 ||Highest Labor Day weekend debut. || |- | 36 || || Bulletproof || $6,014,400 || || |- | 37 || || Maximum Risk || $5,612,707 || || |- | 38 || || rowspan="3" | The First Wives Club || $18,913,411 || The First Wives Club broke Sevens record ($13.9 mil) for the highest weekend debut in September. || |- | 39 || || $15,314,530 || || |- | 40 || || $11,017,356 || || |- | 41 || || The Ghost and the Darkness || $9,215,063 || || |- | 42 || || rowspan="2" | Sleepers || $12,305,745 || || |- | 43 || || $9,605,059 || || |- | 44 || || Romeo + Juliet || $11,133,231 || || |- | 45 || || Ransom || $34,216,088 || || |- | 46 || || Space Jam || $27,528,529 || || |- | 47 || || Star Trek: First Contact || $30,716,131 || || |- | 48 || || rowspan="2" | 101 Dalmatians || $33,504,025 || 101 Dalmatians broke Toy Storys record ($29.1 million) for the highest Thanksgiving weekend debut. || |- | 49 || || $13,944,053 || || |- | 50 || || Jerry Maguire || $17,084,296 || || |- | 51 || || Beavis and Butt-Head Do America || $20,114,233 || Beavis and Butt-Head Do America broke Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Countrys record ($18.1 million) for the highest weekend debut in December and The Land Before Times record ($7.5 million) for the highest weekend debut for a non-Disney animated film. || |- | 52 || || Michael'' $17,435,711
Highest-grossing films
Calendar Gross Highest-grossing films of 1996 by Calendar Gross Rank Title Studio(s) Actor(s) Director(s) Gross 1.Independence Day 20th Century Fox Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, Margaret Colin, Randy Quaid, Robert Loggia, James Rebhorn and Harvey Fierstein Roland Emmerich $306,156,090 2.Twister Warner Bros. Pictures Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Jami Gertz, Cary Elwes and Philip Seymour Hoffman Jan de Bont $241,721,524 3.Mission: Impossible Paramount Pictures Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Béart, Henry Czerny, Jean Reno, Ving Rhames, Kristin Scott Thomas and Vanessa Redgrave Brian De Palma $180,981,856 4. The Rock Walt Disney Studios Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage, Ed Harris, Michael Biehn and William Forsythe Michael Bay $134,069,511 5. The Nutty Professor Universal Pictures Eddie Murphy, Jada Pinkett, James Coburn, Dave Chappelle, Larry Miller and John Ales Tom Shadyac $128,814,019 6. Ransom Walt Disney Studios Mel Gibson, Rene Russo, Gary Sinise, Delroy Lindo and Lili Taylor Ron Howard $125,502,048 7. The Birdcage United Artists Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Nathan Lane, Dianne Wiest, Dan Futterman, Calista Flockhart, Hank Azaria and Christine Baranski Mike Nichols $124,060,553 8. A Time to Kill Warner Bros. Pictures Sandra Bullock, Samuel L. Jackson, Matthew McConaughey, Kevin Spacey, Brenda Fricker, Oliver Platt, Charles S. Dutton, Ashley Judd, Patrick McGoohan and Donald Sutherland Joel Schumacher $108,766,007 9. 101 Dalmatians Walt Disney Studios Glenn Close, Jeff Daniels, Joely Richardson and Joan Plowright Stephen Herek $108,240,682 10. The First Wives Club Paramount Pictures Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton, Maggie Smith, Dan Hedaya, Bronson Pinchot and Marcia Gay Harden Hugh Wilson $105,489,203
In-Year Release + Highest-grossing films of 1996 by In-year release Rank Title Distributor Domestic gross 1. Independence Day 20th Century Fox $306,169,268 2. Twister Warner Bros. $241,721,524 3. Mission: Impossible Paramount Pictures $180,981,856 4. Jerry Maguire TriStar Pictures $153,952,592 5. Ransom Walt Disney Studios $136,492,681 6. 101 Dalmatians $136,189,294 7. The Rock $134,069,511 8. The Nutty Professor Universal Pictures $128,814,019 9. The Birdcage Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer $124,060,553 10. A Time to Kill Warner Bros. $108,766,007
+ Highest-grossing films by MPAA rating of 1996 G 101 Dalmatians PG Space Jam PG-13 Independence Day R Jerry Maguire
See also List of American films — American films by year Lists of box office number-one films
References
Chronology