List of highest-grossing independent films

The following page lists the highest-grossing films that were distributed by independent, arthouse, and mini-major studios. The Passion of the Christ is the highest-grossing independent film of all time. Independent films that were co-produced or co-distributed by major film studios, such as Inglourious Basterds, Paranormal Activity, or Obsession, are not included.

Highest-grossing films

+TitleYearGrossFilm distributorCountries1The Passion of the Christ2004$611,486,736Newmarket FilmsUnited States2The Intouchables2010$484,630,908GaumontFrance3Dances with Wolves1990$424,208,805Orion PicturesUnited States4The King's Speech2010$423,999,102Momentum PicturesAustraliaUnited Kingdom5Backrooms2026$400,981,877A24United States6My Big Fat Greek Wedding2002$368,744,044IFC Films (United States)Equinox Films (Canada)United StatesCanada7Se7en1995$328,125,643New Line CinemaUnited States8The Silence of the Lambs1991$275,726,716Orion Pictures9Parasite2019$262,857,186CJ EntertainmentSouth Korea10Sound of Freedom2023$250,570,396Angel StudiosUnited States11The Blair Witch Project1999$248,639,099Artisan Entertainment12Silver Linings Playbook2012$236,412,453The Weinstein Company13Fahrenheit 9/112004$222,446,882Lionsgate14Good Will Hunting1997$225,925,989Miramax15Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets2017$225,874,228STX EntertainmentFranceUnited StatesChinaGermanyBelgiumUnited Arab Emirates16Pulp Fiction1994$212,894,343MiramaxUnited States17Traffic2000$207,515,725USA Films18Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles1990$202,084,756New Line Cinema19Kill Bill: Volume 12003$180,899,045Miramax20The Hateful Eight2015$156,480,177The Weinstein Company21Kill Bill: Volume 22004$154,116,796Miramax22Everything Everywhere All at Once2022$141,054,397A2423The Drama2026$130,774,89024Longlegs2024$126,867,598Neon25Civil War2024$122,533,193A24 (United States)Entertainment Film (United Kingdom)United StatesUnited Kingdom26The Graduate1967$104,677,456Embassy Pictures (United States)United Artists (international)United States27Crash2005$101,173,038Lionsgate (United States)Universum Films (Germany)United StatesGermany28Spotlight2015$98,690,254Open Road FilmsUnited States29Terrifier 32024$94,436,616Cineverse30Hereditary2018$90,190,521A2431Fritz the Cat1972$90,000,000Cinemation Industries32Snowpiercer2013$86,758,912RADiUS-TWC (USA)CJ Entertainment (Korea)Le Pacte (France)Bontonfilm (Czech)United StatesSouth KoreaFranceCzech Republic33The Amityville Horror1979$86,432,000American International PicturesUnited States34The Substance2024$77,316,812MubiUnited StatesFranceUnited Kingdom35 Halloween1978$70,274,000Compass International (USA)Aquarius Releasing (international)United States36Moonlight2016$65,172,611A2437The Whale2022$54,883,20638I, Tonya2017$53,939,297Neon39Iron Lung2026$51,226,173Markiplier Studios40A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master1988$49,369,899New Line Cinema41Midsommar2019$48,059,189A24 (North America)Nordisk Film (Sweden)United StatesSweden42Nightcrawler2014$47,425,835Open Road FilmsUnited States43The Iron Claw2023$45,745,981A24 (North America)Lionsgate (United Kingdom)United KingdomUnited States44A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors1987$44,793,222New Line CinemaUnited States45Past Lives2023$42,748,888A24 (United States)CJ ENM (South Korea)United StatesSouth Korea46The Witch2016$40,423,945A24 (United States)Elevation Pictures (Canada)United StatesCanada47Grizzly1976$39,000,000Film Ventures (USA)Columbia (Hungary)United StatesHungary48The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act2026$36,405,571Fathom EntertainmentUnited StatesAustralia49Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare1991$34,872,033New Line CinemaUnited States50Together2025$34,573,161Neon (United States)Kismet Movies (Australia)United StatesAustralia

Highest-grossing independent films by year Year Title Worldwide grossBudget 1966Queen of Blood$17,300,000$65,000Mark McGee, Faster and Furiouser: The Revised and Fattened Fable of American International Pictures, McFarland, 1996 p240–2411967The Graduate$104,677,456$3,000,0001968Night of the Living Dead$30,200,000$114,000–$125,0001974The Texas Chain Saw Massacre$30,900,000$80,000–140,0001976Grizzly$39,000,000$750,0001978Halloween$70,274,000$300,000–325,0001984A Nightmare on Elm Street$25,865,606$1,100,0001985A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge$30,000,121$3,300,0001987A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors$44,793,222$4,300,0001988A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master$49,369,899$8,000,0001990Dances with Wolves$424,208,805$22,000,0001991Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare$34,872,033$9-11,000,0002004The Passion of the Christ$611,486,736$30,000,0002005Crash$101,173,038$6,500,0002010The Intouchables$484,630,908$10,800,0002012Silver Linings Playbook$236,412,453$21,000,0002013Snowpiercer$86,758,912$40,000,0002015The Hateful Eight$156,480,177$44–64,000,0002016Moonlight$65,172,611$1.5–4,000,0002017Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets$225,874,228$180,000,0002018Hereditary$90,190,521$10,000,0002019Parasite$262,857,186$11,400,0002022Everything Everywhere All at Once$141,054,397$14.3–25,000,000 2023Sound of Freedom$250,570,396$14,500,0002024 Longlegs$127,961,936$10,000,0002025Marty Supreme$180,410,386$60–70,000,0002026Backrooms $396,586,433$10,000,000

Timeline of records

Highest-grossing Film EstablishedLength HeldRecord-setting grossRefQueen of Blood19661 Year$17,300,000The Graduate196723 Years$104,677,456Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesMarch 19906 Months$202,084,756Dances with WolvesOctober 199013 Years$424,208,805The Passion of the Christ2004Ongoing$612,054,506

Biggest opening weekend Film EstablishedLength HeldRecord-setting WeekendRefA Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master19882 Years$12,883,403Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles199014 Years$25,398,367The Passion of the Christ2004Ongoing$83,848,082

Biggest independent film opening weekends The following is a list of independent films which have opened to more than $10 million. RankFilmYearOpening weekend1The Passion of the Christ2004$83,848,0822Backrooms2026$81,456,2953Civil War2024$25,537,3684Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles1990$25,398,3675Kill Bill: Volume 22004$25,104,9496Fahrenheit 9/11$23,920,6377The Amityville Horror2005$23,507,0078Longlegs2024$22,400,1199Kill Bill: Volume 12003$22,089,32210Sound of Freedom2023$19,680,87911Terrifier 32024$18,928,11312Iron Lung2026$18,190,78613Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets2017$17,007,62414The Drama2026$14,380,19715RoboCop 21990$14,145,41116Se7en1995$13,949,80717The Silence of the Lambs1991$13,766,81418Hereditary2018$13,575,17319Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare1991$12,966,52520A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master1988$12,883,40321The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act2026$12,770,48822Nightcrawler2014$10,441,000

See also

List of highest-grossing films List of highest-grossing non-English films List of highest-grossing R-rated films

Notes

References