Most Popular Movies 1978
This chart shows the 1978 movie releases that have attracted the most interest on The Numbers web site over the past 24 hours. A share of 100 corresponds to 1 percent of the total views for all 1978 releases.
See also: Domestic Release Schedule for 1978 - Top 1978 Worldwide
| ← 1977 | Most Popular Overall | 1979 → |
1
| Every Which Way but Loose |
| Director: James Fargo |
| Lead Roles: Clint Eastwood as Philo Beddoe |
| Initial Theatrical Release: December 20, 1978 (Wide) by Warner Bros. |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Comedy, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $104,268,727 |
2
| Superman |
| Director: Richard Donner |
| Lead Roles: Christopher Reeve as Superman |
| Initial Theatrical Release: December 15, 1978 (Wide) by Warner Bros. |
| Keywords: Visual Effects, D.C. Comics, Heroic Adventure, Unexpected Families, Adopted Family, Time Travel, Romance, Death of a Girlfriend / Boyfriend |
| Classification: Based on Comic/Graphic Novel, Adventure, Live Action, Super Hero |
|
Domestic BO: $134,218,018 |
|
International BO: $165,981,982 |
3
| Death on the Nile |
| Director: John Guillermin |
| Lead Roles: Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot, Jane Birkin as Louise Bourget, Lois Chiles as Linnet Ridgeway/Doyle, Bette Davis as Marie Van Schuyler, Mia Farrow as Jacqueline De Bellefort, Jon Finch as Mr. Ferguson, Olivia Hussey as Rosalie Otterbourne, George Kennedy as Andrew Pennington, Angela Lansbury as Salome Otterbourne |
| Initial Theatrical Release: September 29, 1978 (Wide) by Paramount Pictures |
| Keywords: Mystery Drama, Murder Mystery, Romance, Relationships Gone Wrong, Murder - Suicide, Inheritance, Surprise Twist, Blackmail, Gold Digger |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Drama, Live Action, Historical Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $18,000,000 |
|
International BO: $7,517 |
4
| Jaws 2 |
| Director: Jeannot Szwarc |
| Lead Roles: Roy Scheider as Police chief Martin Brody, Lorraine Gary as Ellen Brody, Murray Hamilton as Mayor Larry Vaughn |
| Initial Theatrical Release: June 16, 1978 (Wide) by Universal |
| Keywords: Animals Gone Bad, Visual Effects, Nature Horror |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Horror, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $102,922,376 |
|
International BO: $105,978,000 |
5
| Paradise Alley |
| Director: Sylvester Stallone |
| Lead Roles: Sylvester Stallone as Cosmo Carboni |
| Initial Theatrical Release: November 10, 1978 (Wide) by 20th Century Fox |
| Keywords: Sports Drama, Actors Making Their Directorial Debut, Wrestling, Romance, Set in New York City, Set in New York, Dysfunctional Family |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Drama, Live Action, Historical Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $8,000,000 |
6
| Foul Play |
| Lead Roles: Goldie Hawn as Gloria Mundy, Chevy Chase as Tony Carlson |
| Initial Theatrical Release: July 14, 1978 (Wide) by Paramount Pictures |
| Keywords: Crime Comedy, Unbelieving Police, Dwarfism, Albino, Hitmen, Undercover, Romance, Catholic, Assassination, Pope, False Identity |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Comedy, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $40,415,179 |
7
| Caravans |
| Director: James Fargo |
| Lead Roles: Anthony Quinn as Zulffiqar, Jennifer O'Neill as Ellen Jasper, Michael Sarrazin as Mark Miller, Behrooz Vosoughi as Nazrullah |
| Initial Theatrical Release: 1978 (Wide) by Universal |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Adventure, Live Action, Historical Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $1,000,000 |
8
| Ice Castles |
| Director: Donald Wrye |
| Lead Roles: Robby Benson as Nick Peterson, Lynn-Holly Johnson as Alexis Winston |
| Initial Theatrical Release: 1978 (Wide) by Columbia |
| Keywords: Romantic Drama, Romance, Figure Skating, Blindness, Remade |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Drama, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $18,000,000 |
9
| Heaven Can Wait |
| Director: Warren Beatty |
| Lead Roles: Warren Beatty as Joe Pendleton/Leo Farnsworth/Tom Jarrett , Julie Christie as Betty Logan |
| Initial Theatrical Release: June 28, 1978 (Wide) by Paramount Pictures |
| Keywords: Football, Reincarnation, Heaven and Hell, 1979 Oscars Best Picture Nominee |
| Classification: Based on Play, Comedy, Live Action, Fantasy |
|
Domestic BO: $98,800,000 |
10
| Force 10 from Navarone |
| Director: Guy Hamilton |
| Lead Roles: Harrison Ford as Barnsby, Carl Weathers as Sergeant Watter Weaver, Edward Fox as Sgt. Dusty Miller, Robert Shaw as Major Keith Mallory, Barbara Bach as Maritza Petrovich |
| Initial Theatrical Release: December 22, 1978 (Wide) by American International Pictures |
| Keywords: World War II, War, Action Thriller, 1940s |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Action, Live Action, Historical Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $7,100,000 |
11
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| Halloween |
| Director: John Carpenter |
| Lead Roles: Donald Pleasance as Dr. Samuel "Sam" Loomis, Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode |
| Initial Theatrical Release: October 17, 1978 (Wide) by Compass International |
| Keywords: Slasher Horror, Babysitters |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Horror, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $47,274,000 |
|
International BO: $23,000,000 |
12
| The Betsy |
| Director: Daniel Petrie |
| Lead Roles: Laurence Olivier as Loren Hardeman, Robert Duvall as Loren Hardeman III, Katharine Ross as Sally Hardeman, Tommy Lee Jones as Angelo Perino, Jane Alexander as Alicia Hardeman |
| Initial Theatrical Release: February 9, 1978 (Wide) by Allied Artists |
| Keywords: Romantic Drama, 1920s, 1930s, Dysfunctional Family, Auto Racing, Relationships Gone Wrong, Infidelity |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Drama, Live Action, Historical Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $17,700,000 |
13
| Uncle Joe Shannon |
| Initial Theatrical Release: December 15, 1978 (Limited) by United Artists |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Drama, Live Action |
|
Domestic BO: $3,697 |
14
| Casey's Shadow |
| Director: Martin Ritt |
| Initial Theatrical Release: 1978 (Wide) by Columbia |
| Keywords: Miscellaneous Sports, Sports Drama, Father’s Footsteps, Animal Lead, Horse Racing, Death of a Pet, Professional Rivalry |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Drama, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $8,000,000 |
15
| Invasion of the Body Snatchers |
| Director: Philip Kaufman |
| Lead Roles: Donald Sutherland as Matthew Bennell |
| Initial Theatrical Release: December 22, 1978 (Wide) by United Artists |
| Keywords: Cloning, Alien Invasion, Film Noir, Parasite, Psychological Horror, Surprise Twist, Remake, Relationships Gone Wrong, Doppelganger, Remade |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Horror, Live Action, Science Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $24,946,533 |
16
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| Straight Time |
| Director: Ulu Grosbard |
| Lead Roles: Dustin Hoffman as Max Dembo |
| Initial Theatrical Release: April 21, 1978 (Limited), released as Vigilato speciale (Italy) |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Drama, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
17
| The Cheap Detective |
| Director: Robert Moore |
| Lead Roles: Peter Falk as Lou Peckinpaugh |
| Initial Theatrical Release: June 9, 1978 (Wide) by Columbia |
| Keywords: Crime Comedy, Death of a Partner, Falsely Accused, Ensemble, Spoof, Set in San Francisco, Police Detective, Nazis, Nazi Treasure, Treasure Hunters, Femme Fatale |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Comedy, Live Action, Historical Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $28,221,552 |
18
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| Holocaust 2000 |
| Director: Alberto De Martino |
| Lead Roles: Kirk Douglas as Robert Caine, Agostina Belli as Sara Golan |
| Initial Theatrical Release: April 19, 1978 (Limited) by Embassy |
| Classification: Horror, Live Action |
19
| National Lampoon's Animal House |
| Director: John Landis |
| Lead Roles: John Belushi as John ‘Bluto’ Blutarsky, Tim Matheson as Eric ‘Otter’ Stratton, John Vernon as Dean Vernon Wormer, Verna Bloom as Marion Wormer, Tom Hulce as Larry ‘Pinto’ Kroger, Donald Sutherland as Professor Dave Jennings |
| Initial Theatrical Release: July 28, 1978 (Wide) by Universal |
| Keywords: College, Epilogue, Slobs vs. Snobs, Fraternity/Sorority, Breaking the Fourth Wall, Delayed Adulthood, Revenge, New Guy/Girl in School, Parties Gone Wild |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Comedy, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $141,600,000 |
|
International BO: $7,202 |
20
| The Other Side of the Mountain Part II |
| Lead Roles: Marilyn Hassett as Jill Kinmont , Timothy Bottoms as John Boothe |
| Initial Theatrical Release: 1978 (Wide) by Universal |
|
Domestic BO: $12,000,000 |
21
| House Calls |
| Director: Howard Zieff |
| Lead Roles: Walter Matthau as Dr. Charley Nichols, Glenda Jackson as Ann Atkinson |
| Initial Theatrical Release: 1978 (Wide) by Universal |
|
Domestic BO: $29,000,000 |
22
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| L’albero degli zoccoli |
| Director: Ermanno Olmi |
| Initial Theatrical Release: September 21, 1978 (Wide) (Italy) |
| Keywords: Life on a Farm, Set in Italy, 1890s, 1900s, Veterinarian, Young Child Dealing with the Death of a Parent |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Drama, Live Action, Historical Fiction |
|
International BO: $1,575 |
Synopsis
A painterly and sensual immersion in late nineteenth-century Italian farm life, Ermanno Olmi’s The Tree of Wooden Clogs lovingly focuses on four families working for one landowner on an isolated estate in the province of Bergamo. Filming on an abandoned farm for four months, Olmi adapted neorealist techniques to tell his story, enlisting local people to live as their own ancestors had, speaking in their native dialect on locations with which they were intimately familiar. Through the cycle of seasons, of backbreaking labor, love and marriage, birth and death, faith and superstition, Olmi naturalistically evokes an existence very close to nature, celebrating its beauty, humor, and simplicity but also acknowledging the feudal cruelty that governs it.
23
| Grease |
| Director: Randal Kleiser |
| Lead Roles: John Travolta as Danny Zuko, Olivia Newton-John as Sandy Olsen |
| Initial Theatrical Release: June 16, 1978 (Wide) by Paramount Pictures |
| Keywords: 1950s, Gangs, High School, Cross-Culture Romance, Romantic Musical |
| Classification: Based on Musical or Opera, Musical, Live Action, Historical Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $181,813,770 |
|
International BO: $205,658,547 |
24
| The Bad News Bears Go To Japan |
| Director: John Berry |
| Lead Roles: Tony Curtis as Marvin Lazar, Jackie Earle Haley as Kelly Leak |
| Initial Theatrical Release: 1978 (Wide) by Paramount Pictures |
| Keywords: Baseball, Sports Comedy, Set in Japan, Culture Clash, Bad Role Models, Sequels Without Their Original Stars, Underdog, Romance, Cross-Culture Romance |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Comedy, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $14,000,000 |
25
| Coming Home |
| Lead Roles: Jane Fonda as Sally Hyde , Jon Voight as Luke Martin , Bruce Dern as Capt. Bob Hyde |
| Initial Theatrical Release: 1978 (Wide) by United Artists |
| Keywords: Returning Soldiers, War, Vietnam War, IMAX: DMR, 1960s, PTSD, Relationships Gone Wrong, Infidelity, Suicide, Paralysis, Wheelchair User, Life Drama, 1979 Oscars Best Picture Nominee |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Drama, Live Action, Historical Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $32,653,000 |