The Highest-Grossing Documentaries At The Box Office
Documentaries give us a window into worlds we previously knew nothing about—whether exploring celebrity lives, the world around us, or contain disturbing facts about our greatest idols. Here are some of the highest-grossing documentaries of all time, including some that may surprise you.
Extreme
Ever thought about what a good idea it might be to go ice climbing, rock climbing, skiing, or snowboarding? No? Me neither. But Extreme (1999) apparently changed all that for a lot of people. Although it was only 45 minutes long and is therefore considered a "short film", Extreme, directed by Jon Long, grossed a whopping $25.95 million worldwide—that's more money than NASCAR: The IMAX Experience from 2004.
Laurel F, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Ocean Wonderland
Another "short film"—only 41 minutes long—that grossed higher than feature-lengths at the box office was Ocean Wonderland (2003). Directed by Jean-Jacques Montello and narrated by British voice actor Geoffrey Bateman, it is widely considered one of the earliest and best films to explore the deep blue sea in a narrative style. Before there was David Attenborough, there was Ocean Wonderland.
It performed excellently at the box office for something that by today's standards would be considered rather crude filmmaking, grossing $25.97 million worldwide.
3D Entertainment, Ocean Wonderland (2003)
Galapagos
1999 appears to have been the year of the short film performing well at the box office. Released worldwide in October of 1999, Galapagos followed Smithsonian Museum of Natural History biologist Dr Carole Baldwin on one of her first trips to the Galapagos Islands.
Narrated by Irish actor Kenneth Branagh, the film grossed 27.08 million worldwide and was the first introduction to Dr Baldwin's work for many,
Free Solo
A more recent entry on our list is the 2018 movie produced by world-famous rock climber and world record holder, Alex Honnold. In the movie, Honnold would attempt to be the first person ever to climb the face of Yosemite's "El Capitan" granite monolith.
Alongside winning the Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards that year, it would also win the People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. At the box office? Honnold climbed his way to a staggering $28.6 million worldwide gross.
National Geographic, Free Solo (2018)
Ghosts Of The Abyss
Produced by Walden Media and directed by James Cameron (director of Titanic), Ghosts Of The Abyss (2003) takes the viewer along with Cameron and a group of scientists to the site of the wreck of the RMS Titanic. Using Russian submersible vehicles, Cameron and the scientists were able to obtain more detailed images than anyone ever had before, and used CGI to superimpose the Titanic's original appearance onto the images captured at the wreck site.
Ghosts Of The Abyss is narrated by Bill Paxton, who was also a member of the crew. The movie grossed $28.7 million worldwide.
Walt Disney, Ghosts Of The Abyss (2003)
Bugs! (IMAX)
For the small child in all of us, Bugs! (IMAX edition) was a pretty incredible film. Shot in 3D in the jungles of Borneo, Bugs! (2003) journeyed to the jungles of Borneo to give us amazing imagery of 40 different insects, from praying mantises to caterpillars and butterflies. Best of all? It was narrated by Judi Dench.
Another 40-minute short documentary, Bugs! won the Best Cinematography Award from the Giant Screen Film Association and grossed a stunning $29.1 million worldwide.
Thrill Ride: The Science Of Fun
Ever wondered why we have fun? Probably not. But Thrill Ride: The Science Of Fun (1997) sought to teach us that through the medium of an IMAX 3D experience. Yet another short film on our list of the highest-grossing docs, this one is from filmmaker Ben Stassen, who reviews the history of computer animation, motion pictures, motion simulators, and rollercoasters—all through a 3D lens, providing a riveting watch.
Thrill Ride: The Science Of Fun certainly performed well at the Box Office for yet another short documentary. Despite being only 40 minutes long, it grossed 31.2 million worldwide.
New Wave, Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun (1997)
Justin Bieber's Believe
You'll never "believe" this! (Sorry, I'll get my coat). Justin Bieber's Believe documentary, released in 2013, took the Belieber world by storm as a sequel to his first concert film, Never Say Never. For those who couldn't attend Bieber's concerts, Believe proved to be a useful documentary, to relive the experience vicariously.
And Bieber fans did, flocking to the cinemas in their millions. Believe grossed $32.2 million worldwide.
Open Road, Justin Bieber's Believe (2013)
Wild Safari 3D
Released in 2005, Wild Safari 3D was yet another film to hop on the 3D craze of the early 2000s. It's also another nod for Ben Stassen on our list as Wild Safari 3D follows Stassen and a scientist as they explore the wilds of Africa, searching for rhinoceros, Cape buffalos, lions, leopards, and elephants.
Another success for Stassen as Wild Safari 3D grossed $32.4 million worldwide.
2016: Obama's America
For a film produced in 2012, 2016: Obama's America was definitely a huge hit among Americans. Produced by Dinesh D'Souza, it explored the question of what might happen if Barack Obama won a second term as President of the United States.
Despite the overarching political messaging of the movie, it performed well at the box office, grossing $33.3 million domestically, as it was not released outside of the United States.
Lionsgate, 2016: Obama's America (2012)
My Love, Don't Cross That River
One of the most heartwarming (and possibly heartbreaking) documentaries you're ever likely to see, My Love, Don't Cross That River (2013) is a South Korean documentary produced by Jin Mo-young, who followed an elderly married couple in South Korea for 15 months, until the last moments of their 76-year marriage.
Such an astonishing feat of love being captured on camera for the world to see was remarkable, and through word of mouth, My Love, Don't Cross That River became the most successful South Korean documentary of all time and grossed $34.1 million worldwide.
Argus, My Love, Don't Cross That River (2013)
Woodstock
Centered around the famous festival, Woodstock (1970) tells the tale of Woodstock—the infamous 1969 music festival that took place near Bethel, New York. Recording almost all of the artists on-stage during Woodstock, the movie was directed by Michael Wadleigh and edited by none other than Martin Scorsese.
Along with receiving an Academy Award for Best Documentary, Woodstock grossed a stunning $34.6 million worldwide.
Warner Bros., Woodstock (1970)
Sicko
Michael Moore's film that was highly critical of the American healthcare system was bound to do well at the box office, especially given his earlier successes of Bowling For Columbine (2002) and Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004). Sicko takes aim at the American healthcare system, comparing and contrasting the for-profit model (at the time) with the government-subsidized healthcare systems present in other developed nations like the UK, Canada, South America, and Europe.
Sicko grossed $36.5 million worldwide and was the largest commercial success since Fahrenheit 9/11.
Chimpanzee
Narrated by Tim Allen, Chimpanzee is a 2012 nature documentary about the life of chimpanzees, including one common chimpanzee named Oscar, who is adopted by another family of chimpanzees after being orphaned following an attack by a rival gang of fellow chimpanzees.
The touching documentary was produced by Walt Disney Studios on a budget of just $5 million. However, the film was a huge commercial success, with theatergoers touched by the story of Oscar, and grossed a staggering $36.8 million worldwide.
Walt Disney, Chimpanzee (2012)
Winged Migration
This 2001 documentary follows migrating birds from Europe, North America, the Amazon rainforest, and the Antarctic Ocean and Antarctica. Narrated by Jacques Perrin and Phillipe Labro, Winged Migration was nominated for an Academy Award for the Best Documentary Feature and a European Film Award in 2002 for the Best Documentary.
The film has a 95% Rotten Tomatoes rating and grossed $39.1 million worldwide.
France 2, Winged Migration (2001)
Magnificent Desolation
Magnificent Desolation (2005) was a 40-minute documentary starring voice-overs from Matt Damon, Tom Hanks, and Morgan Freeman. Using the quote from Buzz Aldrin who defined the moon as "magnificent desolation", the short documentary uses archival footage and voice-overs, attempting to give viewers a vision of what it might be like to be on the moon.
Magnificent Desolation grossed $39.8 million worldwide and was a commercial success.
IMAX, Magnificent Desolation (2005)
Encounter In The Third Dimension
Director Ben Stassen returns to our list with Encounter In The Third Dimension (1999), a movie showcasing the history of 3D technology featuring "The Professor", played by Stuart Pankin. This educational short-style documentary was only 36 minutes, but still remained popular among fans of Ben Stassen's work, grossing $40.1 million worldwide.
IMAX, Encounter in the Third Dimension (1999)
Born To Be Wild 3D
Morgan Freeman narrates this nature documentary about two nature conservationists—Daphne Sheldrick created an elephant sanctuary in Kenya, while Dr Birutké Galdikas has set up an orphanage for orangutans. The movie follows the work of these conservationists as they raise and rehabilitate their orphaned orangutans and elephants, before introducing them back into the wild.
Grossing a stunning $47.6 million, Born To Be Wild 3D also ranks 98% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Under The Sea 3D
Take a trip to some of the most isolated areas of our oceans, as Under The Sea 3D (2009) explores the depths of the Indian and Pacific oceans off the coast of South Australia and New Guinea. Under The Sea 3D was narrated by Jim Carrey and grossed $47.9 million worldwide,
Warner Bros., Under the Sea 3D (2009)
Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure
Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure (2007) couples computer-generated imagery of the aquatic life of the past with modern-day science to produce a stunning documentary that follows prehistoric marine reptiles on their journey through the ocean in a storyline narrative. Introducing Dolly, a female Dolichorhynchops who travels the Kansas Inland Sea with her family, some 80 million years ago. Telling of Dolly's encounters with other extinct sharks, including a dramatic attack by one, Sea Monsters aimed to provide a narrative tale of what life might have been like for prehistoric reptiles.
It also spawned a short-lived video game that was released for the Nintendo Wii, DS, and the PlayStation 2. Despite the video game flop, the movie received a positive box office reaction, grossing $50.7 million worldwide.
IMAX, Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure (2007)
To The Limit
Another IMAX documentary on our list—there's a lot of them, aren't there? To The Limit (1989) depicts what happens inside the human body as it's pushed to its physical limits when performing actions such as rock climbing and downhill skiing. We're shown this through the stories of three Olympic athletes: rock climber Tony Yaniro and two ballet dancers, Nina Ananiashvili and Irek Mukhamedov.
At the time of its production, it was considered one of the most groundbreaking scientific documentaries and grossed $53 million in the United States, as it was not released internationally.
Anastasiya Fedorenko, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
An Inconvenient Truth
One of the most infamous documentaries ever, Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth (2006) presents an illustrated Al Gore talk on climate change, utilizing reenactments from Al Gore's life. Gore had been giving these public talks on climate change since 1989, frequently using elements of his real-life experiences, but always backing it up with demonstrable scientific facts on the issues.
An Inconvenient Truth is also a book written by Gore, and a sequel called An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth To Power was released in 2017. However, the original movie grossed $53.3 million worldwide and was one of the most talked about films of the year in 2006.
Paramount, An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
Bowling For Columbine
Michael Moore's second documentary, Bowling For Columbine (2002) took on the issue of gun control in the United States, using the Columbine High School Massacre of 1999 as part of its title to grab attention. In Moore's second major documentary film after Roger & Me (1989), he would go on to win an Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2002.
Alongside those awards and grossing $58.2 million worldwide, Bowling For Columbine is widely considered one of the greatest documentaries of all time, despite its dark subject matter.
MGM, Bowling for Columbine (2002)
The Living Sea
This 1995 documentary from Greg MacGillivary was shot on 70mm film and is intended to showcase the importance of the world's oceans and their role in the planetary ecosystem. Released by IMAX, Meryl Streep provides narration on the movie, with Sting providing music, and Science World in Vancouver, Canada producing the film.
Following curious jellyfish in the Palau Islands, researchers tracking endangered whales, members of the United States Coast Guard rough-water rescue squad in action, along with a deep-water scientific research team, The Living Sea was nominated for one Academy Award for Best Documentary, despite having a run-time of only 40 minutes. The film grossed $64.8 million worldwide.
Antarctica
Narrated by Alex Scott and produced by John Weiley, Antarctica (1991) is a large-format documentary that was among the first (and most detailed) documentaries to ever be produced—with the financial support of the Australian government—of the coldest place on earth. Consisting mainly of aerial footage of the topography and fauna of the mysterious continent, Antarctica broke news in the scientific exploration of earth.
It grossed a stunning total of $66.07 million worldwide, making it one of the most profitable films ever financed by the Australian Government.
Hubble 3D
Released in 2010, Hubble 3D gives viewers unprecedented accounts of astronaut missions to repair and upgrade the Hubble space telescope, which has been floating through space since the early 1990s. Using CGI imagery, recreated by data points and images captured by Hubble, viewers are sent on a 3D journey like never before.
The amazing viewing experience offered by Hubble's imagery, combined with the technology used to create the movie, made it an almost instant hit among 3D fans. Hubble 3D grossed $68.4 million worldwide.
Dolphins
Who doesn't love a movie about dolphins? Squid, I guess. But the general viewing public loved the Dolphins (2000) documentary. Narrated by Pierce Brosnan, Dolphins is another 3D movie by Greg MacGillivary, following a group of scientists that study dolphin communications and intelligence. In particular, the movie features the bottlenose dolphin, the dusky dolphin, and the Atlantic spotted dolphin.
With a 39-minute runtime, Dolphins was a short and sweet introduction to the mammals, designed to be mostly consumed by a younger audience. However, the movie was a huge hit at the box office, grossing $69.6 million worldwide.
The Dream Is Alive
Released in 1985, The Dream Is Alive is a documentary all about NASA's Space Shuttle Program. With narration by the legendary Walter Cronkite, it details much of the history of the Space Shuttle Program and current and past Space Shuttle launches by NASA, including Discovery and the sixth flight of the ill-fated Challenger space shuttle.
The Dream Is Alive grossed $70 million domestically, as it was not released for an international audience.
IMAX, The Dream Is Alive (1985)
Amazing China
Conversely, Amazing China (2018) was only released in China and is a documentary directed by Wei Tie that showcases Chinese innovations in science, technology, industry, and poverty reduction during Xi Jinping's tenure as the leader of China. While widely considered to be a propaganda film, it has nevertheless grossed $72.5 million worldwide, though it has not been released in the United States.
Oceans
This 2009 documentary drama, directed by Jacques Perrin, details marine life in all five of the earth's oceans and depicts how human activity has had detrimental effects on that marine life. It was filmed over four years and in 50 different locations. When it was released in North America, Disneynature cut 20 minutes of the film depicting massacres of sea animals to make the film more palatable to a younger audience.
Whether young or old, viewers flocked to see Perrin's impressive flick, which grossed $86.7 million worldwide.
Mysteries Of Egypt
This 1998 IMAX film covers many of the mysteries of ancient Egypt, from the building of the Pyramids to the importance of the Nile River to the Egyptian people and many other mysteries of the ancient civilizations. Told in a narrative of a granddaughter asking her grandfather about the mysteries, the highly popular film grossed a stunning $90 million worldwide.
IMAX, Mysteries Of Egypt (1998)
Deep Sea 3D
Narrated by both Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet, Deep Sea 3D (2006) explores never-before-seen exotic ocean life and ecosystems that thrive at the deepest depths of our oceans, as deep-sea divers photograph and take video of under-sea life in its undisturbed form. It was the latest in a long line of 3D movies from acclaimed director Howard Hall.
Deep Sea 3D grossed a total of $105.6 million worldwide.
Earth
This 2007 documentary of the TV series Planet Earth (with Richard Attenborough), features the migratory journeys made by three species of animal—the polar bear, the African bush elephant, and the humpback whale—in an effort to highlight the threats these species face by climate change. It uses some of the same footage as seen on Planet Earth, and was distributed by Disneynature in North America.
Earth grossed an astounding $116 million worldwide, with British narration provided by Patrick Stewart and American narration provided by James Earl Jones.
To Fly!
Chronicling the history of aviation in the United States, from the Wright Brothers to the hot air balloon to modern aviation (in the 1970s), To Fly! (1976) is only 30 minutes long, but is among the highest-grossing giant screen documentaries and one of the most successful IMAX movies of all time. In total, this stunning tale (for the era) of how man came to fly grossed $120.7 million worldwide.
Space Station
This 47-minute IMAX documentary tells the story of the International Space Station, from conception to launch. Released in 2002 by a Canadian-American team of directors and producers, the film showcases the journey of NASA astronauts working on the ISS, following the team as they struggle with dangerous tasks, orbiting above the Earth at 17,000 miles per hour.
One of the most groundbreaking documentaries that explored space and gave new insight into the workings of the ISS, Space Station (2002) is widely considered one of the greatest space documentaries of all time and grossed $126.5 million worldwide.
Everest
Widely considered one of the greatest nature documentaries of all time, Everest (1998) tells the incredible story of Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain, through the lens of 70mm film and an IMAX screen in one of the most immersive climbing experiences ever. Following a team of climbers who attempt to reach the summit of Everest, the story of Everest is one of the enduring nature of the human spirit, resilience in the face of adversity and triumph in the face of catastrophe.
Despite being produced in the late 1990s, Everest continues to be watched all over the world and has grossed an astonishing $127 million worldwide.
March Of The Penguins
The March Of The Penguins (2005) is a feature-length documentary shot by two French cinematographers from a scientific base in Adélie Land, a French-claimed territory in Antarctica. It follows the yearly journey made by Emperor Penguins in Antarctica—a journey from the ocean to their ancestral breeding grounds where they mate and, if successful, hatch a chick. It depicts the difficult journeys made by both parents between the ocean and the breeding grounds in order for the chick to survive.
March Of The Penguins is one of the most successful nature documentaries of all time, grossing $127.4 million worldwide, and has a sequel: March Of The Penguins 2: The Next Step.
Wild Bunch, March of the Penguins (2005)
Fahrenheit 9/11
Fahrenheit 9/11 (2005) was Michael Moore's third feature-length documentary, following the success of Roger and Me (1989) and Bowling For Columbine (2002). Fahrenheit 9/11 questions the Bush Administration's motivations for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, points out the ties between the Bush family and Saudi Arabia, and lays bare the profiteering of the military-industrial complex once the wars began.
Yet another critical and economic success for Michael Moore, as Fahrenheit 9/11 grossed $221 million worldwide and is widely considered one of the greatest documentaries of the 21st century.
Lionsgate, Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
Grand Canyon: The Hidden Secrets
For a film that was released in 1984, Grand Canyon: The Hidden Secrets took off in an unexpected way with an international audience, but didn't enjoy much success on the home front. At just an hour long, it was shot almost exclusively from a helicopter above the canyon, and the film's subject matter includes the human history of the canyon, from the Indigenous tribes who once roamed the area to becoming a major tourist destination.
Domestically, Grand Canyon: The Hidden Secrets only earned $52.8 million, but was an astonishing success internationally, earning $186.2 million. That makes it the second highest-grossing documentary film of all time, earning $239 million worldwide.
IMAX, Grand Canyon: The Hidden Secrets (1984)
This Is It
This is, indeed, it. The most successful documentary ever. A documentary about one of the most successful musicians of all-time and his preparations for a comeback tour called "This Is It." Unfortunately, Michael Jackson died during filming and it was only agreed after his passing that the footage gathered in the film would be released. The timeliness of the film's release and Jackson's popularity contributed massively to the film's success, honoring the man posthumously.
This Is It is the highest-grossing documentary of all time, earning $261.1 million worldwide. But the highest-grossing documentary of all time wasn't without controversy—there were multiple reports that production company AEL Live used body-doubles for Jackson's performances, because the man himself was too unwell to perform due to malnutrition. These reports were originally rubbished by AEL, but even Jackson's own family, including his sisters and father, publicly stated that the footage of Jackson was "mostly body doubles".
Do you think that This Is It used body doubles in place of an ailing Michael Jackson? Do you have a favorite documentary from our list? Let us know in the comments below!
