Box Office Performance for Based on Real Life Events Movies in 2008
| Rank | Movie | Genre | MPAA | 2008 Gross | Tickets Sold | Inflation- Adjusted Gross |
| 1 |
Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour
|
Concert/Performance
|
G
|
$65,280,346 |
9,488,422 |
$65,280,343 |
| 2 |
The Bank Job
|
Thriller/Suspense
|
R
|
$30,060,660 |
4,369,282 |
$30,060,660 |
| 3 |
The Great Debaters
|
Drama
|
PG-13
|
$16,969,956 |
2,466,563 |
$16,969,953 |
| 4 |
Stop-Loss
|
Drama
|
R
|
$10,915,744 |
1,586,591 |
$10,915,746 |
| 5 |
Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure
|
Documentary
|
Not Rated
|
$10,886,395 |
1,582,325 |
$10,886,396 |
| 6 |
Space Station
|
Documentary
|
Not Rated
|
$9,512,425 |
1,382,620 |
$9,512,426 |
| 7 |
U2 3D
|
Concert/Performance
|
G
|
$8,880,139 |
1,290,718 |
$8,880,140 |
| 8 |
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed
|
Documentary
|
PG
|
$7,598,071 |
1,104,371 |
$7,598,072 |
| 9 |
The Counterfeiters
|
Drama
|
R
|
$5,458,024 |
793,317 |
$5,458,021 |
| 10 |
Shine a Light
|
Documentary
|
R
|
$5,371,629 |
780,760 |
$5,371,629 |
| 11 |
Mongol
|
Drama
|
R
|
$4,867,490 |
707,484 |
$4,867,490 |
| 12 |
Young @ Heart
|
Documentary
|
PG
|
$3,837,995 |
557,848 |
$3,837,994 |
| 13 |
Jodhaa Akbar
|
Drama
|
Not Rated
|
$3,440,718 |
500,104 |
$3,440,716 |
| 14 |
Dolphins and Whales Tribes of the Ocean 3D
|
Documentary
|
Not Rated
|
$3,015,491 |
438,298 |
$3,015,490 |
| 15 |
Magnificent Desolation
|
Documentary
|
Not Rated
|
$2,884,299 |
419,230 |
$2,884,302 |
| 16 |
Deep Sea 3-D
|
Documentary
|
G
|
$2,403,263 |
349,311 |
$2,403,260 |
| 17 |
August Rush
|
Drama
|
PG
|
$1,628,545 |
236,707 |
$1,628,544 |
| 18 |
I'm Not There
|
Drama
|
R
|
$1,232,174 |
179,095 |
$1,232,174 |
| 19 |
Roving Mars
|
Documentary
|
G
|
$1,151,682 |
167,396 |
$1,151,684 |
| 20 |
American Gangster
|
Drama
|
R
|
$1,145,920 |
166,558 |
$1,145,919 |
| 21 |
How to Cook Your Life
|
Documentary
|
PG-13
|
$779,456 |
113,293 |
$779,456 |
| 22 |
The Children of Huang Shi
|
Drama
|
|
$691,581 |
100,520 |
$691,578 |
| 23 |
Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
|
Documentary
|
|
$679,262 |
98,730 |
$679,262 |
| 24 |
Emma Smith: My Story
|
Drama
|
PG
|
$675,223 |
98,143 |
$675,224 |
| 25 |
Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days & 30 Nights - Hollywood to the Heartland
|
Documentary
|
R
|
$603,564 |
87,727 |
$603,562 |
| 26 |
Up the Yangtze
|
Documentary
|
|
$504,247 |
73,292 |
$504,249 |
| 27 |
Encounters at the End of the World
|
Documentary
|
G
|
$479,501 |
69,695 |
$479,502 |
| 28 |
Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?
|
Documentary
|
PG-13
|
$384,955 |
55,953 |
$384,957 |
| 29 |
Bigger, Stronger, Faster*
|
Documentary
|
|
$285,135 |
41,444 |
$285,135 |
| 30 |
Taxi to the Dark Side
|
Documentary
|
R
|
$274,661 |
39,922 |
$274,663 |
| 31 |
Planet B-Boy
|
Documentary
|
|
$272,791 |
39,650 |
$272,792 |
| 32 |
The Singing Revolution
|
Documentary
|
|
$269,069 |
39,109 |
$269,070 |
| 33 |
Surfwise
|
Documentary
|
R
|
$260,053 |
37,798 |
$260,050 |
| 34 |
La Vie en Rose
|
Drama
|
PG-13
|
$230,722 |
33,535 |
$230,721 |
| 35 |
Standard Operating Procedure
|
Documentary
|
R
|
$228,007 |
33,141 |
$228,010 |
| 36 |
Steep
|
Documentary
|
PG
|
$204,069 |
29,661 |
$204,068 |
| 37 |
Chicago 10
|
Documentary
|
R
|
$176,545 |
25,661 |
$176,548 |
| 38 |
Wild Safari 3D
|
Documentary
|
Not Rated
|
$176,101 |
25,596 |
$176,100 |
| 39 |
Girls Rock!
|
Documentary
|
PG
|
$147,331 |
21,414 |
$147,328 |
| 40 |
Nanking
|
Documentary
|
R
|
$138,788 |
20,173 |
$138,790 |
| 41 |
My Winnipeg
|
Documentary
|
|
$128,100 |
18,619 |
$128,099 |
| 42 |
The First Saturday in May
|
Documentary
|
PG-13
|
$124,294 |
18,066 |
$124,294 |
| 43 |
Bra Boys
|
Documentary
|
R
|
$113,730 |
16,531 |
$113,733 |
| 44 |
Trumbo
|
Documentary
|
PG-13
|
$103,000 |
14,971 |
$103,000 |
| 45 |
Chris and Don: A Love Story
|
Documentary
|
|
$92,800 |
13,488 |
$92,797 |
| 46 |
Blindsight
|
Documentary
|
PG
|
$89,169 |
12,961 |
$89,172 |
| 47 |
A Man Named Pearl
|
Documentary
|
|
$84,302 |
12,253 |
$84,301 |
| 48 |
The Unforeseen
|
Documentary
|
|
$80,610 |
11,717 |
$80,613 |
| 49 |
Praying with Lior
|
Documentary
|
|
$79,516 |
11,558 |
$79,519 |
| 50 |
Body of War
|
Documentary
|
|
$71,716 |
10,424 |
$71,717 |
| 51 |
The Business of Being Born
|
Documentary
|
|
$69,348 |
10,080 |
$69,350 |
| 52 |
Happy Valley
|
Documentary
|
PG-13
|
$67,665 |
9,835 |
$67,665 |
| 53 |
A Plumm Summer
|
Adventure
|
PG
|
$60,668 |
8,818 |
$60,668 |
| 54 |
War Dance
|
Documentary
|
PG-13
|
$57,570 |
8,368 |
$57,572 |
| 55 |
Chapter 27
|
Drama
|
R
|
$56,215 |
8,171 |
$56,216 |
| 56 |
A Jihad for Love
|
Documentary
|
|
$55,244 |
8,030 |
$55,246 |
| 57 |
Shoot Down
|
Documentary
|
PG-13
|
$51,408 |
7,472 |
$51,407 |
| 58 |
Gunnin' for that #1 Spot
|
Documentary
|
PG-13
|
$50,804 |
7,384 |
$50,802 |
| 59 |
Bloodline
|
Documentary
|
|
$44,523 |
6,471 |
$44,520 |
| 60 |
For the Bible Tells Me So
|
Documentary
|
|
$43,505 |
6,323 |
$43,502 |
| 61 |
Refusenik
|
Documentary
|
|
$39,456 |
5,735 |
$39,457 |
| 62 |
Hats Off
|
Documentary
|
|
$31,272 |
4,545 |
$31,270 |
| 63 |
Fighting for Life
|
Documentary
|
|
$30,606 |
4,449 |
$30,609 |
| 64 |
Dark Matter
|
Drama
|
R
|
$30,591 |
4,446 |
$30,588 |
| 65 |
Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains
|
Documentary
|
|
$28,278 |
4,110 |
$28,277 |
| 66 |
Forever
|
Documentary
|
|
$23,291 |
3,385 |
$23,289 |
| 67 |
Billy the Kid
|
Documentary
|
|
$22,795 |
3,313 |
$22,793 |
| 68 |
America the Beautiful
|
Documentary
|
R
|
$22,577 |
3,282 |
$22,580 |
| 69 |
Yiddish Theater: A Love Story
|
Documentary
|
|
$20,390 |
2,964 |
$20,392 |
| 70 |
Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts
|
Documentary
|
|
$20,018 |
2,910 |
$20,021 |
| 71 |
Trying to Get Good: The Jazz Odyssey of Jack Sheldon
|
Documentary
|
|
$19,712 |
2,865 |
$19,711 |
| 72 |
Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten
|
Documentary
|
|
$18,684 |
2,716 |
$18,686 |
| 73 |
My Kid Could Paint That
|
Documentary
|
PG-13
|
$18,133 |
2,636 |
$18,136 |
| 74 |
Imaginary Witness: Hollywood and the Holocaust
|
Documentary
|
|
$17,537 |
2,549 |
$17,537 |
| 75 |
Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired
|
Documentary
|
|
$17,152 |
2,493 |
$17,152 |
| 76 |
In the Valley of Elah
|
Drama
|
R
|
$12,718 |
1,849 |
$12,721 |
| 77 |
Operation Filmmaker
|
Documentary
|
|
$11,573 |
1,682 |
$11,572 |
| 78 |
Kurt Cobain: About a Son
|
Documentary
|
|
$11,373 |
1,653 |
$11,373 |
| 79 |
Sputnik Mania
|
Documentary
|
|
$10,650 |
1,548 |
$10,650 |
| 80 |
Lord, Save Us From Your Followers
|
Documentary
|
|
$10,510 |
1,528 |
$10,513 |
| 81 |
Without the King
|
Documentary
|
|
$8,663 |
1,259 |
$8,662 |
| 82 |
Battle for Haditha
|
Documentary
|
|
$8,443 |
1,227 |
$8,442 |
| 83 |
Lou Reed's Berlin
|
Concert/Performance
|
PG-13
|
$8,280 |
1,203 |
$8,277 |
| 84 |
To the Limit
|
Documentary
|
|
$7,760 |
1,128 |
$7,761 |
| 85 |
The Killing of John Lennon
|
Drama
|
|
$6,672 |
970 |
$6,674 |
| 86 |
Twisted: A Balloonamentary
|
Documentary
|
Not Rated
|
$4,345 |
632 |
$4,348 |
| 87 |
Poisoned by Polonium: Litvinenko File
|
Documentary
|
|
$4,293 |
624 |
$4,293 |
| 88 |
El Inmigrante
|
Documentary
|
|
$3,968 |
577 |
$3,970 |
| 89 |
FLOW: For Love of Water
|
Documentary
|
|
$3,644 |
530 |
$3,646 |
| 90 |
Death Defying Acts
|
Drama
|
|
$3,561 |
518 |
$3,564 |
| 91 |
Wetlands Preserved: The Story of an Activist Rock Club
|
Documentary
|
|
$2,951 |
429 |
$2,952 |
| 92 |
Running with Arnold
|
Documentary
|
|
$2,119 |
308 |
$2,119 |
| 93 |
On the Rumba River
|
Documentary
|
|
$1,698 |
247 |
$1,699 |
| 94 |
A Lawyer Walks into a Bar
|
Documentary
|
|
$1,632 |
237 |
$1,631 |
| 95 |
Beyond Belief
|
Documentary
|
|
$667 |
97 |
$667 |
| 96 |
I for India
|
Documentary
|
|
$386 |
56 |
$385 |
| 97 |
Show Business
|
Documentary
|
PG
|
$217 |
32 |
$220 |
| Total Gross of All Movies | $206,012,829 |
| Total Tickets Sold | 29,943,729 |
| Total Gross of All Movies at 2008 ticket prices | $206,012,856 |
Note: This chart ranks movies by the amount they earned during 2008.
It includes movies released in previous years that earned money during 2008.
For example, a movie released over Thanksgiving in 2007 will most likely earn money in 2007 and 2008.
Click on the individual movie to see its total gross over all the years in which it played.
Each box office year ends on the first Sunday of the following year.
The next year starts the following day (Monday).
For example, the "2004 box office year" ended on Sunday, January 2, 2005.
Inflation-adjusted figures are based ticket sale estimates, and may not be precise due to
rounding errors.
|