Box Office Performance for Based on Real Life Events Movies in 2011
| Rank | Movie | Genre | MPAA | 2011 Gross | Tickets Sold | Inflation- Adjusted Gross |
| 1 |
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never
|
Concert/Performance
|
G
|
$73,013,910 |
9,207,303 |
$72,645,621 |
| 2 |
Dolphin Tale
|
Drama
|
PG
|
$72,015,969 |
9,081,459 |
$71,652,712 |
| 3 |
The Fighter
|
Drama
|
R
|
$47,228,156 |
5,955,631 |
$46,989,929 |
| 4 |
J. Edgar
|
Drama
|
R
|
$36,650,831 |
4,621,795 |
$36,465,963 |
| 5 |
50/50
|
Black Comedy
|
|
$35,014,192 |
4,415,409 |
$34,837,577 |
| 6 |
Sanctum
|
Adventure
|
R
|
$23,209,310 |
2,926,773 |
$23,092,239 |
| 7 |
African Cats
|
Documentary
|
G
|
$15,428,747 |
1,945,618 |
$15,350,926 |
| 8 |
Born to be Wild 3D
|
Documentary
|
G
|
$15,183,665 |
1,914,712 |
$15,107,078 |
| 9 |
The Conspirator
|
Drama
|
PG-13
|
$11,538,204 |
1,455,007 |
$11,480,005 |
| 10 |
Hubble 3D
|
Documentary
|
G
|
$9,936,258 |
1,252,996 |
$9,886,138 |
| 11 |
My Week with Marilyn
|
Drama
|
R
|
$8,935,721 |
1,126,825 |
$8,890,649 |
| 12 |
127 Hours
|
Drama
|
R
|
$7,900,795 |
996,317 |
$7,860,941 |
| 13 |
Cave of Forgotten Dreams
|
Documentary
|
G
|
$5,304,920 |
668,968 |
$5,278,158 |
| 14 |
Under the Sea 3D
|
Documentary
|
G
|
$4,948,586 |
624,034 |
$4,923,628 |
| 15 |
Buck
|
Documentary
|
PG
|
$4,036,175 |
508,975 |
$4,015,813 |
| 16 |
Des Hommes et Des Dieux
|
Drama
|
R
|
$3,954,651 |
498,695 |
$3,934,704 |
| 17 |
The Social Network
|
Drama
|
PG-13
|
$3,740,668 |
471,711 |
$3,721,800 |
| 18 |
Space Station
|
Documentary
|
Not Rated
|
$2,167,258 |
273,299 |
$2,156,329 |
| 19 |
Unstoppable
|
Action
|
PG-13
|
$2,094,456 |
264,118 |
$2,083,891 |
| 20 |
The Mighty Macs
|
Drama
|
G
|
$1,891,936 |
238,580 |
$1,882,396 |
| 21 |
Gerry
|
Drama
|
|
$1,844,754 |
232,630 |
$1,835,451 |
| 22 |
Senna
|
Documentary
|
R
|
$1,612,430 |
203,333 |
$1,604,297 |
| 23 |
I Am
|
Documentary
|
|
$1,591,034 |
200,635 |
$1,583,010 |
| 24 |
Bill Cunningham New York
|
Documentary
|
|
$1,510,026 |
190,419 |
$1,502,406 |
| 25 |
The Devil's Double
|
Drama
|
R
|
$1,361,512 |
171,691 |
$1,354,642 |
| 26 |
Flying Monsters 3D
|
Documentary
|
|
$1,249,730 |
157,595 |
$1,243,425 |
| 27 |
Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest
|
Documentary
|
R
|
$1,200,046 |
151,330 |
$1,193,994 |
| 28 |
Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness
|
Documentary
|
|
$1,131,261 |
142,656 |
$1,125,556 |
| 29 |
The Whistleblower
|
Drama
|
R
|
$1,120,914 |
141,351 |
$1,115,259 |
| 30 |
There Be Dragons
|
Drama
|
PG-13
|
$1,069,334 |
134,847 |
$1,063,943 |
| 31 |
Page One: Inside the New York Times
|
Documentary
|
R
|
$1,067,028 |
134,556 |
$1,061,647 |
| 32 |
I Love You, Phillip Morris
|
Comedy
|
R
|
$911,157 |
114,900 |
$906,561 |
| 33 |
Inside Job
|
Documentary
|
PG-13
|
$859,817 |
108,426 |
$855,481 |
| 34 |
Casino Jack
|
Thriller/Suspense
|
R
|
$808,865 |
102,001 |
$804,788 |
| 35 |
Tabloid!
|
Documentary
|
R
|
$696,921 |
87,884 |
$693,405 |
| 36 |
Secretariat
|
Drama
|
PG
|
$645,831 |
81,441 |
$642,569 |
| 37 |
POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
|
Documentary
|
PG-13
|
$638,476 |
80,514 |
$635,255 |
| 38 |
The Last Lions
|
Documentary
|
PG
|
$635,325 |
80,117 |
$632,123 |
| 39 |
Made in Dagenham
|
Drama
|
R
|
$602,990 |
76,039 |
$599,948 |
| 40 |
Machine Gun Preacher
|
Drama
|
R
|
$538,690 |
67,931 |
$535,976 |
| 41 |
Deep Sea 3-D
|
Documentary
|
G
|
$524,144 |
66,096 |
$521,497 |
| 42 |
Pearl Jam Twenty
|
Documentary
|
|
$471,334 |
59,437 |
$468,958 |
| 43 |
No One Killed Jessica
|
Drama
|
|
$442,036 |
55,742 |
$439,804 |
| 44 |
Fair*Game
|
Drama
|
PG-13
|
$421,935 |
53,207 |
$419,803 |
| 45 |
Project Nim
|
Documentary
|
PG-13
|
$411,184 |
51,852 |
$409,112 |
| 46 |
The 5th Quarter
|
Drama
|
PG
|
$408,159 |
51,470 |
$406,098 |
| 47 |
Turtle: The Incredible Journey
|
Documentary
|
G
|
$391,942 |
49,425 |
$389,963 |
| 48 |
The First Grader
|
Drama
|
PG-13
|
$332,306 |
41,905 |
$330,630 |
| 49 |
L'Amour Fou
|
Documentary
|
|
$312,494 |
39,407 |
$310,921 |
| 50 |
The Black Power Mixtape: 1967-1975
|
Documentary
|
|
$273,749 |
34,521 |
$272,371 |
| 51 |
Conan O'Brien Can't Stop
|
Documentary
|
R
|
$267,965 |
33,791 |
$266,611 |
| 52 |
Phil Ochs
|
Documentary
|
|
$263,723 |
33,256 |
$262,390 |
| 53 |
Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure
|
Documentary
|
Not Rated
|
$262,465 |
33,098 |
$261,143 |
| 54 |
PASSIONE: A Musical Adventure
|
Documentary
|
|
$258,222 |
32,563 |
$256,922 |
| 55 |
Life in a Day
|
Documentary
|
PG
|
$252,788 |
31,877 |
$251,510 |
| 56 |
My Perestroika
|
Documentary
|
|
$242,706 |
30,606 |
$241,481 |
| 57 |
The Interrupters
|
Documentary
|
|
$236,957 |
29,881 |
$235,761 |
| 58 |
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey
|
Documentary
|
PG
|
$236,939 |
29,879 |
$235,745 |
| 59 |
Serge Gainsbourg vie heroique
|
Drama
|
|
$230,767 |
29,101 |
$229,607 |
| 60 |
Pina
|
Documentary
|
PG
|
$228,992 |
28,877 |
$227,840 |
| 61 |
Into the Abyss
|
Documentary
|
PG-13
|
$223,340 |
28,164 |
$222,214 |
| 62 |
The Iron Lady
|
Drama
|
PG-13
|
$220,409 |
27,794 |
$219,295 |
| 63 |
Ip Man: Legend of the Grand Master
|
Action
|
R
|
$205,675 |
25,936 |
$204,635 |
| 64 |
The Wildest Dream
|
Documentary
|
PG
|
$203,839 |
25,705 |
$202,812 |
| 65 |
Queen of the Sun
|
Documentary
|
|
$203,100 |
25,612 |
$202,079 |
| 66 |
El Bulli: Cooking in Progress
|
Documentary
|
|
$196,127 |
24,732 |
$195,135 |
| 67 |
JIG
|
Documentary
|
PG
|
$183,790 |
23,177 |
$182,867 |
| 68 |
Amigo
|
Drama
|
R
|
$180,582 |
22,772 |
$179,671 |
| 69 |
American: The Bill Hicks Story
|
Documentary
|
|
$174,796 |
22,042 |
$173,911 |
| 70 |
The Man Nobody Knew: In Search of My Father, CIA Spymaster William Colby
|
Documentary
|
|
$170,888 |
21,550 |
$170,030 |
| 71 |
Magic Trip
|
Documentary
|
R
|
$154,521 |
19,486 |
$153,745 |
| 72 |
Jiàn D?ng W?i Yè
|
Drama
|
|
$151,305 |
19,080 |
$150,541 |
| 73 |
Revenge of the Electric Car
|
Documentary
|
PG-13
|
$150,886 |
19,027 |
$150,123 |
| 74 |
Thunder Soul
|
Documentary
|
PG
|
$143,986 |
18,157 |
$143,259 |
| 75 |
Nostalgia de la luz
|
Documentary
|
|
$142,285 |
17,943 |
$141,570 |
| 76 |
Eames: The Architect and the Painter
|
Documentary
|
|
$139,813 |
17,631 |
$139,109 |
| 77 |
Xinhai geming
|
Drama
|
R
|
$135,739 |
17,117 |
$135,053 |
| 78 |
The Last Mountain
|
Documentary
|
PG
|
$122,959 |
15,506 |
$122,342 |
| 79 |
Nanjing! Nanjing!
|
Drama
|
R
|
$122,558 |
15,455 |
$121,940 |
| 80 |
Blank City
|
Documentary
|
|
$116,037 |
14,633 |
$115,454 |
| 81 |
Vision
|
Drama
|
|
$115,591 |
14,576 |
$115,005 |
| 82 |
Rejoice and Shout
|
Documentary
|
PG
|
$100,237 |
12,640 |
$99,730 |
| 83 |
The Undefeated
|
Documentary
|
PG-13
|
$100,085 |
12,621 |
$99,580 |
| 84 |
Exporting Raymond
|
Documentary
|
PG
|
$87,727 |
11,063 |
$87,287 |
| 85 |
Vidal Sassoon: The Movie
|
Documentary
|
PG
|
$85,974 |
10,842 |
$85,543 |
| 86 |
Waste Land
|
Documentary
|
|
$85,262 |
10,752 |
$84,833 |
| 87 |
Su Qi Er
|
Action
|
R
|
$80,096 |
10,100 |
$79,689 |
| 88 |
Circo
|
Documentary
|
|
$77,466 |
9,769 |
$77,077 |
| 89 |
Kings of Pastry
|
Documentary
|
|
$71,904 |
9,067 |
$71,539 |
| 90 |
Bhutto
|
Documentary
|
|
$65,239 |
8,227 |
$64,911 |
| 91 |
If A Tree Falls: The Story of the Earth Liberation Front
|
Drama
|
|
$61,794 |
7,792 |
$61,479 |
| 92 |
The Whale
|
Documentary
|
G
|
$61,120 |
7,707 |
$60,808 |
| 93 |
How to Live Forever
|
Documentary
|
|
$60,630 |
7,646 |
$60,327 |
| 94 |
Limelight
|
Documentary
|
|
$60,335 |
7,608 |
$60,027 |
| 95 |
Crime after Crime
|
Documentary
|
|
$60,291 |
7,603 |
$59,988 |
| 96 |
Finding Joe
|
Documentary
|
|
$55,518 |
7,001 |
$55,238 |
| 97 |
Into Eternity
|
Documentary
|
|
$55,366 |
6,982 |
$55,088 |
| 98 |
The Other F Word
|
Documentary
|
|
$53,714 |
6,774 |
$53,447 |
| 99 |
Farmageddon
|
Documentary
|
|
$53,256 |
6,716 |
$52,989 |
| 100 |
!Women, Art, Revolution
|
Documentary
|
|
$52,681 |
6,643 |
$52,413 |
| 101 |
My Reincarnation
|
Documentary
|
|
$51,742 |
6,525 |
$51,482 |
| 102 |
Orgasm Inc.
|
Documentary
|
|
$49,001 |
6,179 |
$48,752 |
| 103 |
Marwencol
|
Documentary
|
|
$48,744 |
6,147 |
$48,500 |
| 104 |
Pianomania
|
Documentary
|
|
$47,328 |
5,968 |
$47,088 |
| 105 |
Connected: An Autobiography about Love, Death & Technology
|
Documentary
|
|
$46,782 |
5,899 |
$46,543 |
| 106 |
The Woodmans
|
Documentary
|
|
$46,623 |
5,879 |
$46,385 |
| 107 |
Crazy Wisdom
|
Documentary
|
|
$43,742 |
5,516 |
$43,521 |
| 108 |
Love Etc.
|
Documentary
|
|
$43,593 |
5,497 |
$43,371 |
| 109 |
Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow
|
Documentary
|
|
$43,214 |
5,449 |
$42,993 |
| 110 |
Public Speaking
|
Documentary
|
|
$43,184 |
5,446 |
$42,969 |
| 111 |
People v. The State of Illusion
|
Documentary
|
|
$42,202 |
5,322 |
$41,991 |
| 112 |
La conquête
|
Drama
|
|
$41,130 |
5,187 |
$40,925 |
| 113 |
Louder Than A Bomb
|
Documentary
|
|
$40,362 |
5,090 |
$40,160 |
| 114 |
Road to Nowhere
|
Thriller/Suspense
|
R
|
$40,294 |
5,081 |
$40,089 |
| 115 |
Where Soldiers Come From
|
Documentary
|
|
$38,151 |
4,811 |
$37,959 |
| 116 |
Granito: How to Nail a Dictator
|
Documentary
|
|
$36,738 |
4,633 |
$36,554 |
| 117 |
Hell and Back Again
|
Documentary
|
|
$34,637 |
4,368 |
$34,464 |
| 118 |
Making the Boys
|
Documentary
|
|
$33,833 |
4,266 |
$33,659 |
| 119 |
The Time That Remains
|
Drama
|
|
$32,869 |
4,145 |
$32,704 |
| 120 |
HEY, BOO: Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird
|
Documentary
|
|
$31,135 |
3,926 |
$30,976 |
| 121 |
Topp Twins Untouchable Girls
|
Documentary
|
|
$29,200 |
3,682 |
$29,051 |
| 122 |
Khodorkovsky
|
Documentary
|
|
$27,718 |
3,495 |
$27,576 |
| 123 |
Autobiografia lui Nicolae Ceausescu
|
Documentary
|
|
$27,556 |
3,475 |
$27,418 |
| 124 |
Enemies of the People
|
Documentary
|
|
$26,708 |
3,368 |
$26,574 |
| 125 |
Howl
|
Drama
|
R
|
$25,522 |
3,218 |
$25,390 |
| 126 |
Paul Goodman Changed My Life
|
Documentary
|
|
$25,020 |
3,155 |
$24,893 |
| 127 |
Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure
|
Documentary
|
|
$23,901 |
3,014 |
$23,780 |
| 128 |
Jane's Journey
|
Documentary
|
|
$23,746 |
2,994 |
$23,623 |
| 129 |
Garbo: El espía
|
Documentary
|
|
$22,233 |
2,804 |
$22,124 |
| 130 |
Incendiary: The Willingham Case
|
Documentary
|
|
$21,882 |
2,759 |
$21,769 |
| 131 |
The Arbor
|
Documentary
|
|
$21,610 |
2,725 |
$21,500 |
| 132 |
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff
|
Documentary
|
|
$20,840 |
2,628 |
$20,735 |
| 133 |
Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles
|
Documentary
|
|
$20,726 |
2,614 |
$20,624 |
| 134 |
Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer
|
Documentary
|
R
|
$18,587 |
2,344 |
$18,494 |
| 135 |
L'instinct de mort
|
Drama
|
R
|
$18,218 |
2,297 |
$18,123 |
| 136 |
Battle for Brooklyn
|
Documentary
|
|
$17,981 |
2,267 |
$17,887 |
| 137 |
5 Days of War
|
Drama
|
R
|
$17,479 |
2,204 |
$17,390 |
| 138 |
The Last Ride
|
Drama
|
PG-13
|
$16,270 |
2,052 |
$16,190 |
| 139 |
Dumbstruck
|
Documentary
|
PG
|
$15,378 |
1,939 |
$15,299 |
| 140 |
Strange Powers: Stephin Merritt and the Magnetic Fields
|
Documentary
|
|
$14,567 |
1,837 |
$14,494 |
| 141 |
Armadillo
|
Documentary
|
|
$14,566 |
1,837 |
$14,494 |
| 142 |
William S. Burroughs: A Man Within
|
Documentary
|
|
$13,772 |
1,737 |
$13,705 |
| 143 |
Benda Bilili!
|
Documentary
|
PG-13
|
$13,420 |
1,692 |
$13,350 |
| 144 |
Beautiful Darling
|
Documentary
|
|
$13,400 |
1,690 |
$13,334 |
| 145 |
Charlotte Rampling: The Look
|
Documentary
|
|
$13,171 |
1,661 |
$13,105 |
| 146 |
L'ennemi public n°1
|
Drama
|
R
|
$13,134 |
1,656 |
$13,066 |
| 147 |
Under the Boardwalk: The MONOPOLY Story
|
Documentary
|
G
|
$13,080 |
1,649 |
$13,011 |
| 148 |
Nenette
|
Documentary
|
|
$12,559 |
1,584 |
$12,498 |
| 149 |
America the Beautiful II: The Thin Commandments
|
Documentary
|
|
$12,366 |
1,559 |
$12,301 |
| 150 |
Rebirth
|
Documentary
|
|
$12,358 |
1,558 |
$12,293 |
| 151 |
Back Door Channels: The Price of Peace
|
Documentary
|
|
$12,139 |
1,531 |
$12,080 |
| 152 |
Sarah Palin: You Betcha!
|
Documentary
|
|
$10,935 |
1,379 |
$10,880 |
| 153 |
Carlos
|
Drama
|
|
$10,000 |
1,261 |
$9,949 |
| 154 |
Die Frau mit den 5 Elefanten
|
Documentary
|
|
$9,256 |
1,167 |
$9,208 |
| 155 |
Je suis heureux que ma mere soit vivante
|
Drama
|
|
$8,705 |
1,098 |
$8,663 |
| 156 |
Boxing Gym
|
Documentary
|
|
$6,898 |
870 |
$6,864 |
| 157 |
Addiction Incorporated
|
Documentary
|
PG-13
|
$6,442 |
812 |
$6,407 |
| 158 |
Florent: Queen of the Meat Market
|
Documentary
|
|
$6,282 |
792 |
$6,249 |
| 159 |
Saint Misbehavin': The Wavy Gravy Movie
|
Documentary
|
|
$6,007 |
757 |
$5,973 |
| 160 |
Elevate
|
Documentary
|
PG
|
$5,580 |
704 |
$5,555 |
| 161 |
Sons of Perdition
|
Documentary
|
R
|
$5,401 |
681 |
$5,373 |
| 162 |
Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould
|
Documentary
|
|
$5,386 |
679 |
$5,357 |
| 163 |
Burke & Hare
|
Black Comedy
|
R
|
$4,833 |
609 |
$4,805 |
| 164 |
Shoah
|
Documentary
|
|
$4,533 |
572 |
$4,513 |
| 165 |
Building Hope
|
Documentary
|
|
$4,000 |
504 |
$3,977 |
| 166 |
The Harvest/La Cosecha
|
Documentary
|
|
$3,709 |
468 |
$3,693 |
| 167 |
The Sons of Tennessee Williams
|
Documentary
|
|
$3,242 |
409 |
$3,227 |
| 168 |
The Swell Season
|
Documentary
|
|
$3,178 |
401 |
$3,164 |
| 169 |
Plastic Planet
|
Documentary
|
|
$3,164 |
399 |
$3,148 |
| 170 |
The Weird World of Blowfly
|
Documentary
|
|
$3,062 |
386 |
$3,046 |
| 171 |
Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel
|
Documentary
|
R
|
$3,050 |
385 |
$3,038 |
| 172 |
Protektor
|
Documentary
|
|
$2,968 |
374 |
$2,951 |
| 173 |
Raw Faith
|
Documentary
|
|
$2,711 |
342 |
$2,698 |
| 174 |
Forks Over Knives
|
Documentary
|
PG
|
$2,700 |
340 |
$2,683 |
| 175 |
Det rode kapel
|
Documentary
|
|
$2,657 |
335 |
$2,643 |
| 176 |
Knuckle
|
Documentary
|
R
|
$2,647 |
334 |
$2,635 |
| 177 |
Brutal Beauty: Tales of the Rose City Rollers
|
Documentary
|
|
$2,647 |
334 |
$2,635 |
| 178 |
American Grindhouse
|
Documentary
|
|
$1,931 |
244 |
$1,925 |
| 179 |
Henri-Georges Clouzot's Inferno
|
Documentary
|
|
$1,161 |
146 |
$1,152 |
| 180 |
Picture Me: A Model's Diary
|
Documentary
|
|
$160 |
20 |
$158 |
| Total Gross of All Movies | $418,095,933 |
| Total Tickets Sold | 52,723,321 |
| Total Gross of All Movies at 2008 ticket prices | $415,987,003 |
Note: This chart ranks movies by the amount they earned during 2011.
It includes movies released in previous years that earned money during 2011.
For example, a movie released over Thanksgiving in 2010 will most likely earn money in 2010 and 2011.
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.
|