The Big Lebowski (1998)

The Big Lebowski
Theatrical Performance
Domestic Box Office $18,718,818Details
International Box Office $28,690,764Details
Worldwide Box Office $47,409,582
Further financial details...

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$5,533,844 (29.6% of total gross)
Legs:3.38 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:39.5% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Production Budget:$15,000,000 (worldwide box office is 3.2 times production budget)
Theater counts:1,207 opening theaters/1,235 max. theaters, 4.5 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $39,182,983

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists


Watch Now On

Amazon VOD:Amazon
iTunes:iTunes, iTunes
Google Play:Google Play
Netflix:Netflix

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: March 6th, 1998 (Wide) by Gramercy
August 16th, 2011 (Special Engagement) by Universal
April 16th, 2023 (Special Engagement) by Fathom Events (25th Anniversary)
International Releases: April 10th, 1998 (Wide) (Australia)
September 19th, 1998 (Wide), released as Biggu ribousuki (ビッグ・リボウスキ) (Japan)
September 21st, 2018 (Wide), released as The Big Lebowski (20th Anniversary) (United Kingdom)
August 27th, 2020 (Wide) (New Zealand)
March 31st, 2023 (Special Engagement) (25th Anniversary) (United Kingdom)
... Show all releases
Video Release: October 27th, 1998 by Universal Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R for pervasive strong language, drug content, sexuality and brief violence
Running Time: 127 minutes
Franchise: Big Lebowski
Comparisons: vs. En kongelig affære
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Film Noir, Voiceover/Narration, Kidnap, Relationships Gone Wrong, Mistaken Identity, Surprise Twist, Bowling, Step-Family, Cult Movie, Dream Sequence, Crime Comedy
Source:Original Screenplay
Genre:Comedy
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Contemporary Fiction
Production/Financing Companies: Working Title Films, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Mar 6, 1998 6 $5,533,844   1,207 $4,585   $5,533,844 1
Mar 13, 1998 6 $3,497,794 -37% 1,235 $2,832   $10,719,123 2
Mar 20, 1998 10 $1,830,629 -48% 1,123 $1,630   $13,771,141 3
Mar 27, 1998 15 $833,871 -54% 643 $1,297   $15,213,448 4
Apr 3, 1998 20 $485,749 -42% 356 $1,364   $16,018,437 5
Apr 10, 1998 24 $269,129 -45% 201 $1,339   $16,486,452 6
Apr 17, 1998 29 $197,480 -27% 158 $1,250   $16,802,360 7
Apr 24, 1998 36 $151,200 -23% 197 $768   $17,021,543 8
May 1, 1998 38 $99,108 -34% 208 $476   $17,177,661 9
May 8, 1998 40 $70,121 -29% 140 $501   $17,293,682 10
May 15, 1998 49 $42,968 -39% 66 $651   $17,370,747 11
May 22, 1998 51 $45,144 +5% 64 $705   $17,439,163 12

Daily Box Office Performance

DateRankGross%YD%LWTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossDays
Mar 6, 1998 5 $1,670,000     1,207 $1,384   $1,670,000 1
Mar 7, 1998 7 $2,340,000 +40%   1,207 $1,939   $4,010,000 2
Mar 8, 1998 4 $1,484,000 -37%   1,207 $1,229   $5,533,844 3
Mar 9, 1998 4 $454,963 -69%   1,207 $377   $5,988,807 4
Mar 10, 1998 3 $475,000 +4%   1,207 $394   $6,464,000 5
Mar 11, 1998 5 $385,221 -19%   1,207 $319   $6,848,892 6
Mar 12, 1998 5 $372,437 -3%   1,207 $309   $7,221,329 7
Mar 13, 1998 7 $980,000 +163% -41% 1,235 $794   $8,201,000 8
Mar 14, 1998 7 $1,595,000 +63% -32% 1,235 $1,291   $9,796,000 9
Mar 15, 1998 6 $951,000 -40% -36% 1,235 $770   $10,719,123 10
Mar 16, 1998 6 $313,429 -67% -31% 1,235 $254   $11,032,552 11
Mar 17, 1998 6 $306,309 -2% -36% 1,235 $248   $11,338,861 12
Mar 18, 1998 6 $318,916 +4% -17% 1,235 $258   $11,657,777 13
Mar 19, 1998 7 $282,736 -11% -24% 1,235 $229   $11,940,513 14
Mar 20, 1998 10 $505,000 +79% -48% 1,123 $450   $12,446,000 15
Mar 21, 1998 10 $815,000 +61% -49% 1,123 $726   $13,261,000 16
Mar 22, 1998 10 $493,000 -40% -48% 1,123 $439   $13,771,141 17
Mar 23, 1998 10 $125,335 -75% -60% 1,123 $112   $13,896,476 18

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Mar 6, 1998 5 $7,221,329   1,207 $5,983   $7,221,329 1
Mar 13, 1998 6 $4,719,183 -35% 1,235 $3,821   $11,940,512 2
Mar 20, 1998 10 $2,439,065 -48% 1,123 $2,172   $14,379,577 3
Mar 27, 1998 16 $1,153,111 -53% 643 $1,793   $15,532,688 4
Apr 3, 1998 20 $684,635 -41% 356 $1,923   $16,217,323 5
Apr 10, 1998 25 $387,557 -43% 201 $1,928   $16,604,880 6
Apr 17, 1998 29 $265,463 -32% 158 $1,680   $16,870,343 7
Apr 24, 1998 35 $208,210 -22% 197 $1,057   $17,078,553 8
May 1, 1998 37 $145,008 -30% 208 $697   $17,223,561 9
May 8, 1998 40 $104,218 -28% 140 $744   $17,327,779 10
May 15, 1998 47 $66,240 -36% 66 $1,004   $17,394,019 11

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date
Opening
Weekend
Opening
Weekend
Screens
Maximum
Screens
Theatrical
Engagements
Total
Box Office
Report
Date
Australia 4/10/1998 $0 0 5 10 $12,181 4/2/2021
Italy 11/5/2023 $0000$0
Japan 9/19/1998 $0000$0
Mexico 6/29/2023 $0000$0
New Zealand 8/27/2020 $620 1 1 9 $3,581 6/28/2023
United Kingdom 9/21/2018 $10,237 6 68 74 $39,354 4/5/2023
 
Rest of World $28,635,648
 
International Total$28,690,764 6/28/2023

International Cumulative Box Office Records


Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records


Weekly US DVD Sales

DateRankUnits
this
Week
% ChangeTotal
Units
Spending
this
Week
Total
Spending
Weeks
in
Release
Feb 11, 20072570,424 1,155,293$950,020$10,934,544433
May 20, 20072754,271 1,322,194$379,354$12,318,070447
Sep 14, 20081935,488 2,396,504$675,692$23,056,965516

Weekly US Blu-ray Sales

DateRankUnits
this
Week
% ChangeTotal
Units
Spending
this
Week
Total
Spending
Weeks
in
Release
Aug 21, 2011368,191 68,191$1,158,565$1,158,565669
Aug 28, 2011337,441-45% 105,632$748,446$1,907,011670
Sep 4, 2011618,261-51% 123,893$310,253$2,217,264671
Sep 11, 2011138,583-53% 132,476$158,628$2,375,892672
Oct 21, 2018207,004 408,038$69,757$5,896,2341,043

Our DVD and Blu-ray sales estimates are based on weekly retail surveys, which we use to build a weekly market share estimate for each title we are tracking. The market share is converted into a weekly sales estimate based on industry reports on the overall size of the market, including reports published in Media Play News.

For example, if our weekly retail survey estimates that a particular title sold 1% of all units that week, and the industry reports sales of 1,500,000 units in total, we will estimate 15,000 units were sold of that title. The consumer spending estimate is based on the average sales price for the title in the retailers we survey.

We refine our estimates from week to week as more data becomes available. In particular, we adjust weekly sales figures for the quarter once the total market estimates are published by the Digital Entertainment Group. Figures will therefore fluctuate each week, and totals for individual titles can go up or down as we update our estimates.

Because sales figures are estimated based on sampling, they will be more accurate for higher-selling titles.

Leading Cast

Jeff Bridges    The Dude
John Goodman    Walter Sobchak
Julianne Moore    Maude Lebowski

Supporting Cast

Steve Buscemi    Donny
John Turturro    Jesus Quintana
David Huddleston    The Big Lebowski
Christian Clemenson    Younger Cop
Harry Bugin    Arthur Digby Sellers
Ben Gazzara    Jackie Treehorn
David Thewlis    Know Harrington
Sam Elliott    The Stranger
Leon Russom    Malibu Police Chief
Flea    Nihilist
Philip Seymour Hoffman    Brandt
Tara Reid    Bunny Lebowski
Jimmie Dale Gilmore    Smokey
Peter Stormare    Nihilist
Mark Pellegrino    Blond Treehorn Thug
Jon Polito    Da Fino, the Private Snoop
Jack Kehler    Marty

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

Joel Coen    Director
Ethan Coen    Screenwriter
Joel Coen    Screenwriter
Ethan Coen    Producer
Tim Bevan    Executive Producer
Eric Fellner    Executive Producer
John Cameron    Line Producer
Roger Deakins    Director of Photography
Rick Heinrichs    Production Designer
Carter Burwell    Composer

Blu-ray Sales: Rio Returns to the Top

September 7th, 2011

As bad as it was on the DVD sales chart this week, it was worse on the Blu-ray sales chart. The best new release was a catalog title for a direct-to-DVD sequel, which is a terrible sign. As for the only bit of bright news on the chart, Rio returned to first place with 69,000 units / $1.48 million for the week and 1.51 million units / $33.23 million after four. More...

Blu-ray Sales: Priest Pulls out the Win

September 1st, 2011

Despite only managing fourth place on the DVD sales chart this week, Priest opened on top of the Blu-ray sales chart with 187,000 units / $4.24 million. Its opening Blu-ray ratio was 49% and this is great news for upcoming summer blockbusters, as it suggests they could break 50%. More...

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for August 16th, 2011

August 16th, 2011

It's a deceptively busy week, as there are several significant releases hitting the home market on Tuesday. However, most of these are wide releases that flopped, to one degree or another. In fact, one of the best selling releases of the week is Jane Eyre, an early success story in limited release. When a limited release could conceivably lead the way in sales... well, that's a sure sign of weakness in the overall market. As for the best release of the week, that would have to go to The Big Lebowski Limited Edition Blu-ray Digibook. The latest season of Dexter would come close, but while the show is great, the releases are not Pick of the Week material. More...

Featured Blu-ray review: The Big Lebowski Limited Digibook Edition

August 14th, 2011

The Big Lebowski is the fifth or sixth Blu-ray review I've done in the past few weeks where I felt it is almost insulting to write a plot synopsis. The Big Lebowski, like Donnie Darko or Animal House or Ferris Bueller's Day Off or The Blues Brothers or to a lesser extent Better Off Dead ("I want my two dollars!"), has gone from movie to cultural phenomenon. There are people who have never seen the movie who can still quote it enough to piece together the plot. The film has been released on DVD several times, and in High Definition on HD DVD (Remember that format?) but this is the first time it has been released here on Blu-ray. Was it worth the wait? More...


  1. Summary
  2. News
  3. Box Office
  4. International
  5. Video Sales
  6. Cast & Crew
  7. Trailer

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$5,533,844 (29.6% of total gross)
Legs:3.38 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:39.5% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Production Budget:$15,000,000 (worldwide box office is 3.2 times production budget)
Theater counts:1,207 opening theaters/1,235 max. theaters, 4.5 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $39,182,983

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists


Watch Now On

Amazon VOD:Amazon
iTunes:iTunes, iTunes
Google Play:Google Play
Netflix:Netflix

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: March 6th, 1998 (Wide) by Gramercy
August 16th, 2011 (Special Engagement) by Universal
April 16th, 2023 (Special Engagement) by Fathom Events (25th Anniversary)
International Releases: April 10th, 1998 (Wide) (Australia)
September 19th, 1998 (Wide), released as Biggu ribousuki (ビッグ・リボウスキ) (Japan)
September 21st, 2018 (Wide), released as The Big Lebowski (20th Anniversary) (United Kingdom)
August 27th, 2020 (Wide) (New Zealand)
March 31st, 2023 (Special Engagement) (25th Anniversary) (United Kingdom)
... Show all releases
Video Release: October 27th, 1998 by Universal Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R for pervasive strong language, drug content, sexuality and brief violence
Running Time: 127 minutes
Franchise: Big Lebowski
Comparisons: vs. En kongelig affære
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Film Noir, Voiceover/Narration, Kidnap, Relationships Gone Wrong, Mistaken Identity, Surprise Twist, Bowling, Step-Family, Cult Movie, Dream Sequence, Crime Comedy
Source:Original Screenplay
Genre:Comedy
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Contemporary Fiction
Production/Financing Companies: Working Title Films, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Leading Cast

Jeff Bridges    The Dude
John Goodman    Walter Sobchak
Julianne Moore    Maude Lebowski

Supporting Cast

Steve Buscemi    Donny
John Turturro    Jesus Quintana
David Huddleston    The Big Lebowski
Christian Clemenson    Younger Cop
Harry Bugin    Arthur Digby Sellers
Ben Gazzara    Jackie Treehorn
David Thewlis    Know Harrington
Sam Elliott    The Stranger
Leon Russom    Malibu Police Chief
Flea    Nihilist
Philip Seymour Hoffman    Brandt
Tara Reid    Bunny Lebowski
Jimmie Dale Gilmore    Smokey
Peter Stormare    Nihilist
Mark Pellegrino    Blond Treehorn Thug
Jon Polito    Da Fino, the Private Snoop
Jack Kehler    Marty

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

Joel Coen    Director
Ethan Coen    Screenwriter
Joel Coen    Screenwriter
Ethan Coen    Producer
Tim Bevan    Executive Producer
Eric Fellner    Executive Producer
John Cameron    Line Producer
Roger Deakins    Director of Photography
Rick Heinrichs    Production Designer
Carter Burwell    Composer

Blu-ray Sales: Rio Returns to the Top

September 7th, 2011

As bad as it was on the DVD sales chart this week, it was worse on the Blu-ray sales chart. The best new release was a catalog title for a direct-to-DVD sequel, which is a terrible sign. As for the only bit of bright news on the chart, Rio returned to first place with 69,000 units / $1.48 million for the week and 1.51 million units / $33.23 million after four. More...

Blu-ray Sales: Priest Pulls out the Win

September 1st, 2011

Despite only managing fourth place on the DVD sales chart this week, Priest opened on top of the Blu-ray sales chart with 187,000 units / $4.24 million. Its opening Blu-ray ratio was 49% and this is great news for upcoming summer blockbusters, as it suggests they could break 50%. More...

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for August 16th, 2011

August 16th, 2011

It's a deceptively busy week, as there are several significant releases hitting the home market on Tuesday. However, most of these are wide releases that flopped, to one degree or another. In fact, one of the best selling releases of the week is Jane Eyre, an early success story in limited release. When a limited release could conceivably lead the way in sales... well, that's a sure sign of weakness in the overall market. As for the best release of the week, that would have to go to The Big Lebowski Limited Edition Blu-ray Digibook. The latest season of Dexter would come close, but while the show is great, the releases are not Pick of the Week material. More...

Featured Blu-ray review: The Big Lebowski Limited Digibook Edition

August 14th, 2011

The Big Lebowski is the fifth or sixth Blu-ray review I've done in the past few weeks where I felt it is almost insulting to write a plot synopsis. The Big Lebowski, like Donnie Darko or Animal House or Ferris Bueller's Day Off or The Blues Brothers or to a lesser extent Better Off Dead ("I want my two dollars!"), has gone from movie to cultural phenomenon. There are people who have never seen the movie who can still quote it enough to piece together the plot. The film has been released on DVD several times, and in High Definition on HD DVD (Remember that format?) but this is the first time it has been released here on Blu-ray. Was it worth the wait? More...

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Mar 6, 1998 6 $5,533,844   1,207 $4,585   $5,533,844 1
Mar 13, 1998 6 $3,497,794 -37% 1,235 $2,832   $10,719,123 2
Mar 20, 1998 10 $1,830,629 -48% 1,123 $1,630   $13,771,141 3
Mar 27, 1998 15 $833,871 -54% 643 $1,297   $15,213,448 4
Apr 3, 1998 20 $485,749 -42% 356 $1,364   $16,018,437 5
Apr 10, 1998 24 $269,129 -45% 201 $1,339   $16,486,452 6
Apr 17, 1998 29 $197,480 -27% 158 $1,250   $16,802,360 7
Apr 24, 1998 36 $151,200 -23% 197 $768   $17,021,543 8
May 1, 1998 38 $99,108 -34% 208 $476   $17,177,661 9
May 8, 1998 40 $70,121 -29% 140 $501   $17,293,682 10
May 15, 1998 49 $42,968 -39% 66 $651   $17,370,747 11
May 22, 1998 51 $45,144 +5% 64 $705   $17,439,163 12

Daily Box Office Performance

DateRankGross%YD%LWTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossDays
Mar 6, 1998 5 $1,670,000     1,207 $1,384   $1,670,000 1
Mar 7, 1998 7 $2,340,000 +40%   1,207 $1,939   $4,010,000 2
Mar 8, 1998 4 $1,484,000 -37%   1,207 $1,229   $5,533,844 3
Mar 9, 1998 4 $454,963 -69%   1,207 $377   $5,988,807 4
Mar 10, 1998 3 $475,000 +4%   1,207 $394   $6,464,000 5
Mar 11, 1998 5 $385,221 -19%   1,207 $319   $6,848,892 6
Mar 12, 1998 5 $372,437 -3%   1,207 $309   $7,221,329 7
Mar 13, 1998 7 $980,000 +163% -41% 1,235 $794   $8,201,000 8
Mar 14, 1998 7 $1,595,000 +63% -32% 1,235 $1,291   $9,796,000 9
Mar 15, 1998 6 $951,000 -40% -36% 1,235 $770   $10,719,123 10
Mar 16, 1998 6 $313,429 -67% -31% 1,235 $254   $11,032,552 11
Mar 17, 1998 6 $306,309 -2% -36% 1,235 $248   $11,338,861 12
Mar 18, 1998 6 $318,916 +4% -17% 1,235 $258   $11,657,777 13
Mar 19, 1998 7 $282,736 -11% -24% 1,235 $229   $11,940,513 14
Mar 20, 1998 10 $505,000 +79% -48% 1,123 $450   $12,446,000 15
Mar 21, 1998 10 $815,000 +61% -49% 1,123 $726   $13,261,000 16
Mar 22, 1998 10 $493,000 -40% -48% 1,123 $439   $13,771,141 17
Mar 23, 1998 10 $125,335 -75% -60% 1,123 $112   $13,896,476 18

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Mar 6, 1998 5 $7,221,329   1,207 $5,983   $7,221,329 1
Mar 13, 1998 6 $4,719,183 -35% 1,235 $3,821   $11,940,512 2
Mar 20, 1998 10 $2,439,065 -48% 1,123 $2,172   $14,379,577 3
Mar 27, 1998 16 $1,153,111 -53% 643 $1,793   $15,532,688 4
Apr 3, 1998 20 $684,635 -41% 356 $1,923   $16,217,323 5
Apr 10, 1998 25 $387,557 -43% 201 $1,928   $16,604,880 6
Apr 17, 1998 29 $265,463 -32% 158 $1,680   $16,870,343 7
Apr 24, 1998 35 $208,210 -22% 197 $1,057   $17,078,553 8
May 1, 1998 37 $145,008 -30% 208 $697   $17,223,561 9
May 8, 1998 40 $104,218 -28% 140 $744   $17,327,779 10
May 15, 1998 47 $66,240 -36% 66 $1,004   $17,394,019 11

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date
Opening
Weekend
Opening
Weekend
Screens
Maximum
Screens
Theatrical
Engagements
Total
Box Office
Report
Date
Australia 4/10/1998 $0 0 5 10 $12,181 4/2/2021
Italy 11/5/2023 $0000$0
Japan 9/19/1998 $0000$0
Mexico 6/29/2023 $0000$0
New Zealand 8/27/2020 $620 1 1 9 $3,581 6/28/2023
United Kingdom 9/21/2018 $10,237 6 68 74 $39,354 4/5/2023
 
Rest of World $28,635,648
 
International Total$28,690,764 6/28/2023

International Cumulative Box Office Records


Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records


Weekly US DVD Sales

DateRankUnits
this
Week
% ChangeTotal
Units
Spending
this
Week
Total
Spending
Weeks
in
Release
Feb 11, 20072570,424 1,155,293$950,020$10,934,544433
May 20, 20072754,271 1,322,194$379,354$12,318,070447
Sep 14, 20081935,488 2,396,504$675,692$23,056,965516

Weekly US Blu-ray Sales

DateRankUnits
this
Week
% ChangeTotal
Units
Spending
this
Week
Total
Spending
Weeks
in
Release
Aug 21, 2011368,191 68,191$1,158,565$1,158,565669
Aug 28, 2011337,441-45% 105,632$748,446$1,907,011670
Sep 4, 2011618,261-51% 123,893$310,253$2,217,264671
Sep 11, 2011138,583-53% 132,476$158,628$2,375,892672
Oct 21, 2018207,004 408,038$69,757$5,896,2341,043

Our DVD and Blu-ray sales estimates are based on weekly retail surveys, which we use to build a weekly market share estimate for each title we are tracking. The market share is converted into a weekly sales estimate based on industry reports on the overall size of the market, including reports published in Media Play News.

For example, if our weekly retail survey estimates that a particular title sold 1% of all units that week, and the industry reports sales of 1,500,000 units in total, we will estimate 15,000 units were sold of that title. The consumer spending estimate is based on the average sales price for the title in the retailers we survey.

We refine our estimates from week to week as more data becomes available. In particular, we adjust weekly sales figures for the quarter once the total market estimates are published by the Digital Entertainment Group. Figures will therefore fluctuate each week, and totals for individual titles can go up or down as we update our estimates.

Because sales figures are estimated based on sampling, they will be more accurate for higher-selling titles.