The Last Samurai (2003)

The Last Samurai poster
Theatrical Performance
Domestic Box Office $111,110,575Details
International Box Office $345,700,000Details
Worldwide Box Office $456,810,575
Further financial details...

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$24,271,354 (21.8% of total gross)
Legs:4.58 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:24.3% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Production Budget:$140,000,000 (worldwide box office is 3.3 times production budget)
Theater counts:2,908 opening theaters/2,938 max. theaters, 7.2 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $192,961,239

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists

RecordRankAmount
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 601-700) 678 $111,110,575
All Time International Box Office (Rank 201-300) 230 $345,700,000
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 201-300) 289 $456,810,575
All Time Domestic Box Office for R Movies (Rank 101-200) 127 $111,110,575
All Time International Box Office for R Movies 16 $345,700,000
All Time Worldwide Box Office for R Movies 26 $456,810,575

See the Box Office tab (Domestic) and International tab (International and Worldwide) for more Cumulative Box Office Records.


Watch Now On

iTunes:iTunes
Google Play:Google Play, Google Play
Netflix:Netflix, Netflix, Netflix, Netflix

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: December 5th, 2003 (Wide) by Warner Bros.
International Releases: January 15th, 2004 (Wide) (Australia)
Video Release: May 4th, 2004 by Warner Home Video
MPAA Rating: R for strong violence and battle sequences
Running Time: 154 minutes
Comparisons: vs. En kongelig affære
Create your own comparison chart…
Source:Original Screenplay
Genre:Action
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Historical Fiction
Production/Financing Companies: Radar Pictures, The Bedford Falls Company, Cruise-Wagner
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Ranking on other Records and Milestones

RecordRankAmountChart
Date
Days In
Release
Martin Luther King (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 393 $5,681,527 Jan 16, 2004 45
Martin Luther King (All Movies, 4-Day, Fri-Mon, Inflation Adjusted) 262 $6,746,281 Jan 16, 2004 45
New Year's Day (All Movies, 3-Day) 211 $7,373,719 Jan 2, 2004 31
New Year's Day (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 241 $13,417,552 Jan 2, 2004 31
Biggest 4th Thursday 25 $2,696,000 Jan 1, 2004 28
Biggest 4th Wednesday 86 $1,700,000 Dec 31, 2003 27
Biggest 4th Tuesday 99 $1,923,000 Dec 30, 2003 26
Christmas (All Movies, 3-Day) 189 $8,326,947 Dec 26, 2003 24
Christmas (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 207 $15,604,396 Dec 26, 2003 24
Top Historical Fiction Weekend Domestic 78 $24,271,354 Dec 5, 2003 3

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Dec 5, 2003 1 $24,271,354   2,908 $8,346   $24,271,354 1
Dec 12, 2003 2 $14,087,074 -42% 2,908 $4,844   $46,874,330 2
Dec 19, 2003 4 $7,769,301 -45% 2,938 $2,644   $59,487,166 3
Dec 26, 2003 8 $8,326,947 +7% 2,557 $3,257   $74,324,104 4
Jan 2, 2004 8 $7,373,719 -11% 2,401 $3,071   $90,017,337 5
Jan 9, 2004 9 $4,550,419 -38% 1,901 $2,394   $97,181,327 6
Jan 16, 2004 10 $3,122,326 -31% 1,403 $2,225   $101,998,497 7
Jan 23, 2004 12 $2,177,479 -30% 1,115 $1,953   $105,521,192 8
Jan 30, 2004 19 $1,203,487 -45% 808 $1,489   $107,459,807 9
Feb 6, 2004 22 $693,214 -42% 441 $1,572   $108,635,117 10
Feb 13, 2004 23 $542,948 -22% 267 $2,034   $109,435,703 11
Feb 20, 2004 27 $391,141 -28% 220 $1,778   $110,068,737 12
Feb 27, 2004 41 $151,370 -61% 136 $1,113   $110,330,124 13
Mar 5, 2004 35 $166,205 +10% 339 $490   $110,572,904 14
Mar 12, 2004 36 $126,668 -24% 281 $451   $110,788,675 15
Mar 19, 2004 40 $90,896 -28% 220 $413   $110,947,183 16
Mar 26, 2004 49 $64,517 -29% 168 $384   $111,054,195 17
Apr 2, 2004 64 $29,918 -54% 102 $293   $111,110,575 18

Daily Box Office Performance

DateRankGross%YD%LWTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossDays
Dec 5, 2003 1 $8,200,000     2,908 $2,820   $8,200,000 1
Dec 6, 2003 1 $9,195,348 +12%   2,908 $3,162   $17,584,717 2
Dec 7, 2003 1 $6,686,637 -27%   2,908 $2,299   $24,271,354 3
Dec 8, 2003 1 $2,244,000 -66%   2,908 $772   $26,516,000 4
Dec 9, 2003 1 $2,312,000 +3%   2,908 $795   $28,828,000 5
Dec 10, 2003 1 $2,031,000 -12%   2,908 $698   $30,859,000 6
Dec 11, 2003 1 $1,928,000 -5%   2,908 $663   $32,787,000 7
Dec 12, 2003 2 $4,500,000 +133% -45% 2,908 $1,547   $37,300,000 8
Dec 13, 2003 2 $6,028,707 +34% -34% 2,908 $2,073   $43,095,373 9
Dec 14, 2003 1 $3,778,957 -37% -43% 2,908 $1,300   $46,874,330 10
Dec 15, 2003 2 $1,303,000 -66% -42% 2,908 $448   $48,178,000 11
Dec 16, 2003 2 $1,365,000 +5% -41% 2,908 $469   $49,543,000 12
Dec 17, 2003 3 $1,112,000 -19% -45% 2,908 $382   $50,656,000 13
Dec 18, 2003 3 $1,062,000 -4% -45% 2,908 $365   $51,718,000 14
Dec 19, 2003 4 $2,100,000 +98% -53% 2,938 $715   $53,800,000 15
Dec 20, 2003 4 $2,997,814 +43% -50% 2,938 $1,020   $56,823,779 16
Dec 21, 2003 4 $2,663,387 -11% -30% 2,938 $907   $59,487,166 17
Dec 22, 2003 5 $1,368,602 -49% +5% 2,938 $466   $60,855,768 18
Dec 23, 2003 5 $1,600,000 +17% +17% 2,938 $545   $62,455,768 19
Dec 24, 2003 4 $1,150,000 -28% +3% 2,938 $391   $63,605,768 20
Dec 25, 2003 8 $2,400,000 +109% +126% 2,557 $939   $65,920,000 21
Dec 26, 2003 8 $2,860,000 +19% +36% 2,557 $1,118   $68,780,000 22
Dec 27, 2003 8 $2,911,472 +2% -3% 2,557 $1,139   $71,766,823 23
Dec 28, 2003 8 $2,557,281 -12% -4% 2,557 $1,000   $74,324,104 24
Dec 29, 2003 8 $1,779,000 -30% +30% 2,557 $696   $76,103,000 25
Dec 30, 2003 8 $1,923,000 +8% +20% 2,557 $752   $78,026,000 26
Dec 31, 2003 8 $1,700,000 -12% +48% 2,557 $665   $79,700,000 27
Jan 1, 2004 8 $2,696,000 +59% +12% 2,557 $1,054   $82,396,000 28
Jan 2, 2004 8 $2,700,000 n/c -6% 2,401 $1,125   $85,100,000 29
Jan 3, 2004 8 $2,846,481 +5% -2% 2,401 $1,186   $88,271,429 30
Jan 4, 2004 8 $1,745,908 -39% -32% 2,401 $727   $90,017,337 31
Jan 5, 2004 6 $664,000 -62% -63% 2,401 $277   $90,682,000 32
Jan 6, 2004 5 $678,000 +2% -65% 2,401 $282   $91,360,000 33
Jan 7, 2004 5 $648,000 -4% -62% 2,401 $270   $92,009,000 34
Jan 8, 2004 5 $622,000 -4% -77% 2,401 $259   $92,631,000 35
Jan 9, 2004 10 $1,300,000 +109% -52% 1,901 $684   $93,900,000 36
Jan 10, 2004 9 $1,977,181 +52% -31% 1,901 $1,040   $95,929,226 37
Jan 11, 2004 8 $1,252,101 -37% -28% 1,901 $659   $97,181,327 38
Jan 12, 2004 6 $414,000 -67% -38% 1,901 $218   $97,596,000 39
Jan 13, 2004 7 $460,000 +11% -32% 1,901 $242   $98,056,000 40
Jan 14, 2004 7 $402,000 -13% -38% 1,901 $211   $98,458,000 41
Jan 15, 2004 7 $418,000 +4% -33% 1,901 $220   $98,876,000 42
Jan 19, 2004 13 $585,146   +41% 1,403 $417   $97,181,327 46
Jan 20, 2004 9 $271,000 -54% -41% 1,403 $193   $102,855,000 47
Jan 21, 2004 9 $232,000 -14% -42% 1,403 $165   $103,087,000 48
Jan 22, 2004 9 $256,000 +10% -39% 1,403 $182   $103,344,000 49
Feb 16, 2004 29 $92,521     267 $347   $109,528,224 74

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Dec 5, 2003 1 $32,787,256   2,908 $11,275   $32,787,256 1
Dec 12, 2003 3 $18,930,609 -42% 2,908 $6,510   $51,717,865 2
Dec 19, 2003 4 $14,279,292 -25% 2,938 $4,860   $65,997,157 3
Dec 26, 2003 8 $16,646,461 +17% 2,557 $6,510   $82,643,618 4
Jan 2, 2004 8 $9,987,290 -40% 2,401 $4,160   $92,630,908 5
Jan 9, 2004 9 $6,245,263 -37% 1,901 $3,285   $98,876,171 6
Jan 16, 2004 10 $4,467,542 -28% 1,403 $3,184   $103,343,713 7
Jan 23, 2004 13 $2,912,607 -35% 1,115 $2,612   $106,256,320 8
Jan 30, 2004 19 $1,685,583 -42% 808 $2,086   $107,941,903 9
Feb 6, 2004 22 $950,852 -44% 441 $2,156   $108,892,755 10
Feb 13, 2004 24 $784,841 -17% 267 $2,939   $109,677,596 11
Feb 20, 2004 28 $501,158 -36% 220 $2,278   $110,178,754 12
Feb 27, 2004 40 $227,945 -55% 136 $1,676   $110,406,699 13
Mar 5, 2004 33 $255,308 +12% 339 $753   $110,662,007 14
Mar 12, 2004 36 $194,280 -24% 281 $691   $110,856,287 15
Mar 19, 2004 42 $133,391 -31% 220 $606   $110,989,678 16
Mar 26, 2004 49 $90,979 -32% 168 $542   $111,080,657 17
Apr 2, 2004 74 $29,918 -67% 102 $293   $111,110,575 18

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date
Opening
Weekend
Opening
Weekend
Screens
Maximum
Screens
Theatrical
Engagements
Total
Box Office
Report
Date
Australia 1/15/2004 $2,605,362 275 275 275 $2,605,362 4/2/2020
 
Rest of World $343,094,638
 
International Total$345,700,000 4/2/2020

International Cumulative Box Office Records


Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records


Full financial estimates for this film, including domestic and international box office, video sales, video rentals, TV and ancillary revenue are available through our research services. For more information, please contact us at research@the-numbers.com.

Leading Cast

Tom Cruise    Capt. Nathan Algren
Ken Watanabe    Lord Katsumoto
Koyuki Kato    Taka

Supporting Cast

Timothy Spall    Simon Graham
Billy Connolly    Sgt. Zebulah Grant
Tony Goldwyn    Col. Bagley
Shin Koyamada    Nobutada
Hiroyuki Sanada    Ujio
Masato Harada    Omura
William Atherton    Winchester Rep
Shun Sugata    Nakao
Scott Wilson    Ambassador Swanbeck
Shichinosuke Nakamura    Emperor Meiji
Togo Igawa    General Hasegawa
Seizo Fukumoto    Silent Samurai
Chad Lindberg    Winchester Rep Assistant

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

Production and Technical Credits

Edward Zwick    Director
John Logan    Screenwriter
Marshall Herskovitz    Screenwriter
Edward Zwick    Screenwriter
John Logan    Story Creator
Edward Zwick    Producer
Marshall Herskovitz    Producer
Tom Cruise    Producer
Paula Wagner    Producer
Scott Kroopf    Producer
Tom Engelman    Producer
Ted Field    Executive Producer
Richard Solomon    Executive Producer
Vincent Ward    Executive Producer
Charles Mulvehill    Executive Producer
John Toll    Cinematographer
Steven Rosenblum    Editor
Victor du Bois    Editor
Hans Zimmer    Composer
Lilly Kilvert    Production Designer
Chris Burian-Mohr    Supervising Art Director
Jess Gonchor    Lead Art Director
Kim Sinclair    Art Director
Philip Thomas    Set Designer
Michael Smale    Set Designer
Samuel J. Storey    Set Designer
John P. Goldsmith    Set Designer
Anthony D. Parrillo    Set Designer
Roy Barnes    Set Designer
James Bayliss    Set Designer
Adrian Gorton    Set Designer
Ann Harris    Set Designer
Patte Strong-Lord    Set Designer
Gretchen Rau    Set Decorator
Ngila Dickson    Costume Designer
Jeff Wexler    Sound
Mark P. Stoeckinger    Supervising Sound Editor
Michael Kamper    Sound Designer
Jon Title    Sound Designer
Jeffrey A. Okun    Visual Effects Supervisor
Paul Lombardi    Special Effects Supervisor
Graham J. Larson    Associate Producer
Michael Doven    Associate Producer
Yoko Narahashi    Associate Producer
Nilo Otero    Assistant Director
Nick Powell    Stunt Coordinator
Gary Capo    Second Unit Director
Victoria Thomas    Casting

The bold credits above the line are the "above-the-line" credits, the other the "below-the-line" credits.

Cars Lap Competition on Home Market

November 19th, 2006

Cars led a group of new releases that dominated the sales charts this week, however, it had to settle for a very close second place on the rental charts. Leading the way was Mission: Impossible: III with $9.31 million while Cars took in $9.24 million. More...

DVD Releases for November 14, 2006

November 14th, 2006

With Thanksgivings just around the corner, there are a lot of releases coming out this week. You see, every time this year there's a media report that the day after Thanksgiving is the biggest shopping day of the year. However, this is not true. Christmas Eve is actually the biggest shopping day of the year (talk about last minute gifts). Even so, Thanksgiving is still a massively important time of the year and there's no surprise that studios are trying to get out as many gift ideas as possible just in time for the holiday rush. With that in mind, there are several full series sets coming out this week, including DVD Pick of the Week contender Get Smart - The Complete Series - Buy Direct. However, when it comes to the winner, there's really only one choice and that is Looney Tunes - Golden Collection - Volume Four - Buy from Amazon. More...

DVD Releases for May 04, 2004

May 3rd, 2004

Every week films get a second chance at success from the home market; or, in some cases, a first chance at success. There was again an excellent mix of wide releases, limited releases, older films and TV on DVD. And because of the wide section, there should be something for everyone, and for me it's Gilmore Girls - Season 1 - (Buy from Amazon), which is my DVD pick of the week. More...

Scary Finish at the International Box Office Race

March 2nd, 2004

When Scary Movie 3 was released domestically during the past fall, many analysts predicted it would fail to attract a sizeable audience. After all, there was a massive 55% drop-off between the first two installments. But the movie out-preformed expectations domestically, and now it's doing the same internationally. Scary Movie 3 earned $12.3 million and a first place finished this past weekend. Its international total is nearing $75 million and it should cross $200 million worldwide relatively soon. More...

Oscar Prediction: Costume Design

February 28th, 2004

Just over 24 hours to go before the ceremony, and we're ready to call another result. This time the category is costume design - one that has thrown up some surprises in the past. More...

Billion Dollar Box Office

February 24th, 2004

It took a couple days longer than expected, but Lord of the Rings: Return of the King crossed the $1 billion mark over the weekend. The weekend total of $13.9 million was also good enough for first place on the international charts. Internationally it is still in third place behind Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, but that should change by the weekend. More...

Lord Returns to the Top

February 18th, 2004


Lasting Reign

February 10th, 2004

After crossing $250 million international some time during the mid-week, The Last Samurai opened in another 10 markets pushing its weekend total to $17.7 million. Most impressive is the film's run in Japan; it was first in its 10th week of release and it crossed the $100 million mark in that nation. If Ken Watanabe wins the Oscar it should outperform its domestic run in Japan. It is very unusual for a Hollywood film to earn more in a single international market than it earned domestically. More...

Samurai and King Battle Lasts Another Week

February 3rd, 2004

Strong holdovers and a half a dozen smaller openings kept The Last Samurai in first place on the international scene for the third weekend in a row. This week it took in another $23.3 million to raise its total to nearly $250 million internationally. Ken Watanabe's Oscar nomination helped the film's Japanese take rise by 22% from last weekend, and is now just shy of $100 million in that nation. More...

Last Remains First as King Fails to Return to Top Spot

January 27th, 2004

The weekend take for The Last Samurai dropped less than expected, just 23% or $31.3 million, and that helped it maintain first place for the second weekend in a row. It also crossed $200 million internationally and $300 million worldwide. A mid-February opening in Russia is the last major opening for The Last Samurai, but strong legs in many markets could pull in another $100 million internationally. More...

King Oscar, Lord of the Nominations

January 27th, 2004

Nominations for the 76the Annual Academy Awards were announced today. As always, here is a list of the nominations, plus reactions below. More...

2004 Golden Globe Awards are being Handed out Tonight

January 25th, 2004

With the awards ceremony only hours away, here's one last look at the theatrical nominations for tonight's 61st annual Golden Globes awards. More...

Last in First

January 21st, 2004

The second round of openings for The Last Samurai in as many weeks helped push it to top spot on the international charts. It more than doubled the number of markets it's playing in while adding almost 70% more screens, but only managed to increase its box office by roughly 25%. The weekend figure of $40.6 million pushed its international total to $157.6 million and its worldwide total to over $250 million. But without many major openings left, its weekly numbers may have peaked. More...

Polly Wants a Number One Spot

January 21st, 2004

The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday is usually celebrated by the movie industry by dumping movies that the studios have little faith in, in hopes that the holiday crowds will give it an undeserved boost. This year two of the three new releases beat expectations (at least for the 3-day weekend) and the one that didn't had the best reviews for the week. (I really must stop basing my prediction on quality.) The 3-day total box office was 7% above last weekend, but down 8% from last year. The 4-day yearly decline was about the same. More...

2003 SAG Nominations Announced

January 18th, 2004

On Thursday the 10th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards(R) Nominations were announced. Here is a list of all the nominations in theatrical categories as well as a brief reaction to them. More...

Along Comes a New Number One

January 16th, 2004

With three new movies opening wide this weekend, we should finally have a new number one at the box office. But don't expect it to be number one in the minds of the critics. With Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday we should see a sizeable increase at the box office. More...

Last Weekend on Top for King?

January 13th, 2004

For the first time since it was released, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King had some stiff competition for top spot on the charts. It did still take first place for the fourth weekend in a row with $35.3 million in 51 markets. Including wins in head-to-head competition with second place The Last Samurai. For instance, Return of the King's fourth weekend easily won in the U.K. $6.7 million to Samurai's $4.9 million. It was a closer contest in Germany, but King remained number one $5.5 million to $4.9 million. But with only a couple of mid-level openings this week in Indonesia and the Czech Republic it could drop out of first place next weekend. Its international total $455 million, second for the year surpassing The Matrix Reloaded by less than $1 million and putting it in a virtual tie with The Lion King for 10th all-time. Worldwide it hit $767, which is also second for the year but 13th all-time. More...

King still on Top While Nemo Breaks another Record

January 6th, 2004

As it has since it was first released, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King had a commanding win at the international box office. This weekend's numbers were $58.7 million from 8,826 screens in 45 territories, more than double Finding Nemo in second place. Highlights include $2.3 million opening in Poland and just shy of $1 million opening in Argentina, as well as $13.7 million in the U.K. and $10 million in Germany. Totals for Return of the King now sit at $390.4 million outside the US (3rd for the year, 13th all-time) and $680.8 million worldwide (3rd for the year, and 15th all-time). By next week it should be the highest grossing film for the year. More...

A Quarter Billion for the King

December 23rd, 2003

As expected, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King dominated the international markets this week, setting many records along the way. It played in 28 countries on 7,403 screens earning $125.9 million, which is a record for international weekend. The film also broke individual market records for Wednesday openings in 15 countries, out of 17 Wednesday openings. It also broke weekend records in more than half a dozen other countries, including major markets like the U.K. and Germany. Worldwide totals for Return of the King are already at $250 million, (another record) putting it in 168th place on the all-time chart in just 5 days. Even with this success, it is unlike to unseat Titanic as the number one movie of all time, but it should become only the second film to earn $1 billion worldwide. More...

Records Fall to the Might of the King

December 22nd, 2003

Expectations for Lord of the Rings: Return of the King were huge, but unlike so many other movies with huge expectations that opened this year Return of the King didn't disappoint. A record-breaking performance lead to a huge 59% jump in the box office from last week. But the major letdown in other films led to a 2.3% drop from last year. More...

Will it be a Record Weekend for the King?

December 19th, 2003

While there are two major and a few smaller releases, only one movie is getting talked about this weekend. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King will crush all competition, but there still is some question if records can be broken and how well the other competition will fare. More...

They Can't Blame the Snow This Time

December 15th, 2003

While the weekend after Thanksgiving is usually soft, the weekend after that usually sees a bit of a rebound. Last year, for instance, we saw a nearly 20% week-to-week increase at the box office. This year we weren't so lucky. No movie in the top five beat box office expectations, while a couple did place higher on the charts due to weaker than expected competition. This led to a drop of nearly 9% from last week and 13% from last year. More...

Two Way Race for Top Spot

December 12th, 2003

It's a two-way race for top spot this weekend with Something's Gotta Give targeting a mature audience while Stuck on You goes for the decidedly immature. A third movie, Love Don't Cost a Thing is also opening wide but it might have trouble just making the top five. More...

Nemo's Number One at Pixar

December 10th, 2003

Finding Nemo not only won the weekend in convincing fashion, it also became Pixar's biggest international hit internationally, overtaking Monsters Inc.. The film's performance this week was even more impressive than last week. Number one in 20 markets helped it to another $45.9 million, bringing its total to $283.4 million internationally. That's 28th overall and 3rd for animated movies. However, it is only a few million behind Aladdin for second and will surpass that film mid-week (most likely, it has already done so.) Worldwide, Finding Nemo is even more impressive with $623.1 million, 18th overall. More...

Blame it on the Tryptophan

December 9th, 2003

The post Thanksgivings weekend was even tougher on the movie industry than predicted with only one movie in the top five living up to expectations. Some analysts are blaming it on the storm in the Northeast, but the internal multiplier doesn't really support that. And while the box office did drop 40% from last week, it was well ahead of last year to the tune of almost 20%. Year-to-date 2003 is still more than $100 million behind 2002 and with only one movie left that is a sure bet to make that much, catching up is not expected. More...

Will Last be First?

December 5th, 2003

Guessing what movie will finish first this weekend is a no-brainer. Guessing where the second new release of the weekend will land is a little trickier. Leftovers... I mean holdovers will suffer the post holiday blues this weekend, especially family friendly films.

More...

Movie Websites Launches for November 29 - December 5

December 4th, 2003

During the past week promotional websites for several movies were launched and some older ones added additional content. Here's a list of highlights, plus one last look at websites for films opening this week.More...

Movie Websites Launches for October 31 - November 6

November 6th, 2003


Movie Websites Launches for September 25 - October 1

October 2nd, 2003


Movie Websites Launches for August 28 - September 3

September 3rd, 2003



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

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$24,271,354 (21.8% of total gross)
Legs:4.58 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:24.3% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Production Budget:$140,000,000 (worldwide box office is 3.3 times production budget)
Theater counts:2,908 opening theaters/2,938 max. theaters, 7.2 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $192,961,239

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists

RecordRankAmount
All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 601-700) 678 $111,110,575
All Time International Box Office (Rank 201-300) 230 $345,700,000
All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 201-300) 289 $456,810,575
All Time Domestic Box Office for R Movies (Rank 101-200) 127 $111,110,575
All Time International Box Office for R Movies 16 $345,700,000
All Time Worldwide Box Office for R Movies 26 $456,810,575

See the Box Office tab (Domestic) and International tab (International and Worldwide) for more Cumulative Box Office Records.


Watch Now On

iTunes:iTunes
Google Play:Google Play, Google Play
Netflix:Netflix, Netflix, Netflix, Netflix

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: December 5th, 2003 (Wide) by Warner Bros.
International Releases: January 15th, 2004 (Wide) (Australia)
Video Release: May 4th, 2004 by Warner Home Video
MPAA Rating: R for strong violence and battle sequences
Running Time: 154 minutes
Comparisons: vs. En kongelig affære
Create your own comparison chart…
Source:Original Screenplay
Genre:Action
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Historical Fiction
Production/Financing Companies: Radar Pictures, The Bedford Falls Company, Cruise-Wagner
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Ranking on other Records and Milestones

RecordRankAmountChart
Date
Days In
Release
Martin Luther King (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 393 $5,681,527 Jan 16, 2004 45
Martin Luther King (All Movies, 4-Day, Fri-Mon, Inflation Adjusted) 262 $6,746,281 Jan 16, 2004 45
New Year's Day (All Movies, 3-Day) 211 $7,373,719 Jan 2, 2004 31
New Year's Day (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 241 $13,417,552 Jan 2, 2004 31
Biggest 4th Thursday 25 $2,696,000 Jan 1, 2004 28
Biggest 4th Wednesday 86 $1,700,000 Dec 31, 2003 27
Biggest 4th Tuesday 99 $1,923,000 Dec 30, 2003 26
Christmas (All Movies, 3-Day) 189 $8,326,947 Dec 26, 2003 24
Christmas (All Movies, 3-Day, Inflation Adjusted) 207 $15,604,396 Dec 26, 2003 24
Top Historical Fiction Weekend Domestic 78 $24,271,354 Dec 5, 2003 3

Leading Cast

Tom Cruise    Capt. Nathan Algren
Ken Watanabe    Lord Katsumoto
Koyuki Kato    Taka

Supporting Cast

Timothy Spall    Simon Graham
Billy Connolly    Sgt. Zebulah Grant
Tony Goldwyn    Col. Bagley
Shin Koyamada    Nobutada
Hiroyuki Sanada    Ujio
Masato Harada    Omura
William Atherton    Winchester Rep
Shun Sugata    Nakao
Scott Wilson    Ambassador Swanbeck
Shichinosuke Nakamura    Emperor Meiji
Togo Igawa    General Hasegawa
Seizo Fukumoto    Silent Samurai
Chad Lindberg    Winchester Rep Assistant

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

Production and Technical Credits

Edward Zwick    Director
John Logan    Screenwriter
Marshall Herskovitz    Screenwriter
Edward Zwick    Screenwriter
John Logan    Story Creator
Edward Zwick    Producer
Marshall Herskovitz    Producer
Tom Cruise    Producer
Paula Wagner    Producer
Scott Kroopf    Producer
Tom Engelman    Producer
Ted Field    Executive Producer
Richard Solomon    Executive Producer
Vincent Ward    Executive Producer
Charles Mulvehill    Executive Producer
John Toll    Cinematographer
Steven Rosenblum    Editor
Victor du Bois    Editor
Hans Zimmer    Composer
Lilly Kilvert    Production Designer
Chris Burian-Mohr    Supervising Art Director
Jess Gonchor    Lead Art Director
Kim Sinclair    Art Director
Philip Thomas    Set Designer
Michael Smale    Set Designer
Samuel J. Storey    Set Designer
John P. Goldsmith    Set Designer
Anthony D. Parrillo    Set Designer
Roy Barnes    Set Designer
James Bayliss    Set Designer
Adrian Gorton    Set Designer
Ann Harris    Set Designer
Patte Strong-Lord    Set Designer
Gretchen Rau    Set Decorator
Ngila Dickson    Costume Designer
Jeff Wexler    Sound
Mark P. Stoeckinger    Supervising Sound Editor
Michael Kamper    Sound Designer
Jon Title    Sound Designer
Jeffrey A. Okun    Visual Effects Supervisor
Paul Lombardi    Special Effects Supervisor
Graham J. Larson    Associate Producer
Michael Doven    Associate Producer
Yoko Narahashi    Associate Producer
Nilo Otero    Assistant Director
Nick Powell    Stunt Coordinator
Gary Capo    Second Unit Director
Victoria Thomas    Casting

The bold credits above the line are the "above-the-line" credits, the other the "below-the-line" credits.

Cars Lap Competition on Home Market

November 19th, 2006

Cars led a group of new releases that dominated the sales charts this week, however, it had to settle for a very close second place on the rental charts. Leading the way was Mission: Impossible: III with $9.31 million while Cars took in $9.24 million. More...

DVD Releases for November 14, 2006

November 14th, 2006

With Thanksgivings just around the corner, there are a lot of releases coming out this week. You see, every time this year there's a media report that the day after Thanksgiving is the biggest shopping day of the year. However, this is not true. Christmas Eve is actually the biggest shopping day of the year (talk about last minute gifts). Even so, Thanksgiving is still a massively important time of the year and there's no surprise that studios are trying to get out as many gift ideas as possible just in time for the holiday rush. With that in mind, there are several full series sets coming out this week, including DVD Pick of the Week contender Get Smart - The Complete Series - Buy Direct. However, when it comes to the winner, there's really only one choice and that is Looney Tunes - Golden Collection - Volume Four - Buy from Amazon. More...

DVD Releases for May 04, 2004

May 3rd, 2004

Every week films get a second chance at success from the home market; or, in some cases, a first chance at success. There was again an excellent mix of wide releases, limited releases, older films and TV on DVD. And because of the wide section, there should be something for everyone, and for me it's Gilmore Girls - Season 1 - (Buy from Amazon), which is my DVD pick of the week. More...

Scary Finish at the International Box Office Race

March 2nd, 2004

When Scary Movie 3 was released domestically during the past fall, many analysts predicted it would fail to attract a sizeable audience. After all, there was a massive 55% drop-off between the first two installments. But the movie out-preformed expectations domestically, and now it's doing the same internationally. Scary Movie 3 earned $12.3 million and a first place finished this past weekend. Its international total is nearing $75 million and it should cross $200 million worldwide relatively soon. More...

Oscar Prediction: Costume Design

February 28th, 2004

Just over 24 hours to go before the ceremony, and we're ready to call another result. This time the category is costume design - one that has thrown up some surprises in the past. More...

Billion Dollar Box Office

February 24th, 2004

It took a couple days longer than expected, but Lord of the Rings: Return of the King crossed the $1 billion mark over the weekend. The weekend total of $13.9 million was also good enough for first place on the international charts. Internationally it is still in third place behind Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, but that should change by the weekend. More...

Lord Returns to the Top

February 18th, 2004


Lasting Reign

February 10th, 2004

After crossing $250 million international some time during the mid-week, The Last Samurai opened in another 10 markets pushing its weekend total to $17.7 million. Most impressive is the film's run in Japan; it was first in its 10th week of release and it crossed the $100 million mark in that nation. If Ken Watanabe wins the Oscar it should outperform its domestic run in Japan. It is very unusual for a Hollywood film to earn more in a single international market than it earned domestically. More...

Samurai and King Battle Lasts Another Week

February 3rd, 2004

Strong holdovers and a half a dozen smaller openings kept The Last Samurai in first place on the international scene for the third weekend in a row. This week it took in another $23.3 million to raise its total to nearly $250 million internationally. Ken Watanabe's Oscar nomination helped the film's Japanese take rise by 22% from last weekend, and is now just shy of $100 million in that nation. More...

Last Remains First as King Fails to Return to Top Spot

January 27th, 2004

The weekend take for The Last Samurai dropped less than expected, just 23% or $31.3 million, and that helped it maintain first place for the second weekend in a row. It also crossed $200 million internationally and $300 million worldwide. A mid-February opening in Russia is the last major opening for The Last Samurai, but strong legs in many markets could pull in another $100 million internationally. More...

King Oscar, Lord of the Nominations

January 27th, 2004

Nominations for the 76the Annual Academy Awards were announced today. As always, here is a list of the nominations, plus reactions below. More...

2004 Golden Globe Awards are being Handed out Tonight

January 25th, 2004

With the awards ceremony only hours away, here's one last look at the theatrical nominations for tonight's 61st annual Golden Globes awards. More...

Last in First

January 21st, 2004

The second round of openings for The Last Samurai in as many weeks helped push it to top spot on the international charts. It more than doubled the number of markets it's playing in while adding almost 70% more screens, but only managed to increase its box office by roughly 25%. The weekend figure of $40.6 million pushed its international total to $157.6 million and its worldwide total to over $250 million. But without many major openings left, its weekly numbers may have peaked. More...

Polly Wants a Number One Spot

January 21st, 2004

The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday is usually celebrated by the movie industry by dumping movies that the studios have little faith in, in hopes that the holiday crowds will give it an undeserved boost. This year two of the three new releases beat expectations (at least for the 3-day weekend) and the one that didn't had the best reviews for the week. (I really must stop basing my prediction on quality.) The 3-day total box office was 7% above last weekend, but down 8% from last year. The 4-day yearly decline was about the same. More...

2003 SAG Nominations Announced

January 18th, 2004

On Thursday the 10th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards(R) Nominations were announced. Here is a list of all the nominations in theatrical categories as well as a brief reaction to them. More...

Along Comes a New Number One

January 16th, 2004

With three new movies opening wide this weekend, we should finally have a new number one at the box office. But don't expect it to be number one in the minds of the critics. With Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday we should see a sizeable increase at the box office. More...

Last Weekend on Top for King?

January 13th, 2004

For the first time since it was released, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King had some stiff competition for top spot on the charts. It did still take first place for the fourth weekend in a row with $35.3 million in 51 markets. Including wins in head-to-head competition with second place The Last Samurai. For instance, Return of the King's fourth weekend easily won in the U.K. $6.7 million to Samurai's $4.9 million. It was a closer contest in Germany, but King remained number one $5.5 million to $4.9 million. But with only a couple of mid-level openings this week in Indonesia and the Czech Republic it could drop out of first place next weekend. Its international total $455 million, second for the year surpassing The Matrix Reloaded by less than $1 million and putting it in a virtual tie with The Lion King for 10th all-time. Worldwide it hit $767, which is also second for the year but 13th all-time. More...

King still on Top While Nemo Breaks another Record

January 6th, 2004

As it has since it was first released, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King had a commanding win at the international box office. This weekend's numbers were $58.7 million from 8,826 screens in 45 territories, more than double Finding Nemo in second place. Highlights include $2.3 million opening in Poland and just shy of $1 million opening in Argentina, as well as $13.7 million in the U.K. and $10 million in Germany. Totals for Return of the King now sit at $390.4 million outside the US (3rd for the year, 13th all-time) and $680.8 million worldwide (3rd for the year, and 15th all-time). By next week it should be the highest grossing film for the year. More...

A Quarter Billion for the King

December 23rd, 2003

As expected, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King dominated the international markets this week, setting many records along the way. It played in 28 countries on 7,403 screens earning $125.9 million, which is a record for international weekend. The film also broke individual market records for Wednesday openings in 15 countries, out of 17 Wednesday openings. It also broke weekend records in more than half a dozen other countries, including major markets like the U.K. and Germany. Worldwide totals for Return of the King are already at $250 million, (another record) putting it in 168th place on the all-time chart in just 5 days. Even with this success, it is unlike to unseat Titanic as the number one movie of all time, but it should become only the second film to earn $1 billion worldwide. More...

Records Fall to the Might of the King

December 22nd, 2003

Expectations for Lord of the Rings: Return of the King were huge, but unlike so many other movies with huge expectations that opened this year Return of the King didn't disappoint. A record-breaking performance lead to a huge 59% jump in the box office from last week. But the major letdown in other films led to a 2.3% drop from last year. More...

Will it be a Record Weekend for the King?

December 19th, 2003

While there are two major and a few smaller releases, only one movie is getting talked about this weekend. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King will crush all competition, but there still is some question if records can be broken and how well the other competition will fare. More...

They Can't Blame the Snow This Time

December 15th, 2003

While the weekend after Thanksgiving is usually soft, the weekend after that usually sees a bit of a rebound. Last year, for instance, we saw a nearly 20% week-to-week increase at the box office. This year we weren't so lucky. No movie in the top five beat box office expectations, while a couple did place higher on the charts due to weaker than expected competition. This led to a drop of nearly 9% from last week and 13% from last year. More...

Two Way Race for Top Spot

December 12th, 2003

It's a two-way race for top spot this weekend with Something's Gotta Give targeting a mature audience while Stuck on You goes for the decidedly immature. A third movie, Love Don't Cost a Thing is also opening wide but it might have trouble just making the top five. More...

Nemo's Number One at Pixar

December 10th, 2003

Finding Nemo not only won the weekend in convincing fashion, it also became Pixar's biggest international hit internationally, overtaking Monsters Inc.. The film's performance this week was even more impressive than last week. Number one in 20 markets helped it to another $45.9 million, bringing its total to $283.4 million internationally. That's 28th overall and 3rd for animated movies. However, it is only a few million behind Aladdin for second and will surpass that film mid-week (most likely, it has already done so.) Worldwide, Finding Nemo is even more impressive with $623.1 million, 18th overall. More...

Blame it on the Tryptophan

December 9th, 2003

The post Thanksgivings weekend was even tougher on the movie industry than predicted with only one movie in the top five living up to expectations. Some analysts are blaming it on the storm in the Northeast, but the internal multiplier doesn't really support that. And while the box office did drop 40% from last week, it was well ahead of last year to the tune of almost 20%. Year-to-date 2003 is still more than $100 million behind 2002 and with only one movie left that is a sure bet to make that much, catching up is not expected. More...

Will Last be First?

December 5th, 2003

Guessing what movie will finish first this weekend is a no-brainer. Guessing where the second new release of the weekend will land is a little trickier. Leftovers... I mean holdovers will suffer the post holiday blues this weekend, especially family friendly films.

More...

Movie Websites Launches for November 29 - December 5

December 4th, 2003

During the past week promotional websites for several movies were launched and some older ones added additional content. Here's a list of highlights, plus one last look at websites for films opening this week.More...

Movie Websites Launches for October 31 - November 6

November 6th, 2003


Movie Websites Launches for September 25 - October 1

October 2nd, 2003


Movie Websites Launches for August 28 - September 3

September 3rd, 2003


Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Dec 5, 2003 1 $24,271,354   2,908 $8,346   $24,271,354 1
Dec 12, 2003 2 $14,087,074 -42% 2,908 $4,844   $46,874,330 2
Dec 19, 2003 4 $7,769,301 -45% 2,938 $2,644   $59,487,166 3
Dec 26, 2003 8 $8,326,947 +7% 2,557 $3,257   $74,324,104 4
Jan 2, 2004 8 $7,373,719 -11% 2,401 $3,071   $90,017,337 5
Jan 9, 2004 9 $4,550,419 -38% 1,901 $2,394   $97,181,327 6
Jan 16, 2004 10 $3,122,326 -31% 1,403 $2,225   $101,998,497 7
Jan 23, 2004 12 $2,177,479 -30% 1,115 $1,953   $105,521,192 8
Jan 30, 2004 19 $1,203,487 -45% 808 $1,489   $107,459,807 9
Feb 6, 2004 22 $693,214 -42% 441 $1,572   $108,635,117 10
Feb 13, 2004 23 $542,948 -22% 267 $2,034   $109,435,703 11
Feb 20, 2004 27 $391,141 -28% 220 $1,778   $110,068,737 12
Feb 27, 2004 41 $151,370 -61% 136 $1,113   $110,330,124 13
Mar 5, 2004 35 $166,205 +10% 339 $490   $110,572,904 14
Mar 12, 2004 36 $126,668 -24% 281 $451   $110,788,675 15
Mar 19, 2004 40 $90,896 -28% 220 $413   $110,947,183 16
Mar 26, 2004 49 $64,517 -29% 168 $384   $111,054,195 17
Apr 2, 2004 64 $29,918 -54% 102 $293   $111,110,575 18

Daily Box Office Performance

DateRankGross%YD%LWTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossDays
Dec 5, 2003 1 $8,200,000     2,908 $2,820   $8,200,000 1
Dec 6, 2003 1 $9,195,348 +12%   2,908 $3,162   $17,584,717 2
Dec 7, 2003 1 $6,686,637 -27%   2,908 $2,299   $24,271,354 3
Dec 8, 2003 1 $2,244,000 -66%   2,908 $772   $26,516,000 4
Dec 9, 2003 1 $2,312,000 +3%   2,908 $795   $28,828,000 5
Dec 10, 2003 1 $2,031,000 -12%   2,908 $698   $30,859,000 6
Dec 11, 2003 1 $1,928,000 -5%   2,908 $663   $32,787,000 7
Dec 12, 2003 2 $4,500,000 +133% -45% 2,908 $1,547   $37,300,000 8
Dec 13, 2003 2 $6,028,707 +34% -34% 2,908 $2,073   $43,095,373 9
Dec 14, 2003 1 $3,778,957 -37% -43% 2,908 $1,300   $46,874,330 10
Dec 15, 2003 2 $1,303,000 -66% -42% 2,908 $448   $48,178,000 11
Dec 16, 2003 2 $1,365,000 +5% -41% 2,908 $469   $49,543,000 12
Dec 17, 2003 3 $1,112,000 -19% -45% 2,908 $382   $50,656,000 13
Dec 18, 2003 3 $1,062,000 -4% -45% 2,908 $365   $51,718,000 14
Dec 19, 2003 4 $2,100,000 +98% -53% 2,938 $715   $53,800,000 15
Dec 20, 2003 4 $2,997,814 +43% -50% 2,938 $1,020   $56,823,779 16
Dec 21, 2003 4 $2,663,387 -11% -30% 2,938 $907   $59,487,166 17
Dec 22, 2003 5 $1,368,602 -49% +5% 2,938 $466   $60,855,768 18
Dec 23, 2003 5 $1,600,000 +17% +17% 2,938 $545   $62,455,768 19
Dec 24, 2003 4 $1,150,000 -28% +3% 2,938 $391   $63,605,768 20
Dec 25, 2003 8 $2,400,000 +109% +126% 2,557 $939   $65,920,000 21
Dec 26, 2003 8 $2,860,000 +19% +36% 2,557 $1,118   $68,780,000 22
Dec 27, 2003 8 $2,911,472 +2% -3% 2,557 $1,139   $71,766,823 23
Dec 28, 2003 8 $2,557,281 -12% -4% 2,557 $1,000   $74,324,104 24
Dec 29, 2003 8 $1,779,000 -30% +30% 2,557 $696   $76,103,000 25
Dec 30, 2003 8 $1,923,000 +8% +20% 2,557 $752   $78,026,000 26
Dec 31, 2003 8 $1,700,000 -12% +48% 2,557 $665   $79,700,000 27
Jan 1, 2004 8 $2,696,000 +59% +12% 2,557 $1,054   $82,396,000 28
Jan 2, 2004 8 $2,700,000 n/c -6% 2,401 $1,125   $85,100,000 29
Jan 3, 2004 8 $2,846,481 +5% -2% 2,401 $1,186   $88,271,429 30
Jan 4, 2004 8 $1,745,908 -39% -32% 2,401 $727   $90,017,337 31
Jan 5, 2004 6 $664,000 -62% -63% 2,401 $277   $90,682,000 32
Jan 6, 2004 5 $678,000 +2% -65% 2,401 $282   $91,360,000 33
Jan 7, 2004 5 $648,000 -4% -62% 2,401 $270   $92,009,000 34
Jan 8, 2004 5 $622,000 -4% -77% 2,401 $259   $92,631,000 35
Jan 9, 2004 10 $1,300,000 +109% -52% 1,901 $684   $93,900,000 36
Jan 10, 2004 9 $1,977,181 +52% -31% 1,901 $1,040   $95,929,226 37
Jan 11, 2004 8 $1,252,101 -37% -28% 1,901 $659   $97,181,327 38
Jan 12, 2004 6 $414,000 -67% -38% 1,901 $218   $97,596,000 39
Jan 13, 2004 7 $460,000 +11% -32% 1,901 $242   $98,056,000 40
Jan 14, 2004 7 $402,000 -13% -38% 1,901 $211   $98,458,000 41
Jan 15, 2004 7 $418,000 +4% -33% 1,901 $220   $98,876,000 42
Jan 19, 2004 13 $585,146   +41% 1,403 $417   $97,181,327 46
Jan 20, 2004 9 $271,000 -54% -41% 1,403 $193   $102,855,000 47
Jan 21, 2004 9 $232,000 -14% -42% 1,403 $165   $103,087,000 48
Jan 22, 2004 9 $256,000 +10% -39% 1,403 $182   $103,344,000 49
Feb 16, 2004 29 $92,521     267 $347   $109,528,224 74

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Dec 5, 2003 1 $32,787,256   2,908 $11,275   $32,787,256 1
Dec 12, 2003 3 $18,930,609 -42% 2,908 $6,510   $51,717,865 2
Dec 19, 2003 4 $14,279,292 -25% 2,938 $4,860   $65,997,157 3
Dec 26, 2003 8 $16,646,461 +17% 2,557 $6,510   $82,643,618 4
Jan 2, 2004 8 $9,987,290 -40% 2,401 $4,160   $92,630,908 5
Jan 9, 2004 9 $6,245,263 -37% 1,901 $3,285   $98,876,171 6
Jan 16, 2004 10 $4,467,542 -28% 1,403 $3,184   $103,343,713 7
Jan 23, 2004 13 $2,912,607 -35% 1,115 $2,612   $106,256,320 8
Jan 30, 2004 19 $1,685,583 -42% 808 $2,086   $107,941,903 9
Feb 6, 2004 22 $950,852 -44% 441 $2,156   $108,892,755 10
Feb 13, 2004 24 $784,841 -17% 267 $2,939   $109,677,596 11
Feb 20, 2004 28 $501,158 -36% 220 $2,278   $110,178,754 12
Feb 27, 2004 40 $227,945 -55% 136 $1,676   $110,406,699 13
Mar 5, 2004 33 $255,308 +12% 339 $753   $110,662,007 14
Mar 12, 2004 36 $194,280 -24% 281 $691   $110,856,287 15
Mar 19, 2004 42 $133,391 -31% 220 $606   $110,989,678 16
Mar 26, 2004 49 $90,979 -32% 168 $542   $111,080,657 17
Apr 2, 2004 74 $29,918 -67% 102 $293   $111,110,575 18

Box Office Summary Per Territory

Territory Release
Date
Opening
Weekend
Opening
Weekend
Screens
Maximum
Screens
Theatrical
Engagements
Total
Box Office
Report
Date
Australia 1/15/2004 $2,605,362 275 275 275 $2,605,362 4/2/2020
 
Rest of World $343,094,638
 
International Total$345,700,000 4/2/2020

International Cumulative Box Office Records


Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records


Full financial estimates for this film, including domestic and international box office, video sales, video rentals, TV and ancillary revenue are available through our research services. For more information, please contact us at research@the-numbers.com.