Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2011)
| Theatrical Performance | ||
| Domestic Box Office | $5,304,920 | Details |
| International Box Office | $4,064,709 | Details |
| Worldwide Box Office | $9,369,629 | |
| OpusData ID: 149530100 More info... | ||
| Further financial details... | ||
Synopsis
For over 20,000 years, Chauvet Cave has been completely sealed off by a fallen rock face, its crystal-encrusted interior as large as a football field and strewn with the petrified remains of giant ice age mammals. In 1994, scientists discovered the caverns, and found hundreds of pristine paintings within, spectacular artwork dating back over 30,000 years (almost twice as old as any previous finds) to a time when Neanderthals still roamed the earth and cave bears, mammoths, and ice age lions were the dominant populations of Europe. Since then, only a few people have been allowed access into Chauvet Cave, and the true scope of its contents had largely gone unfelt—until Werner Herzog managed to gain access. Filmed in 3D, Herzog captures the wonder and beauty of one of the most awe-inspiring sites on earth, all the while musing about its original inhabitants, the birth of art, and the curious people surrounding the caves today.
Metrics
| Opening Weekend: | $139,101 (2.6% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 11.24 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 56.6% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Theater counts: | 5 opening theaters/123 max. theaters, 9.6 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $7,566,028 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | April 29th, 2011 (Limited) by IFC Films April 15th, 2026 (IMAX) by Independent Film Company April 24th, 2026 (Limited) by Independent Film Company |
| International Releases: | April 13th, 2012 (Wide) (Uruguay)
June 22nd, 2012 (Wide) (Spain) November 29th, 2012 (Wide) (Netherlands) February 15th, 2013 (Wide) (Brazil) ... Show all releases |
| Video Release: | November 29th, 2011 by Mpi Home Video |
| MPA Rating: | G (Rating bulletin 2166, 4/6/2011) |
| Running Time: | 90 minutes |
| Cast, crew, or production detail: | Directing Yourself |
| Film format: | 3-D, 3-D - Shot in 3-D |
| Plot point: | Academics, Artists, Cavemen, Paleontologist |
| Subgenre: | Academic Documentary |
| Source: | Based on Real Life Events |
| Genre: | Documentary |
| Production Method: | Live Action |
| Creative Type: | Factual |
| Production/Financing Companies: | Creative Differences, History Films |
| Production Countries: | United States, France, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany |
| Languages: | English |
Weekend Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 29, 2011 | 29 | $139,101 | 5 | $27,820 | $139,101 | 1 | |
| May 6, 2011 | 24 | $402,948 | +190% | 50 | $8,059 | $627,449 | 2 |
| May 13, 2011 | 18 | $471,933 | +17% | 82 | $5,755 | $1,315,636 | 3 |
| May 20, 2011 | 17 | $415,310 | -12% | 106 | $3,918 | $1,973,239 | 4 |
| May 27, 2011 | 13 | $431,062 | +4% | 118 | $3,653 | $2,618,534 | 5 |
| Jun 3, 2011 | 16 | $346,316 | -20% | 122 | $2,839 | $3,253,767 | 6 |
| Jun 10, 2011 | 17 | $261,390 | -25% | 123 | $2,125 | $3,727,369 | 7 |
| Jun 17, 2011 | 20 | $241,045 | -8% | 116 | $2,078 | $4,138,016 | 8 |
| Jun 24, 2011 | 26 | $142,275 | -41% | 75 | $1,897 | $4,423,277 | 9 |
| Jul 1, 2011 | 30 | $110,082 | -23% | 60 | $1,835 | $4,633,692 | 10 |
| Jul 8, 2011 | 34 | $82,074 | -25% | 48 | $1,710 | $4,800,393 | 11 |
| Jul 15, 2011 | 45 | $50,284 | -39% | 48 | $1,048 | $4,909,753 | 12 |
| Jul 22, 2011 | 44 | $54,410 | +8% | 38 | $1,432 | $5,032,515 | 13 |
| Jul 29, 2011 | 52 | $35,546 | -35% | 32 | $1,111 | $5,102,891 | 14 |
| Aug 5, 2011 | 56 | $35,189 | -1% | 28 | $1,257 | $5,164,553 | 15 |
| Aug 12, 2011 | 63 | $18,418 | -48% | 15 | $1,228 | $5,205,665 | 16 |
| Aug 19, 2011 | 70 | $16,114 | -13% | 15 | $1,074 | $5,234,785 | 17 |
| Apr 17, 2026 | - | $59,403 | 103 | $577 | $5,424,323 | 782 | |
| Apr 24, 2026 | - | $3,031 | -95% | 2 | $1,516 | $5,427,354 | 783 |
Daily Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | %YD | %LW | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 23, 2011 | - | $53,178 | 106 | $502 | $2,026,417 | 25 | ||
| May 30, 2011 | 13 | $146,154 | +175% | 118 | $1,239 | $2,764,688 | 32 | |
| Jul 4, 2011 | 29 | $25,820 | 60 | $430 | $4,659,512 | 67 | ||
| Apr 15, 2026 | 11 | $59,040 | 110 | $537 | $5,363,960 | 5,466 | ||
| Apr 19, 2026 | - | $59,403 | 110 | $540 | $5,424,323 | 5,470 | ||
| Apr 24, 2026 | - | $114 | 2 | $57 | $5,424,437 | 5,475 | ||
| Apr 25, 2026 | - | $1,350 | +1,084% | 2 | $675 | $5,425,787 | 5,476 | |
| Apr 26, 2026 | - | $1,567 | +16% | -97% | 2 | $784 | $5,427,354 | 5,477 |
| Apr 27, 2026 | - | $312 | -80% | 2 | $156 | $5,427,666 | 5,478 | |
| Apr 28, 2026 | - | $1,280 | +310% | 2 | $640 | $5,428,946 | 5,479 | |
| Apr 29, 2026 | - | $1,546 | +21% | 2 | $773 | $5,430,492 | 5,480 | |
| Apr 30, 2026 | - | $426 | -72% | 2 | $213 | $5,430,918 | 5,481 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 29, 2011 | 29 | $224,501 | 5 | $44,900 | $224,501 | 1 | |
| May 6, 2011 | 22 | $619,202 | +176% | 50 | $12,384 | $843,703 | 2 |
| May 13, 2011 | 18 | $714,226 | +15% | 82 | $8,710 | $1,557,929 | 3 |
| May 20, 2011 | 17 | $629,543 | -12% | 106 | $5,939 | $2,187,472 | 4 |
| May 27, 2011 | 13 | $719,979 | +14% | 118 | $6,102 | $2,907,451 | 5 |
| Jun 3, 2011 | 17 | $558,528 | -22% | 122 | $4,578 | $3,465,979 | 6 |
| Jun 10, 2011 | 19 | $430,992 | -23% | 123 | $3,504 | $3,896,971 | 7 |
| Jun 17, 2011 | 21 | $383,581 | -11% | 116 | $3,307 | $4,280,552 | 8 |
| Jun 24, 2011 | 27 | $243,058 | -37% | 78 | $3,116 | $4,523,610 | 9 |
| Jul 1, 2011 | 31 | $194,709 | -20% | 60 | $3,245 | $4,718,319 | 10 |
| Jul 8, 2011 | 35 | $141,150 | -28% | 49 | $2,881 | $4,859,469 | 11 |
| Jul 15, 2011 | 39 | $118,946 | -16% | 46 | $2,586 | $4,978,415 | 12 |
| Jul 22, 2011 | 15 | $889,930 | +648% | 35 | $25,427 | $5,067,345 | 13 |
| Jul 29, 2011 | 50 | $62,019 | -93% | 31 | $2,001 | $5,129,364 | 14 |
| Aug 5, 2011 | 54 | $57,883 | -7% | 28 | $2,067 | $5,187,247 | 15 |
| Aug 12, 2011 | 59 | $31,424 | -46% | 16 | $1,964 | $5,218,671 | 16 |
| Aug 19, 2011 | 66 | $28,676 | -9% | 15 | $1,912 | $5,247,347 | 17 |
| Apr 10, 2026 | 24 | $59,040 | 110 | $537 | $5,363,960 | 781 | |
| Apr 17, 2026 | 30 | $59,876 | +1% | 110 | $544 | $5,423,836 | 782 |
| Apr 24, 2026 | 48 | $6,595 | -89% | 2 | $3,298 | $5,430,431 | 783 |
Top International Territories
Box Office Summary Per Territory
| Territory | Release Date |
Opening Weekend |
Opening Weekend Screens/Theaters |
Maximum Screens/Theaters |
Theatrical Engagements |
Total Box Office |
Report Date |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 2/15/2013 | $0 | 0 | 6 | 29 | $46,829 | 12/14/2015 | |||
| Netherlands | 11/29/2012 | $19,001 | 13 | 13 | 26 | $45,372 | 12/12/2015 | |||
| Spain | 6/22/2012 | $0 | 0 | 4 | 20 | $138,116 | 12/11/2015 | |||
| Uruguay | 4/13/2012 | $0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | $21,681 | 12/29/2018 | |||
| Rest of World | $3,812,711 | |||||||||
| International Total | $4,064,709 | 12/29/2018 | ||||||||
Note: Territories vary in whether they report screens or theaters. Full details on international box office data are available via our OpusData service.
Inverviewee
| Dominique Baffier | Himself | |
| Jean Clottes | Himself | |
| Jean-Michel Geneste | Himself | |
| Carole Fritz | Herself | |
| Gilles Tosello | Himself | |
| Michel Philippe | Himself | |
| Julien Monney | Himself | |
| Nicholas Conard | Himself | |
| Wulf Hein | Himself | |
| Maria Malina | Female | |
| Maurice Maurin | Himself |
Narrator
| Werner Herzog | Himself |
Production and Technical Credits
| Werner Herzog | Director | |
| Werner Herzog | Screenwriter | |
| Erik Nelson | Producer | |
| Adrienne Ciuffo | Producer | |
| Joe Bini | Editor | |
| Maya Hawke | Editor | |
| Peter Zeitlinger | Cinematographer | |
| Ernst Reijeger | Composer | |
| Dave Harding | Executive Producer | |
| Julian P. Hobbs | Executive Producer | |
| David McKillop | Executive Producer | |
| Molly Thomason | Executive Producer | |
| Amy Briamonte | Co-Producer | |
| Phil Fairclough | Co-Producer | |
| Judith Thurman | Co-Producer | |
| Nicolas Zunino | Co-Producer |
Cast and crew with above-the-line roles are marked in bold. The line marks the division between above-the-line and below-the-line roles.
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.
Synopsis
For over 20,000 years, Chauvet Cave has been completely sealed off by a fallen rock face, its crystal-encrusted interior as large as a football field and strewn with the petrified remains of giant ice age mammals. In 1994, scientists discovered the caverns, and found hundreds of pristine paintings within, spectacular artwork dating back over 30,000 years (almost twice as old as any previous finds) to a time when Neanderthals still roamed the earth and cave bears, mammoths, and ice age lions were the dominant populations of Europe. Since then, only a few people have been allowed access into Chauvet Cave, and the true scope of its contents had largely gone unfelt—until Werner Herzog managed to gain access. Filmed in 3D, Herzog captures the wonder and beauty of one of the most awe-inspiring sites on earth, all the while musing about its original inhabitants, the birth of art, and the curious people surrounding the caves today.
Metrics
| Opening Weekend: | $139,101 (2.6% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 11.24 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 56.6% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Theater counts: | 5 opening theaters/123 max. theaters, 9.6 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $7,566,028 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | April 29th, 2011 (Limited) by IFC Films April 15th, 2026 (IMAX) by Independent Film Company April 24th, 2026 (Limited) by Independent Film Company |
| International Releases: | April 13th, 2012 (Wide) (Uruguay)
June 22nd, 2012 (Wide) (Spain) November 29th, 2012 (Wide) (Netherlands) February 15th, 2013 (Wide) (Brazil) ... Show all releases |
| Video Release: | November 29th, 2011 by Mpi Home Video |
| MPA Rating: | G (Rating bulletin 2166, 4/6/2011) |
| Running Time: | 90 minutes |
| Cast, crew, or production detail: | Directing Yourself |
| Film format: | 3-D, 3-D - Shot in 3-D |
| Plot point: | Academics, Artists, Cavemen, Paleontologist |
| Subgenre: | Academic Documentary |
| Source: | Based on Real Life Events |
| Genre: | Documentary |
| Production Method: | Live Action |
| Creative Type: | Factual |
| Production/Financing Companies: | Creative Differences, History Films |
| Production Countries: | United States, France, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany |
| Languages: | English |
Weekend Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 29, 2011 | 29 | $139,101 | 5 | $27,820 | $139,101 | 1 | |
| May 6, 2011 | 24 | $402,948 | +190% | 50 | $8,059 | $627,449 | 2 |
| May 13, 2011 | 18 | $471,933 | +17% | 82 | $5,755 | $1,315,636 | 3 |
| May 20, 2011 | 17 | $415,310 | -12% | 106 | $3,918 | $1,973,239 | 4 |
| May 27, 2011 | 13 | $431,062 | +4% | 118 | $3,653 | $2,618,534 | 5 |
| Jun 3, 2011 | 16 | $346,316 | -20% | 122 | $2,839 | $3,253,767 | 6 |
| Jun 10, 2011 | 17 | $261,390 | -25% | 123 | $2,125 | $3,727,369 | 7 |
| Jun 17, 2011 | 20 | $241,045 | -8% | 116 | $2,078 | $4,138,016 | 8 |
| Jun 24, 2011 | 26 | $142,275 | -41% | 75 | $1,897 | $4,423,277 | 9 |
| Jul 1, 2011 | 30 | $110,082 | -23% | 60 | $1,835 | $4,633,692 | 10 |
| Jul 8, 2011 | 34 | $82,074 | -25% | 48 | $1,710 | $4,800,393 | 11 |
| Jul 15, 2011 | 45 | $50,284 | -39% | 48 | $1,048 | $4,909,753 | 12 |
| Jul 22, 2011 | 44 | $54,410 | +8% | 38 | $1,432 | $5,032,515 | 13 |
| Jul 29, 2011 | 52 | $35,546 | -35% | 32 | $1,111 | $5,102,891 | 14 |
| Aug 5, 2011 | 56 | $35,189 | -1% | 28 | $1,257 | $5,164,553 | 15 |
| Aug 12, 2011 | 63 | $18,418 | -48% | 15 | $1,228 | $5,205,665 | 16 |
| Aug 19, 2011 | 70 | $16,114 | -13% | 15 | $1,074 | $5,234,785 | 17 |
| Apr 17, 2026 | - | $59,403 | 103 | $577 | $5,424,323 | 782 | |
| Apr 24, 2026 | - | $3,031 | -95% | 2 | $1,516 | $5,427,354 | 783 |
Daily Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | %YD | %LW | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 23, 2011 | - | $53,178 | 106 | $502 | $2,026,417 | 25 | ||
| May 30, 2011 | 13 | $146,154 | +175% | 118 | $1,239 | $2,764,688 | 32 | |
| Jul 4, 2011 | 29 | $25,820 | 60 | $430 | $4,659,512 | 67 | ||
| Apr 15, 2026 | 11 | $59,040 | 110 | $537 | $5,363,960 | 5,466 | ||
| Apr 19, 2026 | - | $59,403 | 110 | $540 | $5,424,323 | 5,470 | ||
| Apr 24, 2026 | - | $114 | 2 | $57 | $5,424,437 | 5,475 | ||
| Apr 25, 2026 | - | $1,350 | +1,084% | 2 | $675 | $5,425,787 | 5,476 | |
| Apr 26, 2026 | - | $1,567 | +16% | -97% | 2 | $784 | $5,427,354 | 5,477 |
| Apr 27, 2026 | - | $312 | -80% | 2 | $156 | $5,427,666 | 5,478 | |
| Apr 28, 2026 | - | $1,280 | +310% | 2 | $640 | $5,428,946 | 5,479 | |
| Apr 29, 2026 | - | $1,546 | +21% | 2 | $773 | $5,430,492 | 5,480 | |
| Apr 30, 2026 | - | $426 | -72% | 2 | $213 | $5,430,918 | 5,481 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 29, 2011 | 29 | $224,501 | 5 | $44,900 | $224,501 | 1 | |
| May 6, 2011 | 22 | $619,202 | +176% | 50 | $12,384 | $843,703 | 2 |
| May 13, 2011 | 18 | $714,226 | +15% | 82 | $8,710 | $1,557,929 | 3 |
| May 20, 2011 | 17 | $629,543 | -12% | 106 | $5,939 | $2,187,472 | 4 |
| May 27, 2011 | 13 | $719,979 | +14% | 118 | $6,102 | $2,907,451 | 5 |
| Jun 3, 2011 | 17 | $558,528 | -22% | 122 | $4,578 | $3,465,979 | 6 |
| Jun 10, 2011 | 19 | $430,992 | -23% | 123 | $3,504 | $3,896,971 | 7 |
| Jun 17, 2011 | 21 | $383,581 | -11% | 116 | $3,307 | $4,280,552 | 8 |
| Jun 24, 2011 | 27 | $243,058 | -37% | 78 | $3,116 | $4,523,610 | 9 |
| Jul 1, 2011 | 31 | $194,709 | -20% | 60 | $3,245 | $4,718,319 | 10 |
| Jul 8, 2011 | 35 | $141,150 | -28% | 49 | $2,881 | $4,859,469 | 11 |
| Jul 15, 2011 | 39 | $118,946 | -16% | 46 | $2,586 | $4,978,415 | 12 |
| Jul 22, 2011 | 15 | $889,930 | +648% | 35 | $25,427 | $5,067,345 | 13 |
| Jul 29, 2011 | 50 | $62,019 | -93% | 31 | $2,001 | $5,129,364 | 14 |
| Aug 5, 2011 | 54 | $57,883 | -7% | 28 | $2,067 | $5,187,247 | 15 |
| Aug 12, 2011 | 59 | $31,424 | -46% | 16 | $1,964 | $5,218,671 | 16 |
| Aug 19, 2011 | 66 | $28,676 | -9% | 15 | $1,912 | $5,247,347 | 17 |
| Apr 10, 2026 | 24 | $59,040 | 110 | $537 | $5,363,960 | 781 | |
| Apr 17, 2026 | 30 | $59,876 | +1% | 110 | $544 | $5,423,836 | 782 |
| Apr 24, 2026 | 48 | $6,595 | -89% | 2 | $3,298 | $5,430,431 | 783 |
Top International Territories
Box Office Summary Per Territory
| Territory | Release Date |
Opening Weekend |
Opening Weekend Screens/Theaters |
Maximum Screens/Theaters |
Theatrical Engagements |
Total Box Office |
Report Date |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 2/15/2013 | $0 | 0 | 6 | 29 | $46,829 | 12/14/2015 | |||
| Netherlands | 11/29/2012 | $19,001 | 13 | 13 | 26 | $45,372 | 12/12/2015 | |||
| Spain | 6/22/2012 | $0 | 0 | 4 | 20 | $138,116 | 12/11/2015 | |||
| Uruguay | 4/13/2012 | $0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | $21,681 | 12/29/2018 | |||
| Rest of World | $3,812,711 | |||||||||
| International Total | $4,064,709 | 12/29/2018 | ||||||||
Note: Territories vary in whether they report screens or theaters. Full details on international box office data are available via our OpusData service.
Inverviewee
| Dominique Baffier | Himself | |
| Jean Clottes | Himself | |
| Jean-Michel Geneste | Himself | |
| Carole Fritz | Herself | |
| Gilles Tosello | Himself | |
| Michel Philippe | Himself | |
| Julien Monney | Himself | |
| Nicholas Conard | Himself | |
| Wulf Hein | Himself | |
| Maria Malina | Female | |
| Maurice Maurin | Himself |
Narrator
| Werner Herzog | Himself |
Production and Technical Credits
| Werner Herzog | Director | |
| Werner Herzog | Screenwriter | |
| Erik Nelson | Producer | |
| Adrienne Ciuffo | Producer | |
| Joe Bini | Editor | |
| Maya Hawke | Editor | |
| Peter Zeitlinger | Cinematographer | |
| Ernst Reijeger | Composer | |
| Dave Harding | Executive Producer | |
| Julian P. Hobbs | Executive Producer | |
| David McKillop | Executive Producer | |
| Molly Thomason | Executive Producer | |
| Amy Briamonte | Co-Producer | |
| Phil Fairclough | Co-Producer | |
| Judith Thurman | Co-Producer | |
| Nicolas Zunino | Co-Producer |
Cast and crew with above-the-line roles are marked in bold. The line marks the division between above-the-line and below-the-line roles.
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.