Fargo (1996)
| Theatrical Performance | ||
| Domestic Box Office | $24,567,751 | Details |
| International Box Office | $26,634,120 | Details |
| Worldwide Box Office | $51,201,871 | |
| Domestic Physical Disc Sales | ||
| DVD Sales (estimated) | $90 | |
| Blu-ray Sales (estimated) | $102,764 | |
| Total | $102,854 | |
| OpusData ID: 21850100 More info... | ||
| Further financial details... | ||
Synopsis
A pregnant police chief is investigating a series of homicides across the frozen tundra. Against a sprawling Minnesota landscape, a car salesman hires two criminals to kidnap his wife. But when the scheme goes sour, and wood chippers get involved, the haphazard kidnapping plot turns deadly serious.
Metrics
| Opening Weekend: | $730,265 (3.0% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 8.73 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 48.0% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Production Budget: | $7,000,000 (worldwide box office is 7.3 times production budget) |
| Theater counts: | 36 opening theaters/716 max. theaters, 9.5 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $62,814,123 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | March 8th, 1996 (Wide) by Gramercy |
| International Releases: | June 7th, 1996 (Wide) (Australia)
September 13th, 1996 (Limited) (Portugal) January 14th, 2021 (Wide) (New Zealand) June 11th, 2021 (Limited) (United Kingdom) July 16th, 2023 (Limited), released as Fâgo (Japan) ... Show all releases |
| Video Release: | March 4th, 1997 by MGM Video |
| MPA Rating: | R for strong violence, language and sexuality |
| Running Time: | 95 minutes |
| Award nomination: | 1997 Oscars Best Picture Nominee |
| Plot point: | Body in a Trunk, Corrupt Cops, In-Laws / Future In-Laws, Kidnap, No Honor Among Thieves, Police Procedural, Relationships Gone Wrong |
| Social setting: | Film Noir, Life in a Small Town |
| Source material: | Based on an UNTRUE Story |
| Subgenre: | Crime Thriller |
| Source: | Original Screenplay |
| Genre: | Thriller/Suspense |
| Production Method: | Live Action |
| Creative Type: | Contemporary Fiction |
| Production/Financing Companies: | Working Title Films |
| Production Countries: | United States |
| Languages: | English |
Weekend Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 8, 1996 | 16 | $730,265 | 36 | $20,285 | $730,265 | 1 | |
| Mar 15, 1996 | 14 | $914,202 | +25% | 58 | $15,762 | $1,938,339 | 2 |
| Mar 22, 1996 | 6 | $2,812,662 | +208% | 412 | $6,827 | $5,152,178 | 3 |
| Mar 29, 1996 | 8 | $2,704,652 | -4% | 596 | $4,538 | $8,703,542 | 4 |
| Apr 5, 1996 | 7 | $2,536,491 | -6% | 716 | $3,543 | $12,160,219 | 5 |
| Apr 12, 1996 | 10 | $1,881,347 | -26% | 716 | $2,628 | $14,900,107 | 6 |
| Apr 19, 1996 | 12 | $1,464,714 | -22% | 699 | $2,095 | $16,962,127 | 7 |
| Apr 26, 1996 | 14 | $955,119 | -35% | 541 | $1,765 | $18,395,787 | 8 |
| May 3, 1996 | 17 | $694,131 | -27% | 418 | $1,661 | $19,402,943 | 9 |
| May 10, 1996 | 17 | $538,964 | -22% | 394 | $1,368 | $20,198,879 | 10 |
| May 17, 1996 | 16 | $550,565 | +2% | 410 | $1,343 | $20,976,052 | 11 |
| May 24, 1996 | 14 | $542,633 | -1% | 272 | $1,995 | $21,723,440 | 12 |
| May 31, 1996 | 18 | $254,919 | -53% | 209 | $1,220 | $22,091,471 | 13 |
| Jun 7, 1996 | 21 | $195,982 | -23% | 168 | $1,167 | $22,408,006 | 14 |
| Jun 14, 1996 | 24 | $146,600 | -25% | 152 | $964 | $22,647,573 | 15 |
| Jun 21, 1996 | 26 | $156,692 | +7% | 137 | $1,144 | $22,897,654 | 16 |
| Jun 28, 1996 | 26 | $155,225 | -1% | 156 | $995 | $23,135,126 | 17 |
| Jul 5, 1996 | 27 | $195,605 | +26% | 127 | $1,540 | $23,371,007 | 18 |
| Jul 12, 1996 | 29 | $114,545 | -41% | 106 | $1,081 | $23,561,322 | 19 |
| Jul 19, 1996 | 36 | $73,359 | -36% | 92 | $797 | $23,699,301 | 20 |
| Jul 26, 1996 | 47 | $45,318 | -38% | 58 | $781 | $23,788,316 | 21 |
| Aug 2, 1996 | 41 | $49,964 | +10% | 60 | $833 | $23,870,772 | 22 |
| Aug 9, 1996 | 45 | $42,350 | -15% | 45 | $941 | $23,944,035 | 23 |
| Aug 16, 1996 | 48 | $39,140 | -8% | 36 | $1,087 | $24,015,679 | 24 |
| Feb 21, 1997 | 56 | $40,535 | 72 | $563 | $24,303,383 | 51 | |
| Mar 21, 1997 | 53 | $24,927 | 27 | $923 | $24,402,676 | 55 | |
| Mar 28, 1997 | 51 | $51,490 | +107% | 53 | $972 | $24,475,469 | 56 |
| Apr 4, 1997 | 56 | $44,378 | -14% | 68 | $653 | $24,547,547 | 57 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 8, 1996 | 17 | $1,024,137 | 36 | $28,448 | $1,024,137 | 1 | |
| Mar 15, 1996 | 14 | $1,315,379 | +28% | 58 | $22,679 | $2,339,516 | 2 |
| Mar 22, 1996 | 7 | $3,659,374 | +178% | 412 | $8,882 | $5,998,890 | 3 |
| Mar 29, 1996 | 9 | $3,624,838 | -1% | 596 | $6,082 | $9,623,728 | 4 |
| Apr 5, 1996 | 7 | $3,395,032 | -6% | 716 | $4,742 | $13,018,760 | 5 |
| Apr 12, 1996 | 9 | $2,478,653 | -27% | 716 | $3,462 | $15,497,413 | 6 |
| Apr 19, 1996 | 11 | $1,943,255 | -22% | 699 | $2,780 | $17,440,668 | 7 |
| Apr 26, 1996 | 14 | $1,268,144 | -35% | 541 | $2,344 | $18,708,812 | 8 |
| May 3, 1996 | 17 | $951,103 | -25% | 418 | $2,275 | $19,659,915 | 9 |
| May 10, 1996 | 18 | $765,572 | -20% | 394 | $1,943 | $20,425,487 | 10 |
| May 17, 1996 | 15 | $755,320 | -1% | 410 | $1,842 | $21,180,807 | 11 |
| May 24, 1996 | 13 | $655,745 | -13% | 272 | $2,411 | $21,836,552 | 12 |
| May 31, 1996 | 17 | $375,472 | -43% | 209 | $1,797 | $22,212,024 | 13 |
| Jun 7, 1996 | 23 | $288,949 | -23% | 168 | $1,720 | $22,500,973 | 14 |
| Jun 14, 1996 | 22 | $239,989 | -17% | 152 | $1,579 | $22,740,962 | 15 |
| Jun 21, 1996 | 27 | $238,939 | n/c | 137 | $1,744 | $22,979,901 | 16 |
| Jun 28, 1996 | 26 | $195,501 | -18% | 156 | $1,253 | $23,175,402 | 17 |
| Jul 5, 1996 | 27 | $271,375 | +39% | 127 | $2,137 | $23,446,777 | 18 |
| Jul 12, 1996 | 29 | $179,165 | -34% | 106 | $1,690 | $23,625,942 | 19 |
| Jul 19, 1996 | 36 | $117,056 | -35% | 92 | $1,272 | $23,742,998 | 20 |
| Jul 26, 1996 | 40 | $77,810 | -34% | 58 | $1,342 | $23,820,808 | 21 |
| Aug 2, 1996 | 39 | $80,877 | +4% | 60 | $1,348 | $23,901,685 | 22 |
| Aug 9, 1996 | 41 | $74,854 | -7% | 45 | $1,663 | $23,976,539 | 23 |
| Mar 21, 1997 | 49 | $46,230 | 27 | $1,712 | $24,423,979 | 55 | |
| Mar 28, 1997 | 51 | $79,190 | +71% | 53 | $1,494 | $24,503,169 | 56 |
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 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 6/7/1996 | $0 | 0 | 1 | 31 | $23,255 | 4/4/2026 | |||
| New Zealand | 1/14/2021 | $2,013 | 2 | 2 | 10 | $1,348 | 4/20/2026 | |||
| Portugal | 9/13/1996 | $0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | $787 | 4/6/2026 | |||
| United Kingdom | 6/11/2021 | $12,117 | 80 | 80 | 80 | $12,117 | 6/16/2021 | |||
| Rest of World | $26,596,613 | |||||||||
| International Total | $26,634,120 | 4/20/2026 | ||||||||
Note: Territories vary in whether they report screens or theaters. Full details on international box office data are available via our OpusData service.
Leading
| Frances McDormand | Marge Gunderson | |
| William H. Macy | Jerry Lundegaard | |
| Steve Buscemi | Carl Showalter |
Supporting
| Harve Presnell | Wade Gustafson | |
| Peter Stormare | Gaear Grimsrud | |
| Bruce Campbell | Soap Opera Actor | |
| John Carroll Lynch | Norm Gunderson | |
| Steve Reevis | Shep Proudfoot | |
| Steve Park | Mike Yanagita | |
| Kristin Rudrüd | Jean Lundegaard |
Production and Technical Credits
| Joel Coen | Director | |
| Ethan Coen | Producer | |
| Ethan Coen | Screenwriter | |
| Joel Coen | Screenwriter | |
| Rick Heinrichs | Production Designer | |
| Carter Burwell | Composer |
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.
Synopsis
A pregnant police chief is investigating a series of homicides across the frozen tundra. Against a sprawling Minnesota landscape, a car salesman hires two criminals to kidnap his wife. But when the scheme goes sour, and wood chippers get involved, the haphazard kidnapping plot turns deadly serious.
Metrics
| Opening Weekend: | $730,265 (3.0% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 8.73 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 48.0% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Production Budget: | $7,000,000 (worldwide box office is 7.3 times production budget) |
| Theater counts: | 36 opening theaters/716 max. theaters, 9.5 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $62,814,123 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | March 8th, 1996 (Wide) by Gramercy |
| International Releases: | June 7th, 1996 (Wide) (Australia)
September 13th, 1996 (Limited) (Portugal) January 14th, 2021 (Wide) (New Zealand) June 11th, 2021 (Limited) (United Kingdom) July 16th, 2023 (Limited), released as Fâgo (Japan) ... Show all releases |
| Video Release: | March 4th, 1997 by MGM Video |
| MPA Rating: | R for strong violence, language and sexuality |
| Running Time: | 95 minutes |
| Award nomination: | 1997 Oscars Best Picture Nominee |
| Plot point: | Body in a Trunk, Corrupt Cops, In-Laws / Future In-Laws, Kidnap, No Honor Among Thieves, Police Procedural, Relationships Gone Wrong |
| Social setting: | Film Noir, Life in a Small Town |
| Source material: | Based on an UNTRUE Story |
| Subgenre: | Crime Thriller |
| Source: | Original Screenplay |
| Genre: | Thriller/Suspense |
| Production Method: | Live Action |
| Creative Type: | Contemporary Fiction |
| Production/Financing Companies: | Working Title Films |
| Production Countries: | United States |
| Languages: | English |
Weekend Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 8, 1996 | 16 | $730,265 | 36 | $20,285 | $730,265 | 1 | |
| Mar 15, 1996 | 14 | $914,202 | +25% | 58 | $15,762 | $1,938,339 | 2 |
| Mar 22, 1996 | 6 | $2,812,662 | +208% | 412 | $6,827 | $5,152,178 | 3 |
| Mar 29, 1996 | 8 | $2,704,652 | -4% | 596 | $4,538 | $8,703,542 | 4 |
| Apr 5, 1996 | 7 | $2,536,491 | -6% | 716 | $3,543 | $12,160,219 | 5 |
| Apr 12, 1996 | 10 | $1,881,347 | -26% | 716 | $2,628 | $14,900,107 | 6 |
| Apr 19, 1996 | 12 | $1,464,714 | -22% | 699 | $2,095 | $16,962,127 | 7 |
| Apr 26, 1996 | 14 | $955,119 | -35% | 541 | $1,765 | $18,395,787 | 8 |
| May 3, 1996 | 17 | $694,131 | -27% | 418 | $1,661 | $19,402,943 | 9 |
| May 10, 1996 | 17 | $538,964 | -22% | 394 | $1,368 | $20,198,879 | 10 |
| May 17, 1996 | 16 | $550,565 | +2% | 410 | $1,343 | $20,976,052 | 11 |
| May 24, 1996 | 14 | $542,633 | -1% | 272 | $1,995 | $21,723,440 | 12 |
| May 31, 1996 | 18 | $254,919 | -53% | 209 | $1,220 | $22,091,471 | 13 |
| Jun 7, 1996 | 21 | $195,982 | -23% | 168 | $1,167 | $22,408,006 | 14 |
| Jun 14, 1996 | 24 | $146,600 | -25% | 152 | $964 | $22,647,573 | 15 |
| Jun 21, 1996 | 26 | $156,692 | +7% | 137 | $1,144 | $22,897,654 | 16 |
| Jun 28, 1996 | 26 | $155,225 | -1% | 156 | $995 | $23,135,126 | 17 |
| Jul 5, 1996 | 27 | $195,605 | +26% | 127 | $1,540 | $23,371,007 | 18 |
| Jul 12, 1996 | 29 | $114,545 | -41% | 106 | $1,081 | $23,561,322 | 19 |
| Jul 19, 1996 | 36 | $73,359 | -36% | 92 | $797 | $23,699,301 | 20 |
| Jul 26, 1996 | 47 | $45,318 | -38% | 58 | $781 | $23,788,316 | 21 |
| Aug 2, 1996 | 41 | $49,964 | +10% | 60 | $833 | $23,870,772 | 22 |
| Aug 9, 1996 | 45 | $42,350 | -15% | 45 | $941 | $23,944,035 | 23 |
| Aug 16, 1996 | 48 | $39,140 | -8% | 36 | $1,087 | $24,015,679 | 24 |
| Feb 21, 1997 | 56 | $40,535 | 72 | $563 | $24,303,383 | 51 | |
| Mar 21, 1997 | 53 | $24,927 | 27 | $923 | $24,402,676 | 55 | |
| Mar 28, 1997 | 51 | $51,490 | +107% | 53 | $972 | $24,475,469 | 56 |
| Apr 4, 1997 | 56 | $44,378 | -14% | 68 | $653 | $24,547,547 | 57 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 8, 1996 | 17 | $1,024,137 | 36 | $28,448 | $1,024,137 | 1 | |
| Mar 15, 1996 | 14 | $1,315,379 | +28% | 58 | $22,679 | $2,339,516 | 2 |
| Mar 22, 1996 | 7 | $3,659,374 | +178% | 412 | $8,882 | $5,998,890 | 3 |
| Mar 29, 1996 | 9 | $3,624,838 | -1% | 596 | $6,082 | $9,623,728 | 4 |
| Apr 5, 1996 | 7 | $3,395,032 | -6% | 716 | $4,742 | $13,018,760 | 5 |
| Apr 12, 1996 | 9 | $2,478,653 | -27% | 716 | $3,462 | $15,497,413 | 6 |
| Apr 19, 1996 | 11 | $1,943,255 | -22% | 699 | $2,780 | $17,440,668 | 7 |
| Apr 26, 1996 | 14 | $1,268,144 | -35% | 541 | $2,344 | $18,708,812 | 8 |
| May 3, 1996 | 17 | $951,103 | -25% | 418 | $2,275 | $19,659,915 | 9 |
| May 10, 1996 | 18 | $765,572 | -20% | 394 | $1,943 | $20,425,487 | 10 |
| May 17, 1996 | 15 | $755,320 | -1% | 410 | $1,842 | $21,180,807 | 11 |
| May 24, 1996 | 13 | $655,745 | -13% | 272 | $2,411 | $21,836,552 | 12 |
| May 31, 1996 | 17 | $375,472 | -43% | 209 | $1,797 | $22,212,024 | 13 |
| Jun 7, 1996 | 23 | $288,949 | -23% | 168 | $1,720 | $22,500,973 | 14 |
| Jun 14, 1996 | 22 | $239,989 | -17% | 152 | $1,579 | $22,740,962 | 15 |
| Jun 21, 1996 | 27 | $238,939 | n/c | 137 | $1,744 | $22,979,901 | 16 |
| Jun 28, 1996 | 26 | $195,501 | -18% | 156 | $1,253 | $23,175,402 | 17 |
| Jul 5, 1996 | 27 | $271,375 | +39% | 127 | $2,137 | $23,446,777 | 18 |
| Jul 12, 1996 | 29 | $179,165 | -34% | 106 | $1,690 | $23,625,942 | 19 |
| Jul 19, 1996 | 36 | $117,056 | -35% | 92 | $1,272 | $23,742,998 | 20 |
| Jul 26, 1996 | 40 | $77,810 | -34% | 58 | $1,342 | $23,820,808 | 21 |
| Aug 2, 1996 | 39 | $80,877 | +4% | 60 | $1,348 | $23,901,685 | 22 |
| Aug 9, 1996 | 41 | $74,854 | -7% | 45 | $1,663 | $23,976,539 | 23 |
| Mar 21, 1997 | 49 | $46,230 | 27 | $1,712 | $24,423,979 | 55 | |
| Mar 28, 1997 | 51 | $79,190 | +71% | 53 | $1,494 | $24,503,169 | 56 |
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 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 6/7/1996 | $0 | 0 | 1 | 31 | $23,255 | 4/4/2026 | |||
| New Zealand | 1/14/2021 | $2,013 | 2 | 2 | 10 | $1,348 | 4/20/2026 | |||
| Portugal | 9/13/1996 | $0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | $787 | 4/6/2026 | |||
| United Kingdom | 6/11/2021 | $12,117 | 80 | 80 | 80 | $12,117 | 6/16/2021 | |||
| Rest of World | $26,596,613 | |||||||||
| International Total | $26,634,120 | 4/20/2026 | ||||||||
Note: Territories vary in whether they report screens or theaters. Full details on international box office data are available via our OpusData service.
Leading
| Frances McDormand | Marge Gunderson | |
| William H. Macy | Jerry Lundegaard | |
| Steve Buscemi | Carl Showalter |
Supporting
| Harve Presnell | Wade Gustafson | |
| Peter Stormare | Gaear Grimsrud | |
| Bruce Campbell | Soap Opera Actor | |
| John Carroll Lynch | Norm Gunderson | |
| Steve Reevis | Shep Proudfoot | |
| Steve Park | Mike Yanagita | |
| Kristin Rudrüd | Jean Lundegaard |
Production and Technical Credits
| Joel Coen | Director | |
| Ethan Coen | Producer | |
| Ethan Coen | Screenwriter | |
| Joel Coen | Screenwriter | |
| Rick Heinrichs | Production Designer | |
| Carter Burwell | Composer |
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.