2009 Box Office Summary
The 2009 box office finished with a final total of $1.09 billion, which made it the highest year on record.
This was a 15% increase on 2008 which was also a record year.
The box office was driven by a strong range of releases throughout the year. Audiences flocked to see a wide variety of films, from the action packed Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen to the acclaimed animation Up, there was something for everyone in 2009.
Avatar was a stand-out that has to date earned its place as the highest grossing movie of all time at the Australian Box Office.
2009 Top 10 Releases
Rank | Film | Box-office $AU |
1 | Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince | $40.6m |
2 | Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen | $40.3m |
3 | Avatar | $38.8m |
4 | The Twilight Saga: New Moon | $37.0m |
5 | Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs | $29.8m |
6 | Up | $28.0m |
7 | The Hangover | $21.4m |
8 | Monsters Vs Aliens | $20.6m |
9 | 2012 | $20.1m |
10 | Slumdog Millionaire | $18.9m |
Source: MPDAA (as at 31st December 2009)
2009 Highest Openings
Rank | Film | Release Date | Opening Week |
1 | The Twilight Saga: New Moon | 19-Nov | $20.2m |
2 | Avatar | 17-Dec | $19.3m |
3 | Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince | 15-Jul | $18.8m |
4 | Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen | 24-Jun | $18.3m |
5 | Fast & Furious | 23-Apr | $10.2m |
6 | Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaur | 1-Jul | $10.1m |
7 | Terminator Salvation | 4-Jun | $8.8m |
8 | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | 29-Apr | $8.7m |
9 | 2012 | 12-Nov | $8.2m |
10 | Sherlock Holmes | 26-Dec | $8.2m |
Source: MPDAA, ^ not including opening Wednesday
Most Weeks in Top 20
Film | Release Date | Weeks in Top 20 |
Gran Torino | 22-Jan | 14 |
The Reader | 26-Feb | 14 |
Avatar* | 17-Dec | 13 |
Mao's Last Dancer | 1-Oct | 13 |
Samson & Delilah | 14-May | 13 |
The Hangover | 11-Jun | 12 |
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince | 15-Jul | 12 |
Inglourious Basterds | 20-Aug | 11 |
Monsters Vs. Aliens | 30-Mar | 10 |
Julie & Julia | 8-Oct | 10 |
The Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas | 23-Apr | 10 |
Easy Virtue | 19-Mar | 10 |
Source: MPDAA
Most Weeks over $1m
Film | Release Date | Weeks > $1m |
Avatar* | 17-Dec | 13 |
Gran Torino | 22-Jan | 7 |
The Hangover | 11-Jun | 7 |
Up | 3-Sep | 7 |
Tansformers: Revenge of the Fallen | 24-Jun | 6 |
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince | 15-Jul | 6 |
The Twilight Saga: New Moon | 19-Nov | 6 |
X-Men Origins: Wolverine | 29-Apr | 5 |
The Proposal | 18-Jun | 5 |
Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs | 1-Jul | 5 |
Inglourious Basterds | 20-Aug | 5 |
Mao's Last Dancer | 1-Oct | 5 |
Source: MPDAA
*Still in MPDAA Top 20