The 20 Highest Grossing Indies of 2020 (A Running List)
The below list only includes domestic (U.S. and Canada only, unless otherwise indicated) grosses for specialty films — which we define to include independent, foreign (including Bollywood films), and/or documentary films — that opened in limited release (599 screens and under) in 2020 AND/OR were acquired or produced for 2020 distribution by an independent distributor (including STX Films, Annapurna, United Artists Releasing, A24, Entertainment Studios, IFC Films, Magnolia Pictures, Lionsgate, Amazon, Netflix, Aviron, Global Road, and Bleecker Street) or a studio or its specialty division (including Searchlight, Sony Pictures Classics, and Focus Features).
Given the rapidly changing state of the box office world, this list only includes movies that have opened in theaters during 2020, including brick and mortar businesses and drive-ins. For more information on streaming and VOD box office takes, please check out our weekly updates in those markets right here.
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When provided, this list also includes budgets for each film. Last year’s list can be found here.
Grosses include all reported grosses (via BoxOfficeMojo) up to December 29, 2020. This chart is updated every Tuesday afternoon.
1. “The Gentlemen”
Distributor: STX Entertainment
Budget (if reported): $22M
Release Date: January 24
Opening Theater Count: 2,165
Opening Average: $4,920
Current Gross: $36,471,397
2. “Unhinged”
Distributor: Solstice Studios
Budget (if reported): NA
Release Date: August 14
Opening Theater Count: 299
Opening Average: $2,010
Current Gross: $20,831,465
3. “The War with Grandpa”
Distributor: 101 Studios
Budget (if reported): NA
Release Date: October 9
Opening Theater Count: 2,250
Opening Average: $1,609
Current Gross: $18,388,744
Orion Pictures
4. “Gretel & Hansel”
Distributor: United Artists Releasing
Budget (if reported): $5M
Release Date: January 31
Opening Theater Count: 3,007
Opening Average: $2,046
Current Gross: $15,347,654
5. “Honest Thief”
Distributor: Open Road Films
Budget (if reported): NA
Release Date: October 16
Opening Theater Count: 2,425
Opening Average: $1,697
Current Gross: $14,163,574
6. “Brahms: The Boy II”
Distributor: STX Entertainment
Budget (if reported): $10M
Release Date: February 21
Opening Theater Count: 2,151
Opening Average: $2,70
Current Gross: $12,611,536
7. “Emma”
Distributor: Focus Features
Budget (if reported): NA
Release Date: February 21
Opening Theater Count: 5
Opening Average: $46,896
Current Gross: $10,055,355
Focus Features
8. “I Still Believe”
Distributor: Lionsgate
Budget (if reported): $12M
Release Date: March 13
Opening Theater Count: 3,250
Opening Average: $2,801
Current Gross: $9,868,521
9. “Come Play”
Distributor: Focus Features
Budget (if reported): NA
Release Date: October 30
Opening Theater Count: 2,138
Opening Average: $1,429
Current Gross: $9,470,280
10. “Let Him Go”
Distributor: Focus Features
Budget (if reported): NA
Release Date: November 6
Opening Theater Count: 2,454
Opening Average: $1,630
Current Gross: $9,342,390
11. “Downhill”
Distributor: Searchlight Pictures
Budget (if reported): NA
Release Date: February 14
Opening Theater Count: 2,301
Opening Average: $2,003
Current Gross: $8,287,061
12. “Weathering with You”
Distributor: GKIDS
Budget (if reported): NA
Release Date: January 15
Opening Theater Count: 486
Opening Average: $3,721
Current Gross: $7,798,743
Sony Pictures
13. “The Broken Hearts Gallery”
Distributor: Sony (acquired in March)
Budget (if reported): NA
Release Date: September 11
Opening Theater Count: 2,209
Opening Average: $509
Current Gross: $4,067,442
14. “Infidel”
Distributor: Cloudburst Entertainment
Budget (if reported): NA
Release Date: September 18
Opening Theater Count: 1,724
Opening Average: $802
Current Gross: $4,051,136
15. “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”
Distributor: Neon (acquired at Cannes)
Budget (if reported): NA
Release Date: February 14
Opening Theater Count: 39
Opening Average: $67,344
Current Gross: $3,641,251
16. “Bill & Ted Face the Music”
Distributor: United Artists Releasing
Budget (if reported): NA
Release Date: August 28
Opening Theater Count: 1,007
Opening Average: $1,117
Current Gross: $3,498,714
17. “2020 Oscar Nominated Short Films”
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Budget (if reported): NA
Release Date: January 31
Opening Theater Count: 465
Opening Average: $2,484
Current Gross: $3,306,611
18. “The Last Full Measure”
Distributor: Roadside Attractions
Budget (if reported): $20M
Release Date: January 24
Opening Theater Count: 614
Opening Average: $1,723
Current Gross: $2,949,212
19. “Words on Bathroom Walls”
Distributor: Roadside Attractions
Budget (if reported): NA
Release Date: August 21
Opening Theater Count: 924
Opening Average: $468
Current Gross: $2,542,344
20. “Half Brothers”
Distributor: Focus Features
Budget (if reported): NA
Release Date: December 4
Opening Theater Count: 1,369
Opening Average: $511
Current Gross: $1,990,750
Launch Gallery: The 20 Highest Grossing Indies of 2020
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