The year 1978 in film involved some significant events.
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The top ten 1978 released films by box office gross in the United States and Canada are as follows:
More information Rank, Title ...
Highest-grossing films of 1978
Rank | Title | Distributor | Box-office gross |
1 |
Grease |
Paramount |
$159,978,870[1] |
2 |
Superman |
Warner Bros. |
$134,218,018[2] |
3 |
National Lampoon's Animal House |
Universal |
$120,091,123[3] |
4 |
Every Which Way but Loose |
Warner Bros. |
$85,196,485[4] |
5 |
Heaven Can Wait |
Paramount |
$81,640,278[5] |
6 |
Hooper |
Warner Bros. |
$78,000,000[6] |
7 |
Jaws 2 |
Universal |
$77,737,272[7] |
8 |
Revenge of the Pink Panther |
United Artists |
$49,579,269[8] |
9 |
The Deer Hunter |
Universal |
$48,979,328[9] |
10 |
Halloween |
Compass International |
$47,000,000[10] |
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- February 6 – David Begelman resigns as president of Columbia Pictures.
- March 1 – Charlie Chaplin's coffin is stolen from a Swiss cemetery three months after burial. After recovery a few weeks later, the casket is sealed in a concrete vault prior to reburial.
- March – Leigh Brackett completes the first draft for The Empire Strikes Back, but dies only two weeks later.
- June – Daniel Melnick becomes head of Columbia Pictures after the David Begelman scandal.
- June 4 – Grease, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, has its world premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. It becomes the highest-grossing musical ever and Paramount Pictures' highest-grossing film.
- July 20 – Alan Hirschfield is fired as president and CEO of Columbia Pictures. He is replaced by Francis T. Vincent.
- August – Production begins on Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
- September – George Lucas purchases Bulltail Ranch, on Lucas Valley Road, for the development of Skywalker Ranch.
- October 25 – Halloween is released.
- November 17 – Star Wars Holiday Special airs on CBS. The special gives fans their first glimpse of Boba Fett, a character from the upcoming sequel. But he was not enough for the special to avoid negative reviews upon airing.
- December 10 – Superman premieres at the Kennedy Centre in Washington, D.C., and has a European Royal Charity Premiere at the Empire, Leicester Square in London three days later in the presence of HM Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Andrew, Duke of York.
More information Category/Organization, 36th Golden Globe Awards January 27, 1979 ...
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Palme d'Or (Cannes Film Festival):
- The Tree of Wooden Clogs (L'Albero degli zoccoli), directed by Ermanno Olmi, Italy
Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival):
- Trout (Las Truchas), directed by José Luis García Sánchez, Spain
- What Max Said (Las Palabras de Max), directed by Emilio Martínez-Lázaro, Spain
- January 1 – Christian Tessier, Canadian actor
- January 2
- January 3 – Kimberley Locke, American singer-songwriter and model
- January 5
- January 6 – Tara Spencer-Nairn, Canadian actress
- January 8 – Scott Whyte, American actor
- January 9 – AJ McLean, American musician, singer, dancer, actor, and entertainer
- January 10 – Antonio Cupo, Canadian film and television actor
- January 14 - Blake Ritson, English actor
- January 15
- January 17
- January 20 – Omar Sy, French actor
- January 24
- January 25 – Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian actor and politician
- January 27 – Jake Pavelka, American pilot, television personality
- January 28 – Stephen Farrelly, Irish actor, professional wrestler
- February 7 – Ashton Kutcher, American actor
- February 9 – A. J. Buckley, Canadian actor
- February 10 - Don Omar, Puerto Rican singer, rapper and actor
- February 11 - Lymari Nadal, Puerto Rican actress, producer and screenwriter
- February 12 –
- February 14 – Danai Gurira, actress, playwright
- February 17
- February 20
- February 23 – Kris Lemche, Canadian actor
- February 24 – Nicole Lyn, Canadian actress
- February 28 - Geoffrey Arend, American actor
- March 1 – Jensen Ackles, American actor
- March 3 – Aarti Mann, Indian-American actress
- March 5 – Kimberly McCullough, American actress, dancer, director
- March 8 – Nick Zano, American actor
- March 9 – Katherine Parkinson, English actress
- March 16 – Sophie Hunter, English actress and singer
- March 17 – Patrick Seitz, American voice actor
- March 21
- Kevin Federline, American rapper, DJ, actor, television personality, professional wrestler, and fashion model
- Rani Mukerji, Indian actress
- March 23 – Nicholle Tom and David Tom, American actress and actor
- March 24 – Amanda Brugel, Canadian actress
- March 25
- March 27 - Romesh Ranganathan, British actor, comedian and presenter
- March 31 - Daniel Mays, English actor
- April 1
- April 2 – Deon Richmond, American actor
- April 3 – Matthew Goode, English actor
- April 6 - Lauren Ridloff, deaf American actress
- April 7
- April 8
- April 12 – Riley Smith, American actor
- April 13 – Kyle Howard, American actor
- April 14 - Michelle Duncan, Scottish-Canadian actress
- April 16 – Lara Dutta, Indian actress
- April 17 – Ido Mosseri, Israeli actor, singer and musician
- April 19
- April 20
- April 23 – Ian Brennan, American writer, actor, producer
- April 26
- April 28
- Nate Richert, American actor, musician
- Drew Scott, Canadian actor, realtor, and entrepreneur
- Jonathan Scott, Canadian reality television personality, contractor, illusionist, and television and film producer
- April 29 – Tyler Labine, Canadian actor
- April 30 – Sandra Huller, German actress
- May 1 – James Badge Dale, American actor
- May 2 - Kumail Nanjiani, Pakistani-American comedian, actor and screenwriter
- May 4 – Daisuke Ono, Japanese voice actor and singer
- May 5 – Santiago Cabrera, Venezuelan-born Chilean actor
- May 8
- May 9 – Daniel Franzese, American actor, comedian and activist
- May 10
- May 11 – Warren Brown, English actor and former professional Thai boxer
- May 12
- May 13 - Patrick Hughes, Australian director and screenwriter
- May 15
- May 16 – Jim Sturgess, English actor
- May 17
- May 18 – Chad Donella, Canadian actor
- May 21 – Chris Santos, American actor
- May 22 – Ginnifer Goodwin, American actress
- May 24 – Bryan Greenberg, American actor
- May 25 – Brian Urlacher, former American football linebacker
- May 26 – Laurence Fox, English actor, singer-songwriter, and guitarist
- May 28 – Jake Johnson, actor, comedian
- May 29 – Adam Rickitt, English actor, singer and model
- June 2
- June 4
- June 5
- June 6 - Judith Barsi, American child actress (d. 1988)
- June 7
- June 8 – Maria Menounos, American actress
- June 9 – Michaela Conlin, American actress
- June 10
- June 11 – Joshua Jackson, Canadian actor
- June 12 - Timothy Simons, American actor and comedian
- June 13 – Ethan Embry, American actor
- June 14 - Diablo Cody, Canadian writer
- June 16 – Daniel Brühl, German actor
- June 18 – Tara Platt, American voice actress
- June 19
- June 20
- Quinton Jackson, American mixed martial artist, actor and former professional wrestler
- Mike Birbiglia, American stand-up comedian, actor, and writer
- June 21 – Erica Durance, Canadian actress
- June 27 – Courtney Ford, actress
- June 28 – Ha Ji-won, South Korean actress
- June 29 –
- July 2 – Owain Yeoman, Welsh actor
- July 3 – Ian Anthony Dale, American actor
- July 4
- July 6
- July 8 – Rachael Lillis, American voice actress (d. 2024)
- July 9 – Kyle Davis, American actor
- July 11
- July 12
- July 15 – Greg Sestero, American actor, writer
- July 17
- July 20
- July 21
- July 22 – A. J. Cook, Canadian actress
- July 23 - Pearry Reginald Teo, Singaporean filmmaker (d. 2023)
- July 24 – Jeff Mauro, American actor, chef
- July 29 - Paul King, British writer and director
- August 2 – Natashia Williams, American actress, model
- August 3
- August 4 – Mick Cain, American actor
- August 6 – Lee Ji-ah, South Korean actress
- August 8 – Countess Vaughn, American actress
- August 10
- August 18 – Andy Samberg, American actor, comedian
- August 19 - Michelle Borth, American actress
- August 20 – Kris Smith, English Australian model, television presenter and rugby league footballer
- August 22 – James Corden, English singer, actor, television host
- August 23
- August 24 – Beth Riesgraf, American actress
- August 25 – Kel Mitchell, American actor, comedian
- August 28 – Sam Wills, New Zealand prop comic, busker, clown, and mime
- August 30 – Gianpaolo Venuta, Canadian actor
- August 31 – Mike Erwin, American actor
- September 3 – Nick Wechsler, American actor
- September 4 – Wes Bentley, American actor
- September 5
- September 7 – Devon Sawa, Canadian actor
- September 12 – Benjamin McKenzie, American actor
- September 16
- September 18 – Billy Eichner, American comedian, actor, writer, and television personality
- September 20 – Charlie Weber, American actor
- September 21 – Paulo Costanzo, Canadian actor
- September 22 – Daniella Alonso, American actress and fashion model
- September 23 – Anthony Mackie, American actor
- September 24 - Christopher Nowinski, American author, co-founder and executive director of the Concussion Legacy Foundation; as well as a former professional wrestler with World Wrestling Entertainment
- September 25 – Rossif Sutherland, Canadian actor
- September 28 – Lucas Bryant, Canadian actor
- September 29 – Nathan West, American actor
- September 30 - Stark Sands, American actor
- October 1 – Katie Aselton, American actress, film director and producer
- October 3
- October 6 - Lindsey Pearlman, American actress (d. 2022)
- October 7
- October 9 – Randy Spelling, American actor
- October 10
- October 11
- October 14 – Usher, American singer, actor
- October 15
- October 16 – Kala Savage, American actress
- October 18 – Wesley Jonathan, American actor
- October 21
- October 26 –
- CM Punk, American mixed martial artist, comic book writer and retired professional wrestler
- Anthony Carrino, American contractor, designer, developer and television personality
- October 27 – David Walton, American actor
- October 28
- October 30 - Matthew Morrison, American singer, actor
- October 31 – Brian Hallisay, American actor
- November 1 – Mary Kate Schellhardt, American actress
- November 2
- November 7 - Will Gluck, American director, producer, screenwriter and composer
- November 8 – Keir O'Donnell, Australian-American actor
- November 9 – Sisqó, American singer, actor, songwriter
- November 10
- David Paetkau, Canadian actor
- Diplo, American actor, DJ, record producer, rapper, songwriter
- November 12
- November 13 - Marit Velle Kile, Norwegian former actress
- November 17
- November 19 – Eric Nenninger, American actor
- November 20 - Nadine Velazquez, American actress and model
- November 21 – Yasmine Al Massri, International actress, dancer, video artist and human rights advocate
- November 23 – Kayvan Novak, British actor, voice actor, and comedian
- November 24 – Katherine Heigl, American actress
- November 25 – Taís Araújo, Brazilian actress
- November 26 – Jun Fukuyama, Japanese voice actor and singer
- November 28 – Jodie Resther, Canadian actress
- November 29 – Lauren German, actress
- November 30
- December 1 – Stefan Kapičić, Serbian actor
- December 7
- December 8 – Ian Somerhalder, American actor
- December 9 – Jesse Metcalfe, American actor
- December 10 - Summer Phoenix, American actress
- December 12 - Gbenga Akinnagbe, American actor and writer
- December 13 – Cameron Douglas, American actor
- December 15 – Will Wikle, American actor and reality television personality
- December 16 – Joe Absolom, English actor
- December 17 – Douglas Tait, American actor, stuntman, filmmaker
- December 18
- December 21
- Charles Dera, American pornographic actor, dancer, model, martial artist, and former U.S. Marine
- Mike Vitar, American actor
- December 22 – Mia Tyler, American actress, model, author, visual artist, media personality, socialite, fashion designer, talent manager and music promoter
- December 23 - Josh Cowdery, American actor
- December 24 – Carlson Twins, American actors, models
- December 25 – Jeremy Strong, American film, television, and stage actor
- December 27 - Lisa Jakub, Canadian writer and former actress
- December 28 – John Legend, American composer and actor
- December 30 – Tyrese Gibson, American actor, singer, model
- December 31 – Johnny Sins, pornographic actor, director, and Internet personality
"'Grease,' $4,500,000, In 1,248 Situations For Re-Re-Runs". Variety. May 23, 1979. p. 27.