Published Feb 8, 2026, 10:00 AM EST
Zach Moser is a Philadelphia native who loves films, television, books, and any and all media he can get his hands on. Zach has had articles published on satirical sites such as Points In Case, Slackjaw, and McSweeney's.
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We don't tend to think of documentaries as cash cows, but some documentaries do end up earning impressive returns. They may not have exciting battle sequences, heartwrenching performances, or carefully crafted plots, but documentaries still remain a staple of our viewing diet, whether in movie or TV form.
Still, you may not remember the last time, if ever, you've seen a documentary in theaters. Melania, the 2026 documentary on the first lady of the United States, for which she served as the executive producer, and somehow earned $28 million, is the latest of these ventures (via WSJ).
Naturally, Melania's husband and his GOP-controlled government have declared the film a success based on some strong early box office results. With a budget of $40 million, we can debate forever how successful it actually was, but the conversation does manage to wrangle out at least one interesting film-related question: which documentaries have grossed the most?
10 Oceans (2009)
$83,090,556
Oceans is a 2009 French nature documentary by actor and producer Jacques Perrin, who narrates the French version of the film, while Pierce Brosnan takes over narrating duties in the English version. The documentary explores Earth's five oceans and the sea creatures that inhabit them.
It also investigates the harm humanity has wrought on our ocean environments. Oceans earned $83,090,556 at the box office (via BoxOfficeMojo), and is another stunning entry in Disney's nature documentary series. It's a gorgeous film that will make you feel small in comparison to the scale of life in the oceans.
9 Deep Sea 3D (2006)
$98,231,121
Deep Sea 3D brought in $98,231,121, an impressive amount for a 40-minute IMAX doc (via BoxOfficeMojo). Directed by Howard Hall, the documentary is narrated by Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet with music by Danny Elfman. The movie explores the lives of the animals that live around coral reefs.
While Deep Sea 3D did have a huge number of viewers, some of that gross is the result of Deep Sea only premiering in expensive IMAX 3D theaters. Still, it's an incredible display of visuals and information, bringing viewers into an undersea world as they've never been before.
8 Earth (2007)
$108,975,160
Earth is a 2007 documentary depicting the diverse habitats and animals that make their homes in them all across the planet. A companion piece to Planet Earth, the groundbreaking nature documentary, Earth is essentially a theatrical cut of the best moments of the first season of the show.
Earth ended up making $108,975,160 million at the box office, a particularly incredible amount considering most of the footage could already be seen in the TV show (via BoxOfficeMojo). While the movie won't be anything new for fans of the show, it's an easily digestible entry for anyone new to the series.
7 To Fly! (1976)
$120,700,000
To Fly! earned $120,700,000 overall at the box office (via TheNumbers). The 1976 docudrama short chronicles the history of aviation in the United States, but on a thematic level, it attempts to explain the country's search for a national identity through westward expansion and aviation.
The film premiered in IMAX at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the United States Bicentennial. It's a feat of visual storytelling that still holds up so many decades later. Even without the IMAX screen, To Fly! tells something universal that everyone can appreciate.
6 March Of The Penguins (2005)
$127,392,693
March of the Penguins feels like it kicked off the boom in nature documentaries that began in the early 2000s. The French nature documentary directed by Luc Jacquet features Morgan Freeman as the narrator in the English version, essentially cementing his voice in history forever after.
The documentary follows the yearly journey of the emperor penguins in Antarctica, beginning in Autumn. The penguins of breeding age walk inland through incredible cold and weather to give birth, and then go on another amazing journey to support the newborn chicks. The film earned $127, 392,693 at the box office (via BoxOfficeMojo).
5 Everest (1998)
$127,990,128
Everest, narrated by Liam Neeson, earned $127,990,128 worldwide (via BoxOfficeMojo). The film, as the title suggests, is about Mount Everest, the highest mountain peak on Earth. Specifically, the documentary examines the struggles involved with climbing the mountain, centering on a team led by Ed Viesturs.
Among the group is the film's director, David Breashears; Spanish climber, Araceli Segarra; and Jamling Tenzing Norgay, son of legendary Sherpa, Tenzing Norgay. Filming happened to take place during the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, and the camera crew captured footage of the events, which are events told in Jon Krakauer's book, Into Thin Air.
4 Space Station 3D (2002)
$128,363,881
Space Station 3D earned $128,363,881 at the box office (via BoxOfficeMojo). The 2002 short documentary 3D film was the first 3D live-action film to be shot in space, and gives viewers an inside look into the International Space Station. The film is narrated by Tom Cruise.
It's an incredible technical feat. The 3D works astoundingly well, and there could not be a better subject for the technology than the ISS. As one of the most politically and legally complex space exploration programs ever, the ISS deserves to be shown in all its grandeur, and Space Station 3D does just that.
3 Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
$222,446,882
A very dark, but nonetheless entertaining documentary, Fahrenheit 9/11 is a 2004 film from longtime documentarian Michael Moore. The film centers on the presidency of George W. Bush, the Iraq War, and the media coverage of the war. It's a deep dive into the political and financial webs of the world.
It's a very humorous and well-crafted film, but at its core, it's an angry movie, trying to make sense of a massive tragedy. It goes off on tangents, doesn't always explain things fully, but it pokes and prods at knots that people had left untouched. The film earned $222,446, 882 at the box office (via BoxOfficeMojo).
$239,000,000
Grand Canyon: The Hidden Secrets is a 34-minute short IMAX documentary that was released in 1984. The doc ended up grossing $239,000,000 (via TheNumbers). The film covers the history of the Grand Canyon area, starting when it was a home for indigenous tribes, to now, a major tourist attraction.
There are reenactments, with actors playing Ancestral Puebloans, erroneously called "Anasazi"; European explorers, the first expedition of the Canyon, led by Major John Wesley Powell. Much of the film is shot from a helicopter, which soars through the canyon, a breathtaking shot in IMAX.
1 Michael Jackson's This Is It (2009)
$267,983,588
Michael Jackson's This Is It earned $267,983,588 at the box office, making it the highest-grossing documentary film ever (via BoxOfficeMojo). The documentary depicts the preparation for "This Is It", a planned concert residency for Jackson that was canceled due to his death in 2009.
The documentary offers behind-the-scenes footage and gives a look into one of the most mysterious and private pop stars ever. It's not anything like you are expecting. It's not simply a music documentary. This Is It shows a side of Jackson we rarely ever saw, a consummate craftsman and a talent with few equals.
English (US) ·