Most Popular Movies 2009
This chart shows the 2009 movie releases that have attracted the most interest on The Numbers web site over the past 24 hours. A share of 100 corresponds to 1 percent of the total views for all 2009 releases.
See also: Domestic Release Schedule for 2009 - Top 2009 Worldwide
| ← 2008 | Most Popular Overall | 2010 → |
| Avatar |
| Director: James Cameron |
| Lead Roles: Sam Worthington as Jake Sully, Zoe Saldana as Neytiri |
| Initial Theatrical Release: December 17, 2009 (Wide) (Australia) |
| Keywords: 3-D, Invented Language, Visual Effects, Alien Invasion, IMAX: DMR, Humans as Aliens, Language Barrier, 2010 Oscars Best Picture Nominee, Romance, Interspecies Romance, Slow Motion Scene, Wheelchair User, Voiceover/Narration, Death of a Sibling, Twins, Death of a Twin, Genetic Engineering, 3-D - Shot in 3-D, Environment, Motion Capture Performance, Filmed in Wellington, New Zealand, Filmed in New Zealand, Filmed in United States, Filmed in Stone Street Studios, Wellington, New Zealand, Filmed in Playa Vista, CA, Filmed in California, United States, Filmed in Hughes Aircraft studio, Playa Vista, CA, Filmed in Los Angeles County, CA, Action Adventure |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Action, Animation/Live Action, Science Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $785,221,649 |
|
International BO: $2,138,484,377 |
Synopsis
Jake Sully is a wounded ex-marine, thrust into an effort to settle and exploit Pandora, an exotic moon rich in bio-diversity and inhabited by the Na’vi, a ten-foot-tall humanoid species. After Neytiri, a female Na’vi, rescues Jake after he becomes separated from his team, he learns more about the planet and eventually crosses over to lead the indigenous race in a battle for survival.
| Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs |
| Director: Carlos Saldanha |
| Lead Roles: Ray Romano as Manny, John Leguizamo as Sid, Denis Leary as Diego, Queen Latifah as Ellie |
| Initial Theatrical Release: July 1, 2009 (Wide) by 20th Century Fox |
| Keywords: 3-D, Talking Animals, Animal Lead, Dinosaurs, Non-Chronological, 3-D - Shot in 3-D, Family Adventure |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Adventure, Digital Animation, Kids Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $196,573,705 |
|
International BO: $690,113,112 |
Synopsis
The fun continues as Diego, Manny, and Sid all return for another round of prehistoric fun in this installment of the popular computer-animated children’s series.
| The Princess and the Frog |
| Director: John Musker, Ron Clements |
| Lead Roles: Anika Noni Rose as Tiana, Bruno Campos as Prince Naveen |
| Initial Theatrical Release: November 25, 2009 (Exclusive) by Walt Disney |
| Keywords: Jazz, Spoiled Child, Food, Prince/Princess, Curses, Family Adventure, Talking Animals, Animal Lead |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Adventure, Hand Animation, Kids Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $104,400,899 |
|
International BO: $166,596,479 |
Synopsis
Hardworking and ambitious, Tiana dreams of one day opening the finest restaurant in New Orleans. Her dream takes a slight detour when she meets Prince Naveen, who has been turned into an amphibian by evil Dr. Facilier. Mistaking her for a princess and hoping to break the spell, Naveen plants a kiss on poor Tiana — thereby turning her into a frog as well. The pair hop along on an adventure through the bayous to seek the help of a powerful voodoo priestess.
| The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus |
| Director: Terry Gilliam |
| Lead Roles: Heath Ledger as Tony, Christopher Plummer as Dr. Parnassus, Verne Troyer as Percy, Andrew Garfield as Anton, Lily Cole as Valentina, Tom Waits as Mr. Nick, Johnny Depp as Imaginarium Tony, Jude Law as Imaginarium Tony, Colin Farrell as Imaginarium Tony |
| Initial Theatrical Release: December 25, 2009 (Limited) by Sony Pictures Classics |
| Keywords: Same Role, Multiple Actors, Faustian, Posthumous Release, The Devil, Gambling, Immortality, Chase Adventure |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Adventure, Live Action, Fantasy |
|
Domestic BO: $7,689,607 |
|
International BO: $56,663,000 |
Synopsis
Blessed with the extraordinary gift of guiding the imaginations of others, Doctor Parnassus is cursed with a dark secret. An inveterate gambler, thousands of years ago he made a bet with the devil, Mr. Nick, in which he won immortality. Centuries later, on meeting his one true love, Dr. Parnassus made another deal with the devil, trading his immortality for youth, on condition that when his daughter reached her 16th birthday, she would become the property of Mr Nick. Valentina is now rapidly approaching this "coming of age" milestone and Dr. Parnassus is desperate to protect her from her impending fate. Mr. Nick arrives to collect but, always keen to make a bet, renegotiates the wager. Now the winner of Valentina will be determined by whoever seduces the first five souls. Enlisting a series of wild, comical and compelling characters in his journey, Dr. Parnassus promises his daughter's hand in marriage to the man that helps him win. In this race against time, Dr. Parnassus must fight to save his daughter in a never-ending landscape of surreal obstacles - and undo the mistakes of his past once and for all.
| G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra |
| Director: Stephen Sommers |
| Lead Roles: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Heavy Duty, Christopher Eccleston as Destro, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Rex, Byung-hun Lee as Storm Shadow, Sienna Miller as Baroness, Rachel Nichols as Shana "Scarlett" O'Hara, Ray Park as Snake Eyes, Said Taghmaoui as Breaker, Channing Tatum as Conrad Hauser / Duke, Dennis Quaid as General Clayton Abernathy / Hawk |
| Initial Theatrical Release: August 7, 2009 (Wide) by Paramount Pictures |
| Keywords: Action Adventure, Presumed Dead, Terrorism, Bent on World Domination, Washington, D.C., Political, Special Ops |
| Classification: Based on Toy, Action, Animation/Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $150,201,498 |
|
International BO: $152,267,519 |
Synopsis
Armed with the latest in military and spy technology, the team of elite soldiers known as G.I. Joe travel around the globe to wherever their services are needed. In their latest assignment Gen. Hawk, Duke and the rest of the G.I. Joe team take on Destro, a corrupt arms dealer, and fight the growing threat of the mysterious Cobra organization.
| Angels & Demons |
| Director: Ron Howard |
| Lead Roles: Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon |
| Initial Theatrical Release: May 15, 2009 (Wide) by Sony Pictures |
| Keywords: Crime Thriller, Catholic, Kidnap, Terrorism, Shadowy Organization, Revenge |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Thriller/Suspense, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $133,375,846 |
|
International BO: $357,500,000 |
|
Domestic BO: $402,111,870 |
|
International BO: $434,407,829 |
| Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince |
| Director: David Yates |
| Lead Roles: Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley, Emma Watson as Hermione Granger |
| Initial Theatrical Release: July 15, 2009 (Wide) by Warner Bros. |
| Keywords: Boarding School, 3-D, IMAX: DMR, 3-D - Post-production Conversion, Family Adventure |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Adventure, Animation/Live Action, Fantasy |
|
Domestic BO: $302,089,278 |
|
International BO: $623,979,813 |
| Fame |
| Director: Kevin Tancharoen |
| Lead Roles: Asher Book as Marco, Kristy Flores as Rosie, Paul Iacono as Neil |
| Initial Theatrical Release: September 25, 2009 (Wide) by MGM |
| Keywords: Musical Drama, Romance, Remake, Set in New York City, Set in New York, Backstage |
| Classification: Based on Movie, Musical, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $22,455,510 |
|
International BO: $57,772,109 |
| Watchmen |
| Director: Zack Snyder |
| Lead Roles: Malin Akerman as Laurie Jupiter/Silk Spectre, Billy Crudup as Dr. Manhattan/Jon Osterman, Matthew Goode as Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias, Carla Gugino as Sally Jupiter/Silk Spectre, Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Edward Blake/The Comedian |
| Initial Theatrical Release: March 6, 2009 (Wide) by Warner Bros. |
| Keywords: D.C. Comics, Alternate History, Conspiracy Theory, Surprise Twist, IMAX: DMR, Motion Capture Performance |
| Classification: Based on Comic/Graphic Novel, Action, Live Action, Super Hero |
|
Domestic BO: $107,509,799 |
|
International BO: $79,466,451 |
| Open Season 2 |
| Video Release Date: January 27, 2009 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment |
| Keywords: Direct-to-Video |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Adventure, Digital Animation, Kids Fiction |
|
International BO: $9,510,171 |
| The Blind Side |
| Director: John Lee Hancock |
| Lead Roles: Sandra Bullock as Leigh Anne Tuohy |
| Initial Theatrical Release: November 20, 2009 (Wide) by Warner Bros. |
| Keywords: Inspired by a True Story, Inspirational Sports, Football, 2010 Oscars Best Picture Nominee, Biographical Drama |
| Classification: Based on Factual Book/Article, Drama, Live Action, Dramatization |
|
Domestic BO: $255,959,475 |
|
International BO: $49,746,319 |
| Star Trek |
| Director: J.J. Abrams |
| Lead Roles: Chris Pine as James Tiberius Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock, Karl Urban as Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Zoe Saldana as Uhura, Simon Pegg as Scotty, John Cho as Sulu, Anton Yelchin as Pavel Checkov |
| Initial Theatrical Release: May 8, 2009 (Wide) by Paramount Pictures |
| Keywords: Time Travel, IMAX: DMR, Delayed Sequel, Intertitle, Revenge, Genocide, Young Child Dealing with the Death of a Parent, Interspecies Romance, Bullies, Reboot, Action Adventure |
| Classification: Based on TV, Adventure, Live Action, Science Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $257,730,019 |
|
International BO: $129,109,595 |
| 3 Idiots |
| Director: Rajkumar Hirani |
| Lead Roles: Aamir Khan as Rancho, R. Madhavan as Farhan Qureshi, Sharman Joshi as Raju Rastogi |
| Initial Theatrical Release: December 23, 2009 (Limited) by Big Pictures |
| Keywords: Medical and Hospitals, Dysfunctional Family, Romance, Coming of Age, Surprise Twist, Voiceover/Narration, Non-Chronological, Photography, Academics, Secret Identity, College, Bollywood, Foreign Language, Remade, Comedy Drama, Suicide, Death of a Sibling, Death of a Son or Daughter, Ensemble, Satire |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Comedy, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $6,533,849 |
|
International BO: $63,000,000 |
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| Friday the 13th |
| Director: Marcus Nispel |
| Lead Roles: Derek Mears as Jason Voorhees |
| Initial Theatrical Release: February 13, 2009 (Wide) by Warner Bros. |
| Keywords: Slasher Horror, Reboot |
| Classification: Remake, Horror, Live Action, Fantasy |
|
Domestic BO: $65,002,019 |
|
International BO: $27,668,218 |
| The Hangover |
| Director: Todd Phillips |
| Lead Roles: Bradley Cooper as Phil, Ed Helms as Stu, Zach Galifianakis as Alan |
| Initial Theatrical Release: June 5, 2009 (Wide) by Warner Bros. |
| Keywords: Black Out Drunk, Day After, Accidental Engagement or Marriage, Body in a Trunk, Buddy Comedy |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Comedy, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $277,322,503 |
|
International BO: $188,165,080 |
Synopsis
Two days before his wedding, Doug and three friends drive to Las Vegas for a wild and memorable stag party. In fact, when the three groomsmen wake up the next morning, they can't remember a thing; nor can they find Doug. With little time to spare, the three hazy pals try to re-trace their steps and find Doug so they can get him back to Los Angeles in time to walk down the aisle.
| Paranormal Activity |
| Director: Oren Peli |
| Lead Roles: Micah Sloat as Micah, Katie Featherston as Katie |
| Initial Theatrical Release: September 25, 2009 (Limited) by Paramount Pictures |
| Keywords: Found Footage, Exorcism, Guerilla Filmmaking, Supernatural Horror |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Horror, Live Action, Fantasy |
|
Domestic BO: $107,918,810 |
|
International BO: $86,264,224 |
| Ponyo (崖の上のポニョ) |
| Director: Hayao Miyazaki, John Lasseter, Brad Lewis, Peter Sohn |
| Lead Roles: Noah Cyrus as Ponyo (English Language Version) |
| Initial Theatrical Release: August 14, 2009 (Wide) by Walt Disney, released as Ponyo |
| Keywords: Family Adventure, Underwater, Disaster, Prince/Princess, Anime |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Adventure, Hand Animation, Kids Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $15,090,399 |
|
International BO: $190,072,267 |
| Coraline |
| Director: Henry Selick |
| Lead Roles: Dakota Fanning as Coraline Jones |
| Initial Theatrical Release: February 6, 2009 (Wide) by Focus Features |
| Keywords: 3-D, Monster, 3-D - Shot in 3-D, Kids Horror, Dysfunctional Family, Alternative Dimensions / Parallel universe, Missing Child, Child Neglect |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Adventure, Stop-Motion Animation, Kids Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $75,286,229 |
|
International BO: $50,750,828 |
Synopsis
While exploring her new home, a girl named Coraline discovers a secret door, behind which lies an alternate world that closely mirrors her own but, in many ways, is better. She rejoices in her discovery, until Other Mother and the rest of her parallel family try to keep her there forever. Coraline must use all her resources and bravery to make it back to her own family and life.
| Precious (Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire) |
| Director: Lee Daniels |
| Lead Roles: Gabourey Sidibe as Clareece "Precious" Jones |
| Initial Theatrical Release: November 6, 2009 (Limited) by Lionsgate |
| Keywords: Teenage Mom, Incest, Dysfunctional Family, AIDS, 2010 Oscars Best Picture Nominee, Life Drama |
| Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Drama, Live Action, Historical Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $47,566,524 |
|
International BO: $21,156,324 |
| Inglourious Basterds |
| Director: Quentin Tarantino |
| Lead Roles: Brad Pitt as Lt. Aldo Raine, Christoph Waltz as Col. Hans Landa, Michael Fassbender as Lt. Archie Hicox, Eli Roth as Sgt. Donny Donowitz, Diane Kruger as Bridget Von Hammersmark, Til Schweiger as Sgt. Hugo Stiglitz, Mélanie Laurent as Shosanna |
| Initial Theatrical Release: August 20, 2009 (Special Engagement) by Weinstein Co. |
| Keywords: World War II, War, Nazis, Alternate History, Intentionally Anachronistic, 2010 Oscars Best Picture Nominee, Action Comedy |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Action, Live Action, Historical Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $120,774,594 |
|
International BO: $196,027,687 |
Synopsis
It is the first year of Germany’s occupation of France. Allied officer Lt. Aldo Raine assembles a team of Jewish soldiers to commit violent acts of retribution against the Nazis, including the taking of their scalps. He and his men join forces with Bridget von Hammersmark, a German actress and undercover agent, to bring down the leaders of the Third Reich. Their fates converge with theater owner Shosanna Dreyfus, who seeks to avenge the Nazis’ execution of her family.
| Gamer |
| Director: Brian Taylor, Mark Neveldine |
| Lead Roles: Gerard Butler as Kable, Michael C. Hall as Ken Castle |
| Initial Theatrical Release: September 4, 2009 (Wide) by Lionsgate |
| Keywords: Action Thriller, Video Game, Video Game Industry, Mind Control, Prison, Framed |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Action, Live Action, Science Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $20,534,907 |
|
International BO: $21,467,122 |
| The Final Destination |
| Director: David R. Ellis |
| Lead Roles: Bobby Campo as Nick |
| Initial Theatrical Release: August 28, 2009 (Wide) by Warner Bros. |
| Keywords: Slasher Horror, 3-D, 3-D - Shot in 3-D |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Horror, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $66,477,700 |
|
International BO: $120,906,927 |
Synopsis
While enjoying a day at the track, Nick O’Bannon has a horrific premonition of his friends and him all dying in a freak accident involving many racecars. Mere seconds before the vision comes true, he manages to convince them to leave. Although they cheat death then, the survivors each begin to meet a grisly end, and Nick tries to figure a way to escape a similar fate.
| Up |
| Director: Pete Docter |
| Lead Roles: Ed Asner as Carl Fredricksen, Jordan Nagai as Russell |
| Initial Theatrical Release: May 28, 2009 (Wide) (Australia) |
| Keywords: 3-D, Infertility, Widow/Widower, Romance, Prologue, Death of a Spouse or Fiancée / Fiancé, Animal Lead, Talking Animals, 2010 Oscars Best Picture Nominee, Family Adventure |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Adventure, Digital Animation, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $293,004,164 |
|
International BO: $438,459,213 |
Synopsis
Carl Fredricksen, a 78-year-old balloon salesman, is about to fulfill a lifelong dream. Tying thousands of balloons to his house, he flies away to the South American wilderness. But curmudgeonly Carl’s worst nightmare comes true when he discovers a little boy named Russell is a stowaway aboard the balloon-powered house.
| Paul Blart: Mall Cop |
| Director: Steve Carr |
| Lead Roles: Kevin James as Paul Blart |
| Initial Theatrical Release: January 16, 2009 (Wide) by Sony Pictures |
| Keywords: Action Comedy, Crime, Hostage, Rescue, Single Parent |
| Classification: Original Screenplay, Comedy, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction |
|
Domestic BO: $146,336,178 |
|
International BO: $39,568,572 |