The year 1978 in film involved some significant events.
Highest-grossing films (U.S.)
The top ten 1978 released films by box office gross in the United States and Canada are as follows:
Events
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 wasn’t enough for the special not to get 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.
Awards
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
1978 Wide-release films
January–March
April–June
July–September
October–December
Notable films released in 1978
U.S.A. unless stated
#
The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (Shao Lin san shi liu fang), starring Gordon Liu – (Hong Kong)
A
Almost Summer, directed by Martin Davidson, starring Bruno Kirby and Lee Purcell
American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince, directed by Martin Scorsese (documentary) American Hot Wax, a biopic of Alan Freed, starring Tim McIntire, Fran Drescher, Laraine Newman, Jay Leno L'argent des autres (Other People's Money), starring Jean-Louis Trintignant and Catherine Deneuve – (France) The Astral Factor, starring Robert Foxworth and Stefanie Powers Autumn Sonata (Höstsonaten), directed by Ingmar Bergman, starring Ingrid Bergman and Liv Ullmann – (Sweden) Avalanche, starring Rock Hudson, Robert Forster, Mia Farrow
B
The Bad News Bears Go to Japan, starring Tony Curtis and Jackie Earle Haley
Bandits vs. Samurai Squadron (Kumokiri Nizaemon) – (Japan) Battlestar Galactica (Canada and most European countries only; released in U.S. theatres the following year) The Betsy, starring Laurence Olivier, Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, Katharine Ross, Kathleen Beller, Lesley-Anne Down The Big Fix, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Susan Anspach, F. Murray Abraham, John Lithgow The Big Sleep, starring Robert Mitchum, Sarah Miles, Oliver Reed, Richard Boone, Candy Clark, Joan Collins, James Stewart – (U.K.) Big Wednesday, directed by John Milius, starring Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt, Gary Busey Bloodbrothers, starring Richard Gere and Paul Sorvino Blue Collar, directed by Paul Schrader, starring Richard Pryor, Yaphet Kotto, Harvey Keitel Born Again, starring Dean Jones and Anne Francis The Boys from Brazil, directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, starring Gregory Peck, Laurence Olivier, James Mason – (U.K./U.S.) The Boys in Company C, starring Stan Shaw, Andrew Stevens and Craig Wasson The Brink's Job, directed by William Friedkin, starring Peter Falk, Gena Rowlands, Peter Boyle, Paul Sorvino, Warren Oates The Buddy Holly Story, starring Gary Busey, Don Stroud and Charles Martin Smith Bye Bye Monkey (Rêve de singe / Ciao maschio), starring Gérard Depardieu and Marcello Mastroianni – (France/Italy)